Chapter 30 – Dagger in the Sand
Chapter 30 – Dagger in the Sand
“You should’ve stayed out of the sand, outsider,” the figure rasped.
[Enemy Identified: Dune Wraith, Level 80]
Tyler winced as a sharp sting bloomed across his chest. The curved blade had pierced his robe — but thankfully, not his body. The titanium armour underneath dulled the impact, reducing the damage.
[HP: 342/400]
He spun around, sword drawn.
But there was no one there.
“Ughh… where did he go?!”
“He was just here! Now he’s gone again!” Milo shouted.
Another jolt of pain stabbed into Tyler’s back.
[HP: 317/400]
He stumbled forward. The blow hadn’t pierced deeply — but it had been precise. Fast. Calculated.
He turned again. Nothing.
Then again.
[HP: 294/400]
“Agh—!” Tyler groaned.
It was like being toyed with.
From the shadows, a low, amused voice echoed:
“What’s wrong, [Player]? Can’t hit what you can’t see?”
Tyler growled and tried to stay still. He shifted into a defensive stance — but every time he did, the attack came from a different angle.
Every time he prepared to block, the Dune Wraith struck him somewhere else.
[HP: 263/400]
[HP: 238/400]
[HP: 211/400]
Tyler’s frustration boiled. He swung his sword in wide arcs — but hit nothing but air.
What is he? A ghost?
No, not a ghost.
Tyler began to notice subtle clues.
A stone that had been behind him… was no longer there.
A cactus that was to his right… gone.
A new stone in front of him. A strange placement. Off by just enough to be suspicious.
“Wait a second— was that stone here before?”
Suddenly, the ‘stone’ moved.
Tyler barely reacted in time to deflect the incoming strike.
So that’s how he’s doing it. He’s blending into the environment. Disguising himself.
The Dune Wraith was hiding in plain sight — shifting his appearance to match the surrounding stones, cacti, chests. A perfect ambush predator.
Tyler struck back with expert swordsmanship — but it was like trying to cut a mirage. He hadn’t landed a single blow.
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“You’re flailing,” the Dune Wraith jeered. “All that bravado. And yet you swing like a blindfolded novice.”
[HP: 178/400]
Tyler took a deep breath. He wasn’t going to win with brute force.
I need to anticipate him.
He activated [Eagle Eye], scanning the area. Stones, cacti, crates. Fragments of cloth.
He committed the terrain to memory.
Then another attack.
[HP: 143/400]
He gritted his teeth — but he noticed it this time. A crate had moved. A cactus that wasn’t there before.
There!
He activated [Screech].
The Dune Wraith reeled, briefly stunned.
Tyler didn’t hesitate.
[Activated Skill: Rage]
He dashed forward, slashing wildly — but with purpose. Blade met flesh.
The Dune Wraith hissed and retreated back into the environment.
Tyler panted, sweating. He had scored a hit. A clean one.
But it wouldn’t happen again so easily.
The next time, a stone moved from 3 o’clock to 4.
Tyler rushed in — only to be stabbed from behind.
[HP: 102/400]
The Wraith whispered mockingly, “You learn fast. But not fast enough.”
Tyler staggered.
But he laughed.
“Smart. You’re smart,” he muttered. “You didn’t just hide. You created misdirection.”
The Dune Wraith was intentionally moving objects to lead him into false traps.
Tyler had to respect that.
But now, he had another idea.
“If you want to find an enemy hiding in the trees, you burn the entire forest.”
Milo reappeared at the edge of the wrecked tents, after escorting Farnak to a safe distance. Tyler gave him a sharp nod.
Tyler drew his sword and slashed a cactus in half.
No words needed.
“Understood.”
One by one, they began destroying every environmental feature — stones, crates, cacti. It was tedious. Painful.
They were attacked several times in the process—
[Tyler HP: 78/400]
[Milo HP: 65/220]
—but they used potions to hold on.
Milo took the brunt of the attacks now.
“It’s fine,” he growled. “Tanking is what I do.”
Tyler, now free to focus, moved quicker. Slash. Slash. Slash. The ‘forest’ was shrinking.
Soon, only a few hiding spots remained.
And then — Tyler saw it.
A crate that was too clean. Too new.
“Haha… at least try to hide properly.”
[Activated Skill: Spider Web]
Sticky strands shot out, wrapping around the fake crate.
The Dune Wraith screeched, writhing.
Tyler dashed in, sword gleaming.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
The Dune Wraith’s HP dropped rapidly. The fight was over.
[+45 XP]
[Level Up! Tyler Level 75 → 76]
[Acquired Runestone — Disguise]
[Skill: Disguise]
[Blend into the environment by disguising yourself as stone, tree, or any natural feature for 10 seconds. PE Cost: 5]
“Huh. So that’s what he was using. Now I get it,” Tyler said, wiping blood from his lips. “This is way more useful than I expected.”
Milo flopped beside him. “Are we done now? Or is someone else going to leap out of the shadows and stab you again?”
Tyler laughed. “I think this time we actually got it done. Now, let’s see the spoils of war.”
They scoured the wreckage.
Amid the broken chests and collapsed tents, they found a pile of riches: silverware, carved statues, furniture encrusted with gold leaf — and most importantly, bags of gold.
Milo counted them again and again.
“Seven… seven thousand gold! WE’RE RICH! I’ll never have to step foot in this shabby town again!”
Tyler chuckled. “Well actually—”
“You’re not forgetting my hazard pay, right?” a voice wheezed.
Farnak emerged, panting. He rushed over to collect his belongings.
“Now hand over my hazard pay, and we never speak again. Ever.”
Tyler smirked. “Of course. I said I’d pay you.”
Farnak blinked as he took the pouch. “TWO THOUSAND GOLD?!”
Milo gawked. “What?! TWO THOUSAND?!”
“We promised,” Tyler shrugged. “And you, of all people, should appreciate how important the role of bait is.”
Milo crossed his arms. “Fine. Still… we’ve got at least 5,000 left. We’re still rich.”
“Well, about that—”
“No. Who else do we have to pay?”
“King Wing. Don’t forget, we didn’t bring him any mercenaries. We owe him… two thousand gold.”
“ANOTHER TWO THOUSAND?!” Milo cried.
Tyler nodded. “Welcome to economics. You earn big, then lose half in taxes.”
Milo sobbed dramatically.
“Also,” Tyler added, “we need to return all this stuff to Dustville’s merchants. Builds goodwill.”
“And potions,” Milo sniffed. “We burned through almost all of them.”
Farnak stretched. “So it’s really over? No more mercenary thugs? No more extortion?”
“Their leader’s dead. There might be a few stragglers, but yeah. I think I’ve paid you enough gold for you to peacefully settle in the south. So are you leaving soon?”
“Then maybe… I don’t have to leave. I wanted to go south to protect my mom. But maybe I can give her that peaceful life here now.”
Tyler smiled faintly.
“You should still be careful, as danger may still lurk in this town. There are also the people managing the Arena. Now that the Dune bandits and mercenaries are gone, I’m sure they’ll try to make some moves.”
“The little time I spent with you was horrible,” Farnak said, “but it taught me this: to overcome life’s dangers, you need to be brave… and a little bit crazy.”
Tyler looked up at the moonlit sky. A strange calm washed over him.
“Why the long face?” Farnak asked. “If you’re feeling down, my Drinks Bar is always open. I’ll give you a special discount. So, cheer up.”
“Thank you,” Tyler murmured.
And as the desert wind stirred the dust, Tyler stood in the silence, eyes on the stars, and thought — not about gold or XP — but about what came next.