B11F. The moment Rei, Elena, and the others descended to that floor, the first thing to assault them was the air. It wasn't merely atmosphere; it was a presence thick with a heat so intense, baked by the fierce sunlight, that it could only be described as violent.
The two people and two beasts instinctively widened their eyes at the sweltering climate they encountered the second they stepped onto the floor. While descending the stairs, they hadn't felt even a hint of warmth; rather, the caves' characteristic chill had surrounded them. Arriving at B11F made the sudden heat feel all the more overwhelming.
(It’s not just hot—it’s scorching.)
Even though a minute hadn't passed since they stepped into the small room containing the Magic Circle, a thin sheen of sweat appeared on Rei’s forehead. He only fared this well because of the artificial body the Zephyle Clan had crafted for him. Had an ordinary person followed Rei’s path from B10F to B11F, the sudden temperature shift might have been enough to make them collapse.
(No, I suppose anyone active as an adventurer wouldn't be that fragile... and if they were, they’d be in the extreme minority.)
Musing over this, Rei pulled up the Dragon Robe's hood as a temporary countermeasure. Thanks to the robe’s enchantments, which ensured the wearer remained comfortable, the heat ceased to plague not only his body but his head as well.
Taking a breath, Rei turned his gaze toward his companion. He had his Dragon Robe, but Elena possessed no such equipment. He wondered if she was holding up, but—
"Hoh, so this is the desert's heat. Truly fascinating."
Though sweat stood on her brow, Elena showed no signs of actual distress. Instead, she surveyed her surroundings with deep interest. Though they were still within the small room where the Magic Circle was installed, this was the desert floor she had long yearned to see. Her curiosity outweighed any discomfort.
Rei watched as Elena pulled a Desert Mantle from her Magic Pouch, one they had purchased just yesterday.
"You seem to be taking this well."
"Yes. It is likely an effect of inheriting the Ancient Dragon Magic Stone. I certainly feel the heat, but it is not unbearable. And you?"
"I'm all right. My body was already reinforced beyond human norms, and with the Dragon Robe, this level of heat isn't much of a problem. ...Though, if I lower this hood, the heat comes rushing back. As for Seto and Iero..."
Rei turned his attention to their companions. Elena followed his gaze. Seto didn't seem to have changed much; he was clearly bothered by the heat, but showed no signs of actual illness. Iero, however, was sprawled out on Seto’s back, looking completely limp as if the life had been drained from him. He hadn't lost consciousness, but the heat was clearly taking a toll.
Rei wondered for a moment how a member of the Dragon-kin could be so affected, but then he remembered Iero’s age. The little dragon was even younger than Seto; it was only natural for him to struggle.
"This is..."
Elena stared at her familiar, looking conflicted for a moment before turning to Rei.
"Rei, I'm sorry to ask, but could you carry Iero inside your robe?"
"I don't mind... but if I do, I won't be able to do much in the way of close-quarters combat."
Tucking Iero inside his robe meant that any of the violent, sudden movements Rei usually made in battle would likely injure the small dragon.
"That's fine. Seto and I will act as the vanguard today. I'll ask you to stay in the rearguard and support us with magic."
"Well, I suppose that’s our only choice."
Rei nodded, not wanting to imagine the strain Iero would suffer if left as he was. He reached out to Seto’s back, lifted Iero, and tucked the creature inside the Dragon Robe against his chest.
Iero must have sensed the sudden drop in temperature with the sharp instincts of his kind. He poked his head out from inside the robe and let out a soft trill.
"Kyu..."
His cry was weaker than usual, but seeing that the dragon looked much better than he had when he was wilting in the heat, Rei and Elena nodded with relief.
Elena proceeded to don the Desert Mantle over her golden cloak. Watching her, Rei spoke up.
"...Is that cloak going to be okay? If it's in the way, I can store it in the Misty Ring."
"No, this cloak is a Magic Item. It provides its effects even when worn under the mantle. As long as we are in a dungeon, I want to be ready to respond to any threat."
Usually, Elena’s white armor and golden hair made for a brilliant, eye-catching sight. Covered by the desert-colored mantle, her appearance became much more subdued, though her striking features still made her stand out.
"Very well, preparations are complete. Shall we go?"
Elena looked toward the exit of the small room. Rei nodded, letting her take the first step.
The moment they emerged—
"Oh! This truly is worthy of the name 'Sea of Sand'."
Hearing Elena’s exclamation, Rei turned his eyes toward the horizon. People often spoke of a world of silver for snow, but this was a world of sand. The golden landscape stretching out endlessly was indeed a Sea of Sand.
While B10F had been a cave with limited visibility, the view now unfolding before them was incomparably vast. The sunlight was even fiercer than it had been inside the room, fueled by a pseudo-sun hanging in a place that looked exactly like a true sky. Looking at the scene, it was almost impossible to believe they were still inside a dungeon. The sky appeared even higher than the summer sky over Exil.
"This... is impressive. It rivals the forest I saw at the Altar of Inheritance."
"Yeah."
Rei could only offer a short reply. Despite having told Elena that it was strange to romanticize a desert, Rei found himself even more captivated by the scenery than she was. He watched the wind kick up plumes of sand, his eyes lingering on the cacti, scattered rock formations, and distant dunes.
"Rei? ...Rei!"
"Hmm? Ah, right."
"Honestly, after everything you said to me, you're the one standing there enthralled."
"Guilty as charged. I'm just surprised by the difference between hearing about it and seeing it for myself."
Rei scooped up a handful of sand as he spoke. He felt the dry grains slip through his fingers before looking around once more.
"...Standing here isn't going to get us anywhere. Let's move."
"I agree, though unlike the caves, there are no paths. The map will be of little use."
Elena held out her map, which only depicted general terrain features without any clear trails.
"In that case, I could have Seto scout from above, but..."
"That would be wise. ...Still, looking back, this is quite a bizarre sight."
Elena glanced behind them at the stone room standing solitary in the midst of the dunes. The structure they had just exited looked entirely out of place in the desert.
"We’ll likely have to use that room as our landmark. For now, let’s have Seto fly up and survey the area. Elena, where are the stairs?"
"If this room is the map's center, and if that formation over there matches the rocks on the map... then I would say South-Southwest?"
"A tricky direction. It would be much easier if it were just South or West."
"Guruuu?" Seto trilled, asking for orders.
Inside Rei’s robe, Iero gave a happy little chirp, clearly enjoying the cool environment.
"Sorry, Seto, but I need you to do this for us. If we just stand around, the heat will sap our strength, so we’ll keep moving. You can fly and you can sense my presence, so there's no risk of you getting lost."
"Wouldn't it be safer to wait in the room for Seto to return?" Elena asked.
"I thought about it, but if we're going to get used to the desert, we need to start walking. I’d like to reach B12F by the end of the day if we can."
"Guruuu," Seto trilled, signaling he had no objections. Even Iero seemed content to go along with whatever Rei decided from the safety of his robe.
"All right, we’ll head in what we think is the South-Southwest. Seto, go on ahead. Given the layout of the other floors, there should be another stone room at the exit, so keep an eye out for that."
"Guruuuuuu!"
Seto let out a loud cry, took a few running steps, and flapped his wings to rise into the air. Even in the desert, the sight of him gallop-climbing through the sky as if treading on solid ground was as majestic as ever.
Rei and Elena watched him go, exchanged a nod, and then stepped out into the shifting sands.
"I expected it, but this is incredibly difficult to walk in."
"That’s the nature of a desert."
Elena, draped in her mantle, took a canteen from her Magic Pouch to quench her thirst. The water inside had been provided by Rei’s Dagger of Flowing Water. With every step, their feet sank into the sand, draining their stamina much faster than usual.
Adventurers accustomed to this floor or those born in arid regions likely knew the proper gait, but this was the first time Rei and Elena had ever set foot in a true desert. Despite their immense reserves of strength, the environment was already beginning to sap their energy. Had they been ordinary adventurers, their pace would have slowed to a crawl within half an hour.
This was the "initiation" for anyone challenging the desert for the first time. Normally, one would slowly acclimate and learn to move over several days, but these two were far from normal.
"I see... the trick is in how you lift your feet, rather than how you plant them."
"And when stepping down, try using the entire sole of your foot instead of your heel or toes. It’s much more stable."
They shared their observations as they went, rapidly mastering the mechanics of sand-walking. What made them even more exceptional was that they didn't follow the easier paths along the ridges of the dunes. Instead, they marched in a straight line toward Seto’s silhouette in the sky.
By the time an hour had passed since their arrival on B11F, their speed had increased significantly.
"Still..."
"What is it?" Elena asked.
Rei patted Iero, who was starting to fidget restlessly inside his robe, bored with the lack of action.
"I was just thinking that for a desert, it's remarkably empty. Nothing but sand, cacti, and rocks... or so I thought."
Rei trailed off as something caught his eye. About a kilometer ahead, he spotted three adventurers sprinting toward them. That alone was cause for concern, but it was what followed them that truly caught his attention.
"There’s something large and insect-like behind them," Elena noted, her voice sharpening.
Chasing the three fleeing adventurers were giant, worm-like creatures over five meters long. They were Sandworms. And there wasn't just one; there were at least three within view.
(Did I just flag us?)
Judging that the trio wouldn't be able to outrun the monsters at this rate, Rei immediately shifted into a combat stance. As planned, Elena stepped forward to take the vanguard, while Rei moved behind her to prepare his magic, waiting for the desperate adventurers and their pursuers to close the distance.