Chapter 21: The Forest
Alvaric and Niva continued walking eastward. Their supplies were nearly depleted—only a drop of water remained, and food was barely enough for one more meal. Around them, there was nothing but endless sand and scorching hot air burning their skin. They hadn't expected the dungeon mentioned by the Giant Sandworm to be this far away.
The thought of turning back crossed their minds, but they quickly dismissed it. Returning to the nest was out of the question, let alone going back to the previous island. It was too far. Too exhausting. And there was no food.
"Master, look at that..." Niva pointed ahead. "Is that... a forest?"
Alvaric, who had been walking with his head down, lifted his gaze. When his eyes caught the greenery in the distance, a faint smile spread across his face.
"Finally..." he murmured softly. They could see it clearly—a forest. That meant there was likely water, food, and shelter. Exactly what they needed most right now.
However, Alvaric soon frowned. "If that's really a forest," he muttered, "then where's the dungeon the Giant Sandworm mentioned? This is the eastern edge of the desert."
As far as the eye could see, there was no sign of a dungeon. True, their immediate priority was survival. But still, their main purpose in heading east was to find that underground dungeon.
Suddenly, Alvaric remembered something. "An underground dungeon..." he whispered, then nodded slowly. "Maybe the entrance is hidden. Like the secret chamber on the previous island."
Niva fell silent, realizing they had been so focused on heading east that they might have missed the entrance without noticing.
"But this desert is too vast," she sighed softly. The hope that had briefly flared up vanished just as quickly. "At this rate, we'll never complete the Giant Sandworm's task."
Deep down, Niva felt a little relieved. She didn't truly want Alvaric to enter that dungeon. A strange unease gnawed at her—as if something far more dangerous than the Giant Sandworm lurked inside.