Chapter 212: The Well
With a solid thud, I stored the Demon Beast lurking in the sand without even looking at it.
The presumed Desert Spirit pointed in the direction I should go before vanishing. After walking for a while, it reappeared and gestured again.
I was starting to lose track of where I was headed. The sand dunes shifted shape with the wind, making it pointless to memorize anything. I could tell the direction by the position of the sun—at least, that’s what I thought, but when Spirits were involved, even a compass could go haywire, and the sun and stars could be deceiving…
With my dominant leg, injuries, skeletal misalignments, differences in leg lengths, ill-fitting shoes, and personal quirks—these variations could lead to wandering in circles in a wide-open space, a phenomenon known as Ring Wandering, right? Or was it called circular wandering?
I had the luxury of being able to return at any time, but if I didn’t, I’d probably feel anxious. Still, I stepped forward, treading on the sand in the direction the Spirit indicated. The sand drained my stamina; running on a beach during club activities was definitely a workout.
Thud.
Physically, I was fine, but should I try a little levitation magic? There were plenty of air and wind Spirits around, so I thought I could manage without too much strain. But then again, if I floated, the Demon Beasts wouldn’t attack me. It seemed they were drawn to the vibrations of my footsteps.
Thud.
The Ex-Staff was happy, and I felt a sense of satisfaction knowing that what I learned from the Red Lizard was being put to good use with this thud. I wanted to say it wasn’t just about relying on abilities, but without the speed and strength to thrust the Ex-Staff, this method wouldn’t work. It was much tougher than the Red Lizard.
Thanks to the Spirits or perhaps my daily training, I felt like my strength and stamina had improved since I first arrived. I didn’t think my physique had changed, though. I had grown about a centimeter taller over the past two years… probably.
Along the way, I encountered crocodiles and snakes, as well as fish-shaped Demon Beasts that burrowed into the sand like anglerfish, dangling delicious-looking fruits, and creatures resembling sand eels. The most surprising of all was the bluefin tuna.
It was sand-colored but had a distinct shape. After what felt like an endless stretch of sand, it seemed I had stumbled upon some ruins. A crumbled wall peeked out from the sand.
Another Spirit appeared, pointing downwards.
It seemed my destination was buried beneath the sand. But first…
“Ex-Staff! Five times!!”
“Aye aye, Master!!”
As I swung the Ex-Staff and shouted the multiplier, I felt a change in resistance. It expanded to five times its original size and length, just as I wished.
The guiding Spirit looked surprised, but I didn’t mind.
With a powerful thrust, I plunged it into the sand, sending up a cloud of dust. Following that, the surrounding sand swirled dramatically a moment later.
“Master, it’s a big one!”
“Yeah!”
Just as the excited Ex-Staff said, the Demon Beast buried in the sand was about five times larger than the ones I had defeated before.
The dust was so thick that I couldn’t see anything around me. It wasn’t just thrashing about randomly; it seemed to be writhing in its death throes. It didn’t seem to have any intention of targeting me.
Was it a tuna?
No, it wasn’t. As the sand settled, what I saw was a massive, half-buried Demon Beast that looked like a caterpillar—or rather, a gigantic nematode.
I really wish they wouldn’t introduce insect-like creatures at this point. I needed to wipe down the Ex-Staff. If I wanted, I could make matter pass through, so any dirt would just drop off, but it was more about how I felt.
“I really don’t want to store this one.”
But the appraisal results showed that its bodily fluids were materials for potions. I guess I had no choice but to collect it quietly.
As I stored it, the sand rushed in to fill the space where the Demon Beast had been. And then, a well appeared.
It seemed I had reached the entrance to my destination. To clear the sand covering the well, I asked the air and wind Spirits for help. As I raised my palm upwards, the Spirits blew the sand away in response to my movement.
The remaining sand that hadn’t been blown away was taken care of by smaller Spirits, who whipped up little whirlwinds to clear it.
“Thank you.”
In addition to the magic power I had given them when I asked for their cooperation, I offered a little extra as a service. I’d appreciate their help again.
The guiding Spirit had vanished without me noticing. I looked around to confirm it was gone before moving forward.
“Sometimes, entering a narrow space gets me all excited! Especially the refreshing feeling when I step outside!”
Wait, isn’t that just a declaration that I prefer being outside rather than in tight spaces?
For now, I tapped the Ex-Staff against the stairs to check their strength. Perhaps because they had been buried in sand, they seemed to be in better condition than the exposed walls.
The square well had stairs on all four sides. Occasionally, sand trickled down softly as I descended, circling around the four sides.
It felt cool just stepping into the shade.
Descending underground, much like in a mine shaft, had a certain romanticism to it. I wondered if there were underground empires? Oh, right, there was one in the Dwarven Valley. Wait, where did all that romance go?