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POV: Devas Asura.

It took me a few hours to return to the kingdom. My Nightmare Wyvern was fast, but I commanded it not to go at full speed.

I wanted to see if anything would happen to the animals exposed to the rain. I won't lie—I was also waiting for something or someone to attack me on my way back. Neither of those things happened as I expected.

The animals didn't transform, nor did they have their right eyes ripped from their sockets. Other than being desperate to break free—at least those that were awake—and get out of the rain, none of them had undergone any noticeable changes. At least, not externally…

[… Exposure to: The Outer Foreigner Presence: The Eye That Brings the Bloodied Cloud Beyond the Sea of Stars. (High-Extreme) (Dormant)]

The Outer Foreigner Presence had increased to High-Extreme in all the animals, even those that had it at a minimal level before. The covered animals still had the exact same status as when I first found them.

As for the MoonBite, the status remained unchanged, showing no increase. One of the causes of the debuff was the birth of Demon Eyes, so that was likely what triggered it originally. Since the animals hadn't lost their right eyes, the debuff hadn't leveled up.

("It didn't go past this level. A limit?")

"Probably. The question is why this limit exists…" I replied to Ozma as my eyes scanned a few messages in the (CHAT). "Is this the maximum level this 'disease' can reach? Or is it the highest it can go while dormant? Or maybe it can't go beyond this without being exposed to something else?"

("All of those are possible. But why do they still have their right eyes? Or better yet, why did Juan still have his left eye, considering he supposedly has the highest level of the 'disease'? Several animals had a much lower level and had already lost their left eye.")

"I was thinking about that too…" I sighed, turning to look at the animals exposed to the rain. I was sitting on my Nightmare Wyvern's head as we flew through the storm. "I don't think they would have survived if they had been directly exposed to that 'thing'…"

The 'disease' would likely have 'awakened' if they had seen "The Eye" in person, which would have killed them instantly—turning them into zombies or, at the very least, making them lose both of their eyes, which would then turn into Demon Eyes. Something else must have caused them to lose their left eyes, though I wasn't sure what that something was…

I pushed those thoughts aside for the time being as more and more messages popped up in the (CHAT), all saying the same thing…

"The Stream disconnected them from Reality 4D because of the storm's presence?…" I murmured to myself. Saya, Stark, Ruby, Dumbledore, Neo, Rin. All of them had been disconnected when I re-entered the storm, thanks to the 'gaze'—and many more as well.

Ainz, Sirzechs, Ajuka, and Percy seemed to be among the few unaffected, with Percy commenting that the 'gaze' was unpleasant but manageable to a certain extent—like a moderate to severe headache. Aqua and Serafall said they weren't using any Reality 4D settings at the time. Dumbledore said he managed to resist the 'gaze' for a while, but it eventually became unbearable.

The same thing happened to others, like Glynda and Winter. Almost everyone with Aura had managed to resist it, though after a certain amount of time, it became unsustainable. Fukasaku mentioned that no one on their side was using it.

"Ozma, Jinn?" I didn't need to specify my question.

("I didn't use Reality 4D. I thought it would be wiser to avoid it until we were safe, or at least out of this storm.") The man responded.

Jinn's message appeared a second later, materializing from within a raincloud.

[(MOD)JinnOfTheLamp]

I held back my curiosity and did something similar to what the old man did. We're already connected, so stacking that on top of the 'mark' could end up causing unforeseen issues. I'm also working with Alalia, so I need to stay focused, and having her senses overlapping mine wouldn't help.

(Emote of a Chibi Jinn in a nurse outfit)

I nodded slightly to the air as I spoke: "I'll return to the kingdom to deliver the animals before heading back into the storm." I intended to check the opposite side of Winterhord to see what was happening there. I also needed to inform Gilbert about Simon… "Let's run a few tests at the edge of the clouds and see what happens."

Ozma responded with a mental nod, while Jinn sent a thumbs-up emote in the (CHAT).

About an hour later, while reading through the (CHAT) messages about people's experiences with Reality 4D, I arrived back at the kingdom. I also ended up turning off the "Shared Senses" option.

After checking whether Millia was awake—which she wasn't—I handed the animals over to Jinn and Alalia. They met me the moment I left the storm, along with a few zombie corpses and the Demon Eye I had found. Then, I went inside the Proto-A. I told the dryad and Dylan that I wanted to talk to them in a few minutes, but first, I called Gilbert to discuss BlueHarbor…

[…]

"So, what happened? Should I let Robyn know her old man's sick?" Gilbert asked with a playful tone and a brief chuckle as he entered the Proto-A's command room.

I unfolded The Ancient World Map on the center table, quickly spreading out the wolfhide, before turning to face the old merchant. Gilbert eyed the map with curiosity.

"I don't recognize most of these lands. Where did you find this map?"

"It's old. I found it in a ruined castle some time ago." I explained briefly.

"Is that why you called me?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No, at least not entirely. I'm just taking a look at the map before handing it to Dylan to compare with the current ones—to cross-reference with Terraria's modern maps and see how outdated and different this one is." Which I assumed was a lot, considering Gilbert, a well-traveled man, had just said he didn't recognize most of it.

I'd leave this in the guide's hands. Dylan was the best person for this job—aside from Alalia, of course, but I'd ask her to help him later as well.

"Well, I can already tell just by looking at it that it's outdated." He stepped closer to the table and traced his finger along the map's leather surface, over what seemed to be the southernmost continent—or perhaps southwest was more accurate.

There were four continents in total: one in the far north, one in the southwest, one in the west, and one in the middle, with various islands scattered between and around them. Almost nothing on the map was labeled, and what was had been scribbled over or scratched out—as if someone had run charcoal or a knife over the leather. Just by looking at it, I knew there was no way to restore those markings, so I didn't even try.

"I don't know how old this map is, but currently, there's only one continent. The other three aren't listed anywhere—not on any map I've ever seen." He ran his finger northward before stopping over what appeared to be an archipelago.

"I traveled to this region a few years ago. I know some inhabited islands, mostly by beastkins. They might be these ones. But beyond that, there's nothing—no continent or landmass big enough to be mistaken for one."

Of course… Frankly, I wasn't sure what I expected. Differences were a given, but three fucking continents disappearing?! I knew at least a few thousand years had passed, but seriously?!

I sighed, rubbing my eyes as I briefly organized my thoughts, then tapped my fingers lightly on the table before subtly shaking my head.

"Forget it. That's not why I called you anyway."

Gilbert's lips twisted into a wrinkled, sorrowful grimace for a moment as he stared at the hat in his hands. He turned the item between his fingers, let out a long, deep sigh, and placed it on the table, next to the leather map.

"I… I would ask if you think he might still be alive, but I've lived long enough to know the answer to that…" His voice was hoarse. He clenched his hands, making his knuckles turn white for a brief moment. His aura flickered around them, a very light shade of brown. Then he continued in a lower tone, almost a whisper: "I knew I should have insisted more for him to come with us…"

The man was strong, built like a bodybuilder, but his gaze was tired. In that moment, he seemed to age—or rather, finally look his actual age.

"…I'm sorry." I spoke sincerely, unsure of what else to say.

Silence took over the room for a moment until he spoke again.

"Do you want to hear a story, Devas?" he asked. "It's a story only four people knew… Well, now there's only one left. The other three are gone."

"Robyn doesn't know." It wasn't a question. Even so, he answered as if it were.

"No, it's one of the few stories I've never told her." He shook his head. "I'm not proud of this one. I could have done better, acted with a clear mind, but I let myself get carried away by the moment…"

Before he could continue, I made a gesture with my thumb pointing behind me.

"The stream… Do you want me to mute it and turn the camera?" I asked.

He seemed surprised, probably forgetting about the broadcast, before huffing and shaking his head, a very faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

"No need. Maybe this story will help someone, who knows. I won't ever meet those people anyway." He shrugged, seeming slightly amused for a brief moment before sighing. The sigh seemed to take away what little amusement he had found.

"Have you ever felt betrayed, Devas?" The question carried weight.

My memory drifted back in time for an instant.

"Yes."

'When I first saw you, just a baby, I wished it had been you who died instead of my daughter… I still think about it sometimes…'

My old grandfather drank too much at times, carrying many sorrows and grievances. I held no resentment toward him; I truly loved him, just as I knew he loved me too, despite everything…

I never brought up that conversation to him, whether he remembered it or not—and he never mentioned it either.

"It's a bitter feeling. I've taken arrows, cuts, and punches far worse and far less painful." Gilbert's voice pulled me back to reality. I let the memories fade and focused on the old merchant's words.

"Simon was my brother in everything but blood. We grew up together, ate together, fought together. Except for the orphanage matron, who was like a mother to both of us, it was just him and me… For a long time, that was how it was."

"And what changed? What happened?"

"Jessica happened." His voice faltered as he said the name. "A girl, a year older than the two of us. Simon and I were only a few months apart."

He tapped three fingers against the metal table.

"Three months. My wife once said that was some kind of sign. Three months separated our births, and the third person in our duo split us apart. She was always saying things like that."

"Was she superstitious?" I asked.

"More than most."

Talking about his late wife brought a subtle smile to his lips.

"She was an incredible woman. I wish she could have seen Robyn grow into the woman she is now. You would have gotten along with her too, Devas." He pointed a finger upward.

"She loved the stars. Knowing you came from up there would have made her question you for days."

I hadn't truly come from Terraria's outer space, but I didn't try to explain. It wasn't the time. And, in the end, it didn't matter.

"We met Jessica when we were nineteen. We had been contractors for a long time already, since we were thirteen. We had just returned from a mission and were spending a few days in BlueHarbor. We did that every few months to visit the matron. Three days after we arrived, a ship docked at the pier."

Gilbert started pacing as he spoke, walking toward the command room's window. He rested a hand on the glass and pressed his forehead against it, seeming to lose himself in the memories for a moment. I followed his movement, looking at the horizon beyond the window, right beside him.

The storm seemed to return my gaze.

"At first, we thought they were pirates. The sail and the type of ship matched theirs. Back then, they were far more active than they are today. We were partially right—the ship was pirate, but it had been stolen. Simon and I were ready to fight when a group of sick and wounded people emerged from that vessel."

"She was among them?"

"She led them," he replied without turning around. "Blonde hair, almost silver in hue, icy blue eyes, and a weary face, smudged with dust and dried blood. She was from a small island near the continent, with little more than two hundred, maybe three hundred inhabitants, that had been attacked by pirates."

"Jessica told us later that she managed to steal one of their ships and escape with as many people as she could. Fifty-eight… I still remember. She repeated that number for weeks, saying she could have saved more."

I had thought the same before. It was a treacherous thought, but one I had learned to accept. What happened, happened. All that remained was to do better.

"The two of us were the richest in the village. Simon was an unmatched fisherman, and I sold the fish even better. We ended up being the ones who helped the refugees. Many chose to go to the kingdom or other villages, as far away from the sea and pirates as possible. Jessica wasn't one of them. She fit in easily, was charismatic."

"You and Simon liked her," I pointed out.

"Not just the two of us. Almost every man our age did. Some younger, some older too. 'The Silver Pearl of BlueHarbor'—that was her nickname… Simon and I had made a pact. We knew we both liked Jessica and promised that nothing would change if one of us managed to win her over."

I stayed silent. I knew how this story ended, but I wanted to understand what led to that ending.

"The next few years were good. Some of the best I've lived… Only second to when I met my wife and had Robyn."

A smile formed on his face. I could see his gaze wander toward the clearing, where Robyn and Charlotte were talking.

It was something involving Aura. Selina was with them too, apparently having come out of her 'seclusion.' Darnell stood more to the side, with Dylan. The guide was the only one who noticed our gazes and waved. I returned the wave. Melissa, Helena, Jinn, and Alalia were farther away, but I could still sense them—almost a kilometer deep into the forest on the left.

"I only found out they were a couple three months after they started dating." His voice carried no resentment, but I was certain it hadn't always been that way.

"They didn't tell you."

"They thought I wouldn't accept it. That I'd be hurt, angry, upset… They were right. I was pissed… but not for the reason they thought."

He tapped the glass three times with his index finger's knuckle.

"I would have accepted it if Simon and Jessica got together. If my brother and my best friend were happy, I would be too…"

"You were upset because they didn't trust you."

"I trusted them with my life. They didn't trust me enough to tell me about their relationship."

He nodded in confirmation.

"I snapped that day. It was an ugly argument. I said things I regret to this day. In the end, it turned into an even worse fight than the argument itself. I'd call it a draw, but that would be a lie. In the end, both of them were on the ground… But only Simon had someone to help him back up."

He let out a brief, humorless chuckle.

"I left BlueHarbor that same night, on foot. I don't even know how I made it across the entire kingdom."

I remained silent, letting him speak. It felt like he was reaching the end of his thoughts. Gilbert stared out the window for a few more seconds, saying nothing, before finally turning to me.

"You know… I always drank whenever a friend or someone I knew died. I was always sad, sometimes angry… But now?"

He sighed. He didn't shed a single tear.

"…I'm just tired."

[…]

"Did you finish talking to the merchant?" Alalia asked the moment I reached the front of the cabin, to the left of Proto-A.

She looked different. Much taller, her hair now white, and her frame slender. Her skin seemed even paler—almost unnaturally so—and her clothes had 'grown,' forming a long dress of white leaves. Even her voice was calmer, more serious, elegant.

[Neopolitan]

"You took a Schnee with you and didn't tell anyone? How rude, Devas. Can I keep this one for myself then?"

(ChibiNeo poking Snow White with the tip of a knife.)

"No. Leave Weiss alone, Neo," I said out loud.

Alalia tilted her head curiously.

"Who are you talking to?"

"A very small person who enjoys stabbing people," I replied with a nod. For some reason, the answer seemed to satisfy her.

"New look. Winter, I assume," I added. "And yeah, I finished talking to Gilbert."

She nodded subtly. "Yes. It helps me think more clearly. The last one was summer." With a faint smile, she turned and gestured for me to follow her inside the cabin.

The exterior was simple, almost burrow-like, with a circular shape. Cozy, built from living wood, leaves, and branches. The interior followed the same style. The furniture was formed by interwoven branches, and the curtains were made of vines. It wasn't a place I'd live in, but it had its charm.

Most of the interior was underground, making the cabin look smaller from the outside than it actually was.

"I sensed the merchant's sorrow from afar. Is he alright?" Alalia asked as we walked through a wide corridor covered by a carpet of living leaves.

"He will be," I replied.

I glanced around for a moment. I could sense Melissa, Helena, and Jinn in the next room ahead.

"I don't remember this being here. I've explored this forest before," I commented. "Did you create this cabin?"

"I asked, and the forest helped me shape it," she answered, then continued, "I don't like places without nature or with too much metal. They're cold, lifeless. They make me uncomfortable. I like to feel the earth and grass under my feet."

"Fair enough." She was a dryad—made sense.

Proto-A could basically be described as a cold, lifeless place. I needed to put some plants there later.

When I stepped into the room where the others were, I greeted them. They returned my nods, seemingly focused on their task.

Jinn had her hand resting on the head of a sleeping rabbit, while Helena and Melissa were examining another one—a dead one. The corpse lay at the center of a circle of glowing Mystic Symbols, pulsing faintly as Melissa analyzed it closely with Helena.

I had noticed it before, but the moment I entered the room, the shadows around shifted unnaturally. Some eyes blinked open within them, looking at me as if greeting me. I could feel that some of the Nightmares seemed weaker than usual, drained of energy.

At the same time, Melissa's body tensed slightly when the eyes emerged from the shadows.

"You know…" she muttered, not turning to me, still focused on the dead rabbit. "You or Jinn could have warned me that you stole the Hallucinations from that deer." She made a face and continued, "Do you know the scare I got when I saw an eye blink in the wall's shadow?"

I glanced at the bluish woman in question. Jinn feigned innocence and whistled into the air.

"I didn't steal them. These are mine," I said, shaking my head at Jinn's antics.

"A power-copying magic?" Helena asked, not looking away from her work.

"Almost. I just picked up a few tricks from the Deerclops, nothing more." I didn't explain much and instead pointed to one of the shadows. "And these little guys are called Nightmares. Wanted to diversify. Hallucinations are the ones the deer created."

As I spoke with the two Oakwood women, the rabbit under Jinn's touch let out a whimper of fear and sadness. Alalia didn't waste time. She moved to the animal, placing her hand on it, gently stroking its white fur.

"Shh… It's okay. Just sleep," I felt her mana flow, soothing the creature as she whispered.

I narrowed my eyes at the rabbit. It took me less than a second to understand what was happening—I noticed it by how the nightmare energy that Jinn controlled, drawn from the mark, was moving… before being forcefully interrupted and purified by Alalia.

"You're inducing nightmares in it through madness? Why?" I asked. So that's why some of the Nightmares here were weak—Jinn was using them as batteries…

I stepped closer and observed the rabbit before offering, "Need help with anything?" One touch, and I could drive that rabbit insane.

At the same time, I commanded a few more Nightmares to slip from my shadow and spread through the room's darkness, just in case Jinn needed them after I left.

"If you could recharge the 'mark,' I'd appreciate it. Recharging with Nightmares takes time," Jinn said without turning. "But don't worry. I have everything under control here."

I nodded before crouching and touching her thigh, transferring my nightmare energy into the tattoo. The moment I felt the 'mark' fill up, I stood up and returned my gaze to the rabbit. Jinn chose that moment to finally answer my question.

"It's easier to induce nightmares with madness than normal dreams. I'm doing this to supplant and create memories using its nightmare energy."

She slightly moved her fingers, massaging the rabbit's nape before sliding her hand up to its forehead.

"Alalia purifies the energy, turning nightmares into dreams."

"The idea is to suppress the 'disease' by creating new memories to fill the gaps it creates?" I commented rhetorically, scratching my beard. "It's not a bad idea. In fact, it should work… But it's not practical."

"It isn't," Alalia agreed. "If I could detect this 'disease,' it would be simpler and faster. I tried healing the rabbit. It was fine for a while, even the MoonBite seemed to disappear."

The dryad pointed at the left eye socket of the sleeping animal. The rabbit still had no eye, but the wound looked completely healed. If I didn't know better, I'd think this injury was years old or that the rabbit had simply been born without one of its eyes.

"But it still has a fever." I noticed before she even said it. The rabbit was trembling. "Let me check something..."

I quickly pulled up the rabbit's status screen into my view. It didn't take long for me to notice the change:

[Current Status: Exposure to: The Outer Foreigner Presence: The Eye That Brings the Bloodied Cloud Beyond the Sea of Stars. (Extreme) (Dormant)]

All the animals I had brought were at a 'disease' level of High-Extreme, including this rabbit. But now, the status only indicated Extreme. The MoonBite debuff was also gone.

"Your 'cure' is working." It wasn't exactly a cure, but… close enough.

Jinn was just throwing more dirt into a hole that kept growing—but what mattered was that she was throwing more dirt than the hole was expanding.

"What if I drive the rabbit completely insane?" I muttered, letting my thoughts slip out. "If I turn all its memories into frenzied nightmares and multiply them, that should force the 'disease' out."

"And take the rabbit's life with it," Jinn scoffed, pointing at the dead rabbit Melissa and Helena were examining. "I already tried that. It died in less than a second."

"Lack of control?" Like it or not, nightmare energy wasn't truly hers.

"I controlled the energy very carefully!" Jinn instantly retorted. "There's a limit to how much a mind can endure before it just shuts down. Even more so for a small animal."

"But it would work, in theory? You wouldn't have tested it if you didn't think so."

"...Maybe." She admitted.

I turned toward the door.

"I'll find a bigger test subject with a more resilient brain. Be right back."

"Jinn tried with a Direwolf," Alalia intervened. "It died too. And I was helping heal it that time. The body was still alive, but the mind… it just broke under so much negative and positive stimulation."

She pointed to a door on the right. I could feel the corpses of zombies and animals there, both with the VoidBag and my own senses.

"Your nightmare energy is strange, you know?" She remarked. Her gaze wandered toward my shadow. "It's similar, yet very different from the deer's."

"I'm aware." My nightmare energy was similar to the Deerclops's, but it had long since become something uniquely mine.

I thought for a moment before asking, "And what about a Terrarian? Have you tested it?"

"Testing on living people is a crime," Helena chimed in from across the room. "Very unethical too."

"I did it less than two days ago."

"Those weren't Terrarians. They were talking piles of shit," she shot back without hesitation. I think it was the first time I'd ever heard her curse.

Before I could offer to hunt down a criminal and bring them in for testing, Jinn stood up and grabbed my arm. She had a serious look on her face.

"No need. Leave this to us." Her tone was firm. "You said you'd take care of the storm while I…" She gestured around. "We take care of the sick and the kingdom. Let us handle this."

"It'll be faster if I help."

"Maybe. But then no one will be out there." She indicated the storm's direction. "You don't have to do everything alone. Let us help."

("She's right, Devas,") Ozma joined the conversation. ("The weight of the world isn't something a single man can bear. I tried. You know this. My back broke. By doing this, you're also belittling them. Miss Jinn and Alalia found a 'cure' in less than a day. Let them handle it.")

I hesitated for a moment and scanned the room. Alalia had the same determined expression as Jinn, almost mirroring her. Helena and Melissa stayed on the sidelines of the conversation.

After about three seconds, I responded, "Alright… I'll leave this to you, then."

I reached to the side, materializing some Nightmare Fuel along with a few angel and fallen angel feathers. Alalia's eyes widened at the latter two—something rare to see on her current stoic "Winter-skin".

I placed the items in a random box pulled from the VoidBag and handed it to Jinn.

"Take this. It might help. Let me know if you need anything else."

She nodded. "I'll tell you in (CHAT) if I do."

"Let me know if Millia wakes up, too. Tell her where I am and that I'll be back soon." The little slime should wake up in a day or two at most.

Millia had already fallen asleep once inside the Slime Staff, only to wake up and realize everyone she knew was gone. I don't want—I won't—let that happen again. If she woke up and wanted me by her side, I'd return in an instant.

After a few more words, I left the cabin.

I had a brief conversation with Selina and Robyn, mostly with the former. After handing The Ancient World Map to Dylan and saying my goodbyes, I headed toward the storm once more.

This time, I went in the opposite direction of WinterHord. I wanted to circle the storm while searching within it, checking if its boundary was the same in all directions, like a perfect circle. I had a theory.

"Maybe?..." I murmured before stepping under the rain once again.

I spent a long time searching within the storm, finding nothing but a few zombie corpses and abandoned villages. Even the bodies seemed scarcer—everything was empty. Everything was silent…

Forests, plains, mountains. Even a cave I found, descending about three hundred meters underground—a perfect place for shelter—was empty. No animals, nothing. Nothing existed there except me, and the only sound was the rain.

It was only about five days later that I confirmed my theory: the storm had a perfect boundary, encircling the kingdom. It was as if it couldn't expand beyond that, nor get any closer to the kingdom, thanks to Alalia's protection.

"A circle within a circle…" I scoffed out loud, looking up at the storm, hovering in the air thanks to the Angel Greaver. "What a joke. Of course, it would be that. What else could it be?..."

As soon as I realized this fact, the 'gaze' I felt upon me seemed to grow more aggressive in a cruel way. I felt like the entire storm was mocking me—I could feel its malice.

A circle within a circle… A large circle inside a smaller one…

... The storm's shape was nothing more than that of a great eye in the sky.

[...]---[...]

Things happen, and in the end, everything is eyes.

Well, I want to address some points that I think people might ask: Devas will see the RWBY team's gift, he just hasn't found the right moment yet.

The Reality 4D will return later. It's still active, but only the "Simultaneous Existence," as Devas says. I will focus on that in the near future...

Oh, yes, the map too. I was going to include the conversation between Dylan, Alalia, and Devas about the map in this chapter, but I thought it would feel out of place. It will come back later, still in this arc. I'll start putting everything I've planned back on track.

Finally: the life and mana crystals. Someone asked me if I had forgotten about them, or if Devas had already used them. Neither, I haven't forgotten and Devas hasn't used them. There's a simple reason: it's something in %, Devas is being greedy and keeping the crystals, but he will use them...

Well, I think that's it. Good Night and happy read

___

Quick note: I'm a few hours late, sorry about that. This chapter is longer than usual to make up for it.

Next chapter: February 14th.

[...]---[...]

The desert was hot. Dunes upon dunes of sand stretched as far as my eyes could see, while others blocked my view of the end of this sea of golden grains surrounding me. The heat made the air ripple, creating mirages. There was no oasis or village in the miles I had traveled.

It was around midday. The sky was free of clouds, light or dark; only the Sun could be seen on the vast blue canvas above, as if it were trying to melt, burn, and consume everything in this desert…

"To be honest, it's not bad. Kind of sour and dry, but it has its charm." I commented after swallowing a piece of cactus roasted by the Shadowflame.

…Not that it really mattered.

As much as this heat should've already killed an average person through dehydration, heatstroke, or whatever else involved extreme temperatures, lack of water, and a massive desert, it didn't affect me in the slightest. Heat and cold were two things that could only affect me if they reached absurdly high extremes.

I pulled another piece of cactus from the Voidbag and held it in my right hand. The spines failed to pierce my skin. I walked to the top of the nearest dune while commanding the Shadowflame to slowly roast the plant.

At the top of the dune, I looked towards the horizon, towards the storm. I raised my left hand above my eyes and instinctively squinted, even though the sun didn't hurt my vision.

"You know, I'm starting to find the idea of bombing everything over there into oblivion more and more appealing." I said out loud, my voice completely serious.

As far as I knew, Terraria had already lost three continents. Or at least, they weren't listed on current maps. Losing another half a continent or so shouldn't make that much of a difference…

("The fact that you said the idea is becoming more appealing tells me you've been considering it for a while now…") Ozma's voice rang out, breaking the desert's silence after my statement. ("Correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know, you don't have enough bombs in your inventory to blow up the entire storm.")

"Of course, I don't have enough bombs for that." I shook my head, as if disappointed by the fact, before grinning. "But I do have some solid options to bridge that gap."

I bit into the roasted cactus and chewed. The taste was like dry, heavily seasoned chicken. The spines just added some extra crunch. I was also pretty sure this thing was poisonous, but it was weak enough not to even tingle my tongue.

After swallowing, I asked, "Ozma, my friend, do you know what happens when a few uranium-235 atoms are split in half?"

Ozma didn't get the chance to answer before a message appeared in my vision, surfacing like a desert mirage.

[AdvocateOfGenderEquality]

Have you finally lost it? Did the Sun completely melt what little sanity you had left? Because, for you to even think about making a FUCKING ATOMIC BOMB, that has to be the case!

(Emote of a generic guy pointing at a distant mushroom cloud)

Kazuma wasn't the only one. The whole (CHAT) had exploded with messages after what I said…

Thinking about it, saying that out loud when my (CHAT) was mostly Japanese might have been in poor taste.

("Judging by the (CHAT)'s reaction, I'm guessing this has something to do with a very dangerous bomb.") Ozma said, wisely.

"That's a fair summary, yes." I agreed, casting one last look at the storm before resuming my walk across the dunes. "I'd probably need around ten big ones to blow everything inside to hell."

("Do I really need to say that blowing everything inside the storm is a bad idea? There's an entire kingdom full of people in there.")

"I'd evacuate everyone before blowing it all up, obviously." Did Ozma think I was crazy? "But this is just a stray thought. I don't actually have the usual means to make such a bomb, nor do I have that much uranium, for that matter."

Another message formed like a mirage.

[(MOD)GeniusBillionairePlayboy]

Want me to take care of that for you? Pretty sure I can get you 'the stuff.' Don't worry, no one will know it was me who sent it to you—total secrecy between supplier and client…

(Emote of Iron Man in a trench coat standing in a dark alley.)

"Saying it like that makes it sound like I'm buying drugs." I commented, amused. Not that buying uranium was much better. "But no, thanks. I'll keep the nuclear option as a last resort. I'm good for now."

As I walked, I let my thoughts drift. I used this 'pause' to think and organize everything I had learned so far. Being in a sunny place instead of under the rain was nice, too.

"You know, I kind of ignored this fact, but when's the next full moon?" I murmured before looking at the camera. "Jinn?" The response came shortly after: in one week and three days.

To be honest, that surprised me. The mission the stream had given me in Winterhord—to return to the kingdom in three months—still had around twenty-five days and a few hours left, way more time than just a week and three days, considering the next full moon after that would be a whole month later.

("There's a chance the full moon has nothing to do with what's about to happen.") Ozma pointed out.

"I highly doubt that. I'm no expert, but almost every time some moon-related bullshit happens, it's during a full moon." I disagreed with him. My gaze drifted over the sands for a moment. There were no tracks.

"Alalia said the night seemed endless, didn't she?" I recalled the dryad's words. The starless sky above the storm also supported that. Ozma didn't respond, letting me continue. "What if whatever's going to happen starts on the full moon, and the mission has that time limit because that's how long the kingdom can hold out before it falls?"

("That… is actually a possible scenario. I don't know how the stream works, but the mission just says you need to return in less than three months. It doesn't specify an exact time, just a deadline.")

"…I'm going to assume we only have a week, then." I didn't bother telling Jinn to warn everyone in the kingdom—I was sure she was already doing that.

I kept walking for a few more minutes, randomly grabbing some cacti I saw along the way and tossing them into the VoidBag while eating a few pieces. The more toasted ones were better.

("Is there a reason we're walking and not running?") Ozma asked after a while.

"Other than the fact that I'm doing this so everyone using 'Simultaneous Existence' is forced to walk through the desert with me?" My words brought a flood of angry messages from (CHAT). I pointed at the ground a few meters ahead before approaching.

The sand there was slightly different from the surroundings. Coarser, grainier—sandstone. Further ahead, the ground became flat, almost like a road, though it was partially buried under the sand.

I stepped closer, brushing some sand off the edge of the road, revealing some worn, ancient-looking mystical symbols. With a glance, I could tell that many no longer worked. The paint on some was faded beyond repair, and others were scratched out or completely destroyed—almost as if they had been intentionally damaged…

Some parts of the road were also heavily damaged, with holes, cracks, and what looked like giant bite marks…

("This is strange…") Ozma's voice had taken on a serious tone.

"You noticed it too?" I asked rhetorically, humming to myself. I stood up and looked both ways down the road. "This road hasn't been used in a long time. No maintenance, no wheel tracks, no footprints."

No signs of life anywhere nearby, actually…

("The storm caused a mass migration. I highly doubt the people on its outer edge chose to take the long way to the kingdom instead of fleeing outward.")

"But there's no sign of this migration. It's like no one has passed through here in a long time." I narrowed my eyes at the mystical symbols on the road. Walking along it, I brushed the sand aside for a few meters. It was always the same pattern. "Most of the damaged mystical symbols are dampening ones..."

The most suspicious thing happened when, after a few dozen meters, I noticed my footsteps had begun creating an abnormal tremor in the ground. It was extremely subtle—at least above the surface—but I could feel the vibrations spreading beneath the sand.

"Is that...?" I stopped in my tracks.

With a mental command, my mana spread across the entire road ahead of me. A simple tap of my foot against the ground made that section of the road flip over like a domino piece, exposing a matrix drawn underneath.

"An echo and tremor amplification matrix... powered by the sun's heat penetrating the road." I analyzed the matrix quickly.

The day's heat should be enough to keep the matrix active throughout the night as well. Scanning the road, I found more identical matrices, placed about fifty meters apart from each other.

The matrix itself wasn't complex, even though the ink used on it was of good quality—probably meant to last without maintenance. But what caught my attention were the mystical symbols used in them—or rather, the 'language' they were written in.

"These are goblin mystical symbols..." I frowned as I realized it. It was the same style of mystical symbols I had seen in Jille.

I had taken a while to notice because, besides me—who had blended the Terraria mystical symbols with the goblins'—I didn't know anyone else who used this 'language' of mystical symbols, aside from the goblins themselves.

A quick Analyze: Item confirmed that a goblin had indeed created the matrix...

I burned the matrix and flipped that section of the road back to its original state, just as I had done with the others.

("I don't think this is limited to just this part of the road.")

"Neither do I..." I easily agreed.

("Any guesses as to why these matrices exist?")

I didn't even have to think before answering: "To attract ants that are larger than average."

Antlions, to be more specific. I knew that the ones on Earth had a high sensitivity to tremors—the ones in Terraria should be even more sensitive, thanks to mana or whatever other factor.

From what I knew about the game, these ants only existed in deserts, building colossal anthills beneath the sand...

"My steps are light, but what if?..." I murmured.

I walked to a part of the road where I knew another matrix was buried and stomped hard. Not only that, but I pulled some crates and large items from the VoidBag and dragged them across the sandstone, back and forth. It didn't take long to get my confirmation.

Randomly, within almost the entire range of the minimap, dozens of red dots began to appear—seemingly out of nowhere or emerging directly from the sand. In mere seconds, those dozens turned into hundreds, all of them moving quickly in my direction.

I couldn't see anything on the surface yet, but I could feel them shifting beneath the sand. It was like a minor earthquake happening around me. The sand dunes began to collapse as the vibrations increased, kicking up clouds of dust into the air.

The noise was even worse—a chorus of gnashing, clicking mandibles, hooks clashing against each other, pincers. It sounded almost metallic.

The first mandibles burst from right beneath my feet, tearing through the sandstone like wet paper and trying to snap shut around my ankles.

They had to be at least thirty centimeters long—crooked and curved inward like scythes, with jagged edges on the inside, along with dozens of barbs and spikes that were already dripping with what I was sure was either venom or some sort of digestive enzyme.

A small jump sent me into the air, dodging before those deadly weapons could clamp down on my leg. I was almost certain they wouldn't even scratch my skin, but I moved instinctively, evading.

The owner of those mandibles surfaced a moment after its own jaws. A flattened head, with tiny, dull red eyes just beneath two short, rapidly vibrating antennae.

Its body was segmented into a head and thorax, all covered in an orange carapace with a few yellow stripes circling its abdomen, where four sharp legs extended—lighter in color and just as menacing.

The ant was easily the size of a large dog—maybe even bigger, with the width and length of two.

But the most nightmarish feature of that creature was, without a doubt, its mouth: something grotesque, with two fleshy, hairy 'teeth' covered in thousands of tiny bristles. As they parted, they revealed a dark hole, from which a thin, tube-like appendage emerged.

"Jesus fucking Christ, that is one ugly motherfucker." I said out loud.

My insult didn't seem to have much of an effect, because the ant simply lunged at me, unfazed. Around me, dozens of nearly identical ants emerged from the sand.

Some of them, like the first, sprinted toward me. Others stayed in place, sinking their mandibles into the sand, sucking in the grains with their tube-like mouths before spitting them into the air, thickening the dust cloud even further. A few spat wet, slimy sand, mixed with some sort of saliva, forming sticky projectiles that were launched in my direction.

Among the ones that surfaced, a few were thinner and more slender. They began to tremble, and the carapace on their backs split open, revealing two pairs of thin, translucent wings.

While I was midair, a tiny antlion, only two or three inches long, flew into my field of vision, carrying a message before vanishing into a miniature sandstorm.

[P.E.N.N.Y]

I must inform you, my dear Devas, that these ants are far above average. I recommend using fire to deal with them.

(Pinocchio emoji with a flamethrower.)

I pulled Houtengeki from my inventory, a faint smile forming on my lips—more because of Penny's message than the fact that I was 'trapped' in this ambush.

It had been a while since I last used the halberd. It was still useful, even though its durability was damaged—something I needed to find a way to repair without erasing the weapon's 'identity' and 'history.' Still, I had much better weapons now, so I had set it aside for a while. But this seemed like the perfect occasion to use it, so I was going to enjoy it.

"I was being sarcastic, Penny," I informed, amusement lacing my voice. My eyes instinctively flicked to her response in the (CHAT): 'Oh! My bad, mistake on my part.'

She really was something else, wasn't she?

I ignored the incoming projectiles and pulled them straight into my inventory. The ants' 'saliva' seemed to contain mana, as the wet sand balls resisted briefly before being absorbed by the VoidBag.

I loosened my grip on Houtengeki, letting the weapon 'slip' before grabbing the very end of its handle.

Then, I struck downward, focusing all the weight onto the tip of the halberd. The air around the weapon moved along with it, rushing in to fill the gap my attack created, enveloping Houtengeki in a way that made it appear almost invisible.

'Sun Breathing (Devas Style) - Sixth Form: Solar Veil'

The ant beneath me exploded without even realizing what had hit it, scattering its hemolymph—if I remembered correctly, that was the name for most insects' 'blood'—all over the sandstone road.

The first thing I noticed was its color: a dark green. The second was the rancid stench characteristic of a dead insect. The third was the reek of rot. That was when I really paid attention to the 'blood' and spotted tiny, dark brown 'threads' mixed within the green.

The corpse's flesh also looked abnormal. Beneath the carapace, veins pulsed with that same dark brown hue, releasing a foul stench of rot and blood. But it wasn't hemolymph—it was real blood.

"You're not behaving the way you should, are you?" I murmured to myself, landing on the remains of the ant's corpse.

My answer came in the form of a sharp shriek, echoing from the 'tubes' of every ant around me. A high-pitched, off-key sound that sliced through the air like a razor.

The moment the pieces of the dead ant sank into the sand, the number of red dots on the minimap practically quintupled. What had been hundreds became thousands—and within seconds, even more.

All the ants began to tremble, incited by the scent of their fallen 'brother.' Then, they charged at me with renewed ferocity, tearing through the sand with the mindless aggression of creatures that had no regard for their own survival.

"…I'm starting to think either I or this planet is cursed." I growled to myself, thrusting my weapon forward.

After I had slain about thirty or forty more ants, and the dots representing them on the minimap gradually shifted from red to orange, I was sure of it.

[…]

POV: ???

We had taken a break from our journey at a 'secret' oasis I had found some time ago. Well, it wasn't exactly secret… but it was hidden enough!

The oasis was inside a cave, illuminated by sunlight through a hole in the ceiling. At night, it was even more beautiful, when the moonlight made everything glow! It wasn't very big, but just enough to throw a decent party—even though no one ever let me…

"'No confetti in the cave, Isis,' 'No inviting other people to the cave, Isis,' 'No blah, blah, blah!'" I mimicked sock puppets with my hands while floating in the lagoon, only stopping when I sank and accidentally swallowed some water.

I spat it out and blew my hair out of my face. It was still a bit tangled from the sand. Everything was the desert's fault! I ran my fingers through my pink strands, trying to detangle them again.

I really loved my hair—its color, its curls, its length, everything!… But sometimes, I considered cutting it shorter and straightening it, just so I wouldn't have to deal with all the hassle when bathing.

Floating in the water was great, soap bubbles too, and rubber duckies! But washing my hair was such a chore…

After finishing untangling and washing my hair a second time—not that I needed to, but I loved soap bubbles!—I stood up and walked toward some rocks where my clothes were. I didn't bother covering myself as I strolled around naked.

"You know, I really don't get how you're so comfortable walking around like that. Aren't you afraid one of those two might try to peek at you?" A voice came from above.

I tilted my head all the way back and grinned, waving both hands.

"Mari! Are you sure you're actually part-raccoon and not part-bat?!" I shouted, cupping my hands around my mouth before twisting my body to the side, dodging a rock. "You missed~"

"I'm half Beastiking-Raccoon, not half raccoon, you damn milk cow! Your boobs are bouncing—cover yourself!" Her growl was adorable. I placed a hand on my chest to stop the 'tremor,' then puffed out my chest.

"Is that envy I hear in your voice?~" I spun again, dodging another rock. "And no, I'm not afraid of Beldin and Ani peeking at me. I trust them… Besides, they're not into women."

"I'm not into Terrarian women, you pink menace!" A frustrated yell came from the other side of the rocks, just as I finished speaking. Beldin was always very vocal.

Ani really was gay, so he said nothing.

"And you, Mari? Why are you peeking at me?" I asked as I started getting dressed. "Do you want to tell me something?~"

"Don't take too long, we're already late, you nudist." Her response was dry, unsurprised. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her jump away, her cloak and hood billowing with the movement.

I smiled, amused, and continued dressing at my own pace, unconcerned about being seen. Mari could call me a nudist all she wanted, but I was nowhere near one. I simply trusted my companions. If it were anyone other than those three, I wouldn't act like this—not even close.

I put on my panties, skirt, bra, and blouse—all very pink!… Then, unfortunately, I had to wear my armor, which was very not pink. The desert was dangerous, and if even Ani—who was Ani—prioritized practicality over fashion and cute outfits, who was I to do otherwise?

After lacing up my boots, I made my way to another part of the oasis to find the others. The first one I spotted was, paradoxically, the smallest: Beldin, our group's favorite dwarf!… Not that we had another one.

His red hair and beard stood out, so my eyes always went to him first.

"You took your time. Did you use the shampoo I recommended?" Ani asked the moment he saw me, seated next to Beldin. "And stop calling me Ani. My name is Ahinadab, I've told you dozens of times."

I nodded, not even considering calling him that. His name was way too complicated—Ani was much easier. The only reason I called Beldin by his name was because he helped me improve my confetti bomb and said one of his 'payments' would be me calling him properly. Otherwise, I'd call him Bel.

Ani sighed, as if he could hear my thoughts, and stood up. His white robes swayed over his armor. I had no idea how he managed to wear that all the time. I understood it outside, because of the sun—anyone who wasn't crazy wore something like that—but in here? That must be an oven!

"Maribel, are the surroundings clear?" Our group leader asked my friend. Beldin stood up as well and began gathering his things, collecting the deck of cards that had been on the rock beside them.

Strangely, Mari didn't respond instantly, as she always did. Instinctively, I reached for my bracelet, ready to grab my bow. I saw Beldin pulling his massive hammer from his back, while Ani crossed his fingers, touching all ten of his rings at once.

Before any of us could act, Mari's response came from the cave entrance.

"Something's happening to the south! I think some idiot triggered an ant tide!" Her shout was almost a frustrated growl. "Damn it, this is going to slow us down!"

I sighed, trying to calm myself.

I didn't scold Mari for her lack of empathy. Three or four months ago, I would have—back when the antlions first started behaving the way they do now: aggressively, killing anything that made the sand tremble more than a light step or the desert wind. But nowadays?…

I wished I could help, save whoever that foreigner was, since most people who stirred up the ants were either suicidal lunatics, outsiders unfamiliar with the desert, or simply unlucky souls who, unfortunately, had become targets of those things. But it was already too late.

Unfortunately, becoming a target of the ants meant death. Even more so when faced with an ant tide, which only formed when many of them were killed. For some reason, it drove them mad, making them hunt down whoever had slain their 'brothers.' It was even worse if the victim had gotten their blood on them—until the unfortunate soul was reduced to literally nothing.

Beldin struck his hammer against the ground before sitting back down. The ants would calm down quickly—no one ever survived them for long—but we'd still have to wait at least three hours to avoid the risk of one being nearby and detecting us.

That happened once. I hated that day. My dear Sugar nearly died from running so much while carrying me… If she had actually died, I would have torn those ants apart myself, even if it killed me in the process…

Shaking my head to dispel those dark thoughts, I walked to the cave entrance. Beldin and Ani just sat down again. I saw the dwarf pulling out his deck of cards before the two resumed their game.

I raised a hand to my eyes as the sun hit my face. I liked the sun and the heat, but did it have to be this hot?! It could stay bright—I loved brightness, and sometimes, it shined so much!

Once my eyes adjusted to the light outside the cave, I lowered my hand and walked over to Mari. I didn't need to look for her; she was in her usual spot, camouflaged with her sand-colored cloak.

She was leaning against a rock, which had the perfect curve for someone to recline against and sit without actually sitting, her hood up as she gazed into the distance. Her raccoon ears were so fluffy! The markings around her eyes made her look so small, too!

That rock was hers at the moment. She always leaned against it whenever she kept watch over the cave, every time we came here. I was sure that if I looked closely, I'd find the imprint of her back and butt on it.

"That way." She pointed before I even asked. Her right eye was shut while the left peered through the small spyglass she held.

I pulled my 'Long-Distance Enhanced Vision Goggles with Mystical Symbols' from my bracelet and put them on. I loved that name! The creator was a genius—and kind, too—since their price on the market was quite cheap compared to most other Mystic Symbol-enhanced items of this level.

With a subtle tap of my finger and a pulse of my mana, the goggles activated, letting me see the same thing Mari did: a sea of orange and yellow—not of sand, but of ants, swarming ferociously toward something too far away for me to tell what it was or how many people were there.

Given that they hadn't died within seconds, there had to be many of them—and strong ones… Not that it mattered against endless numbers.

The four of us, each individually ranked as Gold contractors—together capable of facing even Platinum-ranked threats—didn't have the confidence to take on the ants…

I sighed, taking the goggles off. I didn't want to watch when the ant sea finally calmed. There was only one outcome, and I didn't like death one bit…

Stowing my goggles away, I poked Mari's waist. She swatted my hand and removed the spyglass from her eye, collapsing it before tucking it into her chest pocket. Some things she kept within reach instead of storing them inside her Travel Space—her tongue piercing.

That thing had been a good idea, but expensive… She had to save up enough money to throw at least ten great parties just to afford it!

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing! Just keeping my mind busy." I poked her again, distracting myself. She smacked my hand away again. I giggled and leaned against her, bumping her hip with mine before plopping down. "Things have been kind of crazy lately, huh?"

"More like completely insane… What the hell is going on, Isis?" She sighed, bumping me back and settling in with her hip pressed against mine. I saw her gaze shift in another direction, away from the ant sea. "The storm still hasn't passed…"

If the desert's greatest fear was the 'sea of ants,' then outside it, it was the 'sea of gray clouds,' as everyone called it. That storm wasn't normal—not even close. It was evil. Anyone with sharp instincts could tell. It felt like something was watching us from inside it. And that something was bad… really bad.

The worst part? These two 'seas' had created something horrifying: a wave of refugees.

Many had chosen to come to Shahrabad—it took me a while to learn that name—the desert's largest city, instead of heading to the kingdom… And it couldn't have happened at a worse time. I didn't know the number of casualties, but from what I'd heard, it was high…

"You think something's going to happen to us? The storm stopped growing, but what if it starts again?…" Mari's voice was tense with worry. We all were. Watching that storm from the outside had to be better than seeing it from within.

"Nothing's going to happen to us!" I bumped her again, knocking her off balance as I stood. "We've survived worse—we'll survive this if anything happens."

She barely staggered, planting her feet firmly on the ground.

"I'm not immune to whatever the hell that storm is." Mari huffed, her arm lashing out to smack my butt. I intercepted her strike and stepped back.

"Neither am I, and I doubt Ani or Beldin are." I twirled away from her attempts. "But we're good at running. We've fled plenty of times—from bandits, monsters, guards, even the ants—I don't think running from rain would be any different."

We could always get a boat and head out to sea. I was sure Ani could arrange one and take us to a safe island. Our leader was good like that—he had his connections.

When Mari finally stopped trying to smack me, we sat back down and talked quietly. Her melancholic mood had passed, which was good. I was great at cheering people up. I hated sadness with a passion!

It was about ten minutes later when we realized something: the ant tide was still going.

The number of ants was the same—yes, endless. But they were still surging forward, which meant their target was still alive, that someone was still fighting them.

"What the hell?…" Mari murmured.

"Beldin, Ani, get over here!" I shouted. The two rushed outside quickly. I didn't explain—just pointed toward the ant sea.

Their reactions were the same as ours.

"Is… someone actually alive in there?" Ani said, his elegant accent and refined voice unwavering. He always kept his composure. "How?"

"What in the ever-loving fuck is happening in that goddamn fucking place?!" Beldin bellowed.

The first time I heard him curse like that, it was funny… and it still was. I chuckled, despite the situation, then shrugged and said:

"No idea."

"Maybe the kingdom sent someone?" Mari suggested, turning to Ani. "You're the one who knows the kingdom's big shots. Anyone come to mind?"

Ani crossed his arms, one hand touching his chin in his usual thinking pose before shaking his head.

"A few people, but they're all too important. I doubt they would come here." He glanced at the storm. "Not while that's still happen—"

Something cut him off. A voice echoed from within the sea of ants. Even at this distance, we all heard it clearly. It sounded angry.

"Incinerate them!"

Then, a colossal tornado of purple fire erupted, expanding in an instant to easily hundreds of meters in height, its width not much smaller.

It made no sound, no wind, and its light was somehow dull. It didn't even generate heat, though it should have—it was fire… And yet, everything burned. The entire infinite sea of ants, as the voice had commanded, was incinerated.

[...]---[...]

First of all: does anyone remember me mentioning this desert before? If you do, leave a comment.

Well, about the chapter: I really liked the NPC group I created in this chapter. Yes, all four of them are NPCs. I based the group on a generic RPG party: a mage, a warrior, an archer, and a rogue. Their personalities were something I also found fun to develop.

Well, the next chapter will also take place in the desert and will be the last one. It's a secondary focus. After that, we'll return to the storm and wrap up the arc in a few chapters.

Well, I think that's it. I won't drag this out too much. Good Night and happy reading!

PS: Isis is inspired by a cartoon character.