Sand rained.
The grey particles were tiny, slow but endless. As if determined to drown down the 'Inner Planet', they fell.
The sand grains plummeted into a river and sent bursts of cold throughout. The grains that fell in the next minute, however, abruptly heated the river. Then, they sent ripples of invading lightning.
"Invaders trying to barge into our territory." A specific set of vibrations rang under the river and reached the ears of a beautiful creature.
"Another Tuesday afternoon." Another set of vibrations in the river rang, replying sharply.
"Should we attack?"
"No. They know we are watching."
"Then what?"
"Hunting them outside the river puts us at a big risk. We can only hunt them if they come in. If they don't wanna, we informed others anyway."
At the bottom of the river was a long collection of aquatic plants and flowers. At the edge of this greenery were two large open oysters.
The two oysters were slowly absorbing the aura and medical properties of the nearby plants, condensing a star-shaped golden jewel.
A ten-foot merman and nine-foot mermaid were seated in the oysters, coldly gazing at the surface, six figures on the riverbank flashing in their pupils.
In the darkness that permeated the depths of the river, the star patterns in their eyes glowed brightly.
— — — —-
"As a newbie, you should trust our judgment. In case of emergencies, listen to our orders. Okay?" An old green-skinned orc warned.
"I'm your employer, not your slave." The tree lady, a beautiful woman with green vine-like hair and flowers growing on her head, crossed her arms with a frown. "And I didn't ask for anything stupid, just getting into the river and hunting the mermaids."
The other four in the team looked at each other and sighed. A male and female muscular dwarf as well as a male and female werewolf.
They were the famous 6th squad of the 'Dragon Slayer Corps' and boasted a reputation for cutting off the dragon's wing.
But that battle cost them a lot. They had quickly grown older and weaker. Even their strength regressed an entire rank. Thankfully, their experience still allowed them to remain a first-tier force in rank 4s, though they retreated from the front-line forces and were tossed into a corner by the Dragon Slayer Corps.
That's why they had to take up this humiliating mission of escorting this young lady from Genesis Empire in the tower.
"The mermaids are listening in on us," The old orc leader replied, his gaze fleeting over the star-shaped twinkles in the river. "I am confident I can protect you in case they ambush but if we go inside, things could get out of control real quick."
"You're a bunch of rank 4s, it's a shame you're fearing those two rank 3 mermaids." The tree lady folded her hands under her chest.
The team had seen too many young masters and ladies, so her words didn't really bother them much except for the male dwarf who felt his race was insulted.
"It's not the mermaids we're afraid of. Of course, we'll have to evacuate when the other mermaids sense they're in danger and come. But by then, we'll have slaughtered them and looted the pearls. The real danger was, is, and will be—"
The old orc raised his thick arm and stretched out his palm. Grains of sand slowly fell, bringing tingles of electricity, heat, and cold alternatively.
"Using aura extensively here attracts the sand. The mermaids have faced challengers for a long time and know how to draw out the battles. In that case, our extensive aura usage might create a sandstorm and devour us all." The orc's eyes flashed with an old memory before they regained the usual calm color.
"Danger, of course, there is always a danger. But high risk is high reward," The tree lady pursed her lips and shrugged. "The star-pearl records the comprehensions of a mermaid on their powers and is invaluable for anyone studying forces of life, including a famine path walker like me. If I have to reach rank 4 within a year, I'll need it."
"Oh, so you're preparing for the military enlistment, huh." The male dwarf clicked his tongue and waved his hand. "Advancing from rank 3 to rank 4 in a year? Save your delusions. You're the Princess of a Kingdom, yes. But even the biggest geniuses from Genesis Empire took a year and a half to advance."
The tree lady's face flushed with anger and embarrassment.
"And no, even if you get rank 4, your military position would still be dangerous. You won't be a foot soldier, of course. But a rank 4 officer is just a bigger cannon fodder against the Jai Empire." The old dwarf rubbed his long beard in satisfaction when he watched the young lady's chest heave up and down in frustration.
"…Your job is to do my bidding and keep me safe, not throw useless pieces of advice when you can't keep your own shit together. Your peers are all in the second or third safe zone, but you're rotting with all the newbies. You're the least qualified to comment on my future."
Even the good-tempered old orc leader clenched his fist at those crass words. But he raised his arm and stopped the dwarf woman who was about to smack the tree lady in her face.
The tree lady glared fiercely at the fist that stopped pinches before her nose and laughed in anger. "I thought you only strength but even your professionalism? No wonder."
The old orc stood in the middle before the situation could grow worse and said with a resigned expression. "We'll go into the water, hunt the mermaids, but we'll leave immediately if things go wrong. Promise on your house's honor that you'll obey me then."
The expressions of the dwarf and werewolf couples stiffened and they nodded begrudgingly.
"Anyway, we'll have to draw a few rank 5s to gain the survival hours. If the mermaids can't call many, we can kill them and score."
A few moments later, the six members jumped into the river and quickly reached the two large oysters.
The merman and mermaid greeted them with a smile, much to their puzzlement. But their doubts didn't remain long when the bottom of the lake shook.
"Oh, shit!"
A large turtle-like creature with a serpentine head rose from the surface and attacked the team.
"It's rank 6! We'll distract it! Run!" The orc leader took out a few treasures from his storage ring and yelled.
The tree-lady nodded but instead of running away, she too opened her storage ring and threw a glittering brown rope with green stripes.
The 'rope' drilled into the riverbed and at a ridiculous speed that surpassed even a rank 4's limit, it grew into a ferocious plant.
The plant's long vines shook and slapped the complacent mermaid and merman out of their oysters.
Without giving them any chance, it grabbed the star-pearls and threw them to the tree lady.
"Yes!" The princess grinned and was about to withdraw the special treasure when the river's water suddenly turned still.
A powerful aura fluctuation slammed against her and tossed her into the riverbed.
Two purple eyes appeared on the oysters and stared at the princess with predatory eyes.
Their aura reached rank 4.
"Oh shit," The old orc who was blocking off the snakehead-turtle with his team cursed. "Run away! NOW!"
The tree lady didn't even ponder her next action and ran for her life. Various treasures kept falling out of her storage ring in an attempt to block the chasers.
But soon, not only the oysters, even the mermaid and the merman joined the chase.
With four rank 4s running after her, the rank 3 tree-lady jumped out of the river and ran for dear life.
Even as the surroundings blurred at her speed, she still noticed a sandstorm brewing above in the sky.
…It was after them.
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