The transition from the temperate climate of the Academy to the Ashen Sands was brutal.

Alvian stepped out of the teleportation circle in the border town of Dust-Hollow. Immediately, a wall of heat slammed into him. The air was dry, tasting of sand and sulfur.

[System Warning: Environmental Hazard - Extreme Heat.]

[Stamina consumption increased by 50%.]

[Water-based skills effectiveness reduced by 30%.]

Alvian adjusted his [Robes of the Void Walker]. The cloth was enchanted to regulate temperature, but even Epic gear struggled against this hellscape.

He ignored the stares of the rough-looking mercenaries and hunters in the town square. Dust-Hollow was a lawless place, a haven for those who found the Academy's rules too stifling.

He checked his supplies. He had stocked up on water and stamina potions using the funds from selling Lysander's staff (George had handled the fence).

"Objective: Sunken Ruins," Alvian muttered.

He set out into the dunes.

The desert was a sea of orange sand that shifted constantly. It was beautiful and deadly.

Within ten minutes, he found his first targets.

[Monster: Sand Scorpion]

[Level: 34]

[Status: Aggressive]

A pack of five scorpions the size of horses erupted from the sand, their stingers dripping with green venom.

"Trash," Alvian muttered.

He drew the [Lance of the Void Winter].

The scorpions charged.

Alvian didn't use magic. He used physique. His Speed stat of 92 made him a blur.

He sidestepped the first stinger. He thrust the lance.

"SQUELCH!"

The spear pierced the chitin effortlessly.

[Effect Triggered: Void Frost.]

The scorpion turned grey as the void energy sucked the life out of it.

[-4,500!]

One shot.

[+25,000 XP]

The other four attacked at once.

"[Runic Aegis +2]."

Alvian summoned the runes. But this time, he experimented.

"Launch."

He fired a single rune at the center scorpion.

"BOOM!"

The rune detonated on impact, blowing the creature apart and knocking the others back.

Alvian capitalized on the chaos. He spun the lance, a whirlwind of black steel and violet ice.

Slash. Pierce. Slam.

In ten seconds, five Level 34 monsters were dead.

[Mana Absorbed: +200]

"Sustainable," Alvian nodded. The [Predator's Hunger] effect on the lance was working perfectly. He had used mana to cast Aegis, and regained it by killing. A perpetual motion machine of death.

He pushed deeper into the desert.

He fought Sand Wyrms, Vulture-Harpies, and Stone Beetles. He was a grinder, a machine turning monsters into data.

[Level Up!]

[Level 29.]

By nightfall, he reached the coordinates of the Sunken Ruins.

It was a massive depression in the sand, revealing the top of an ancient sandstone temple.

But he wasn't alone.

Camped around the entrance were tents. Black tents with a familiar symbol.

The Syndicate.

Alvian crouched behind a dune, activating [Shadow Weave +2].

"Perfect," he whispered. "Two birds, one stone."

There were guards patrolling. High-level mercenaries.

[Mercenary: Level 35]

They were guarding an excavation.

"They're looking for the Flower too," Alvian realized. "Or something else."

He crept closer, his form invisible.

He overheard two guards talking.

"The shipment is ready. The artifact goes to the Capital tomorrow."

"What artifact?"

"Some ancient tablet. Boss says it's a map to the 'Core'."

Alvian's eyes widened. A map to the Core? The Planetary Core? That was Endgame content.

He checked his cooldowns. Everything was green.

"Looks like I'm looting early," Alvian grinned.

---

The Syndicate camp was a hive of activity, illuminated by magical lamps that cast harsh, flickering shadows against the sandstone ruins. Alvian moved through the camp like a whisper of smoke, his [Shadow Weave +2] rendering him undetectable to the naked eye and most magical sensors.

However, he was cautious. The Syndicate had money. Money bought Truesight Wards.

He spotted one near the command tent—a floating eye made of gold. If he stepped in its cone of vision, his stealth would break.

"Efficient," Alvian noted.

He needed a distraction.

He spotted a crate of [Alchemist's Fire] vials stacked near the mess tent.

He picked up a small rock. He used [Runic Aegis] to summon a single rune, compressed it to the size of a coin, and attached it to the rock.

He threw it.

The rock landed in the crate.

"BOOM!"

The reactive force detonated the volatile chemicals. A massive fireball erupted, consuming the mess tent.

"FIRE! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

Chaos ensued. Guards scrambled toward the fire. The Truesight Ward swiveled toward the explosion.

Alvian moved.

He slipped into the Command Tent.

Inside, a man was frantically stuffing papers into a bag. He wore a mask—not a generic one, but a porcelain mask painted with a crying face.

[Boss Detected: Syndicate Enforcer - The Weeping Blade]

[Level: 40]

[Class: Assassin]

Level 40. A massive threat.

The Weeping Blade stopped. He turned slowly, looking directly at the spot where Alvian stood invisible.

"I can hear your heartbeat, little mouse," the assassin whispered. His voice was wet, gurgling.

Alvian didn't hesitate. He dropped the stealth.

"[Glacial Void Pierce]!"

He thrust the lance. A beam of void energy shot across the tent.

The assassin moved with impossible speed. He blurred, bending backward like a reed in the wind. The beam missed his chest by an inch, burning a hole through the tent wall.

"Fast," Alvian noted.

The Weeping Blade drew two curved swords that dripped with black liquid.

"You're the Godslayer," the assassin hissed. "The bounty on you is enough to buy a kingdom."

He vanished.

[System Warning: Hostile Stealth Detected.]

Alvian stood still. He closed his eyes. He couldn't see him.

But he had [Runic Aegis].

"Orbit."

Seven runes began to spin around him, creating a protective sphere.

"CLANG!"

A sword struck a rune from behind. The rune detonated.

"BOOM!"

The assassin was blown backward, appearing in the corner of the tent. His cloak was shredded.

[-1,200!]

"Reactive armor?" The assassin spat. "Clever."

"I have more tricks," Alvian said.

He activated [Klaus's Upgrade].

[Blessing Active.]

"[Frost Descent +2]."

In the confined space of the tent, the doubled blizzard was a death sentence. The air turned solid white.

The assassin screamed as the cold bit into him. His speed dropped instantly. [Crippling Frost] applied.

"You… you're a monster!" the assassin wheezed, freezing up.

Alvian walked through the storm. He raised his lance.

"I'm an Anomaly."

He drove the lance through the assassin's chest.

[Target Eliminated.]

[Level Up!]

[Level 30.]

Alvian looted the body quickly. He found a data slate and a heavy, stone tablet.

[Item: Tablet of the Earth Core]

[Quest Item.]

He also found a key.

[Key to the Excavation Vault.]

Alvian looked at the tablet. It was buzzing with energy.

Outside, the guards were rallying.

"Time to go," Alvian said.

He sliced the back of the tent open and vanished into the night, leaving the burning camp and a dead boss behind him.

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