Number Five, Part Two

Pandora instructed Rush, "Climb onto the roof of the plane; it will give you a higher vantage point."

Rush glanced at the aircraft's roof just as Xiao Feng yanked him up by the armpits and hoisted him onto it. Pandora herself leapt onto the top of the plane, seized Rush's arm, and with her razor-sharp blade lightly sliced across it. Though she applied minimal force, her knife was so keen it carved a several-centimeter gash into Rush's arm, from which blood immediately began to seep.

"Ouch! Pandora, I swear, you might as well have chopped my arm off!" Rush groaned.

"Heh, sorry. I'm used to hacking at magical beasts—sometimes I'm a bit heavy-handed," she replied with a wry smile.

Rush pinched his wound, trying to minimize the bleeding. Droplets fell onto the plane's surface, and the metallic scent of blood swiftly dispersed into the dry desert air.

The arid heat hastened the drying of Rush's blood, yet its pungent aroma mingled with the swirling dust, drifting far across the barren expanse.

Donning a pair of sunglasses, Xiao Feng reclined in the shadow beneath the plane's wing, lost in thought. Knowing his troubled history, Pandora and the others wisely refrained from disturbing him, allowing him quiet contemplation.

Minutes after Rush's blood scent permeated the air, several small beasts darted in—but none were what they sought. Pandora, gripping her blade, dispatched them with ruthless precision; each fell beneath a swift, decisive strike. Their blood intensified the scent, thickening the air with a potent musk.

Growing impatient, Pandora muttered, "Why aren't the beasts arriving? Even a Class-C would suffice if the Class-B won't show."

Rush reminded her, "Mammals are scarce in this desert; Class-C magical beasts must be few as well…"

"Ugh, how long must we wait? At this rate, I'll turn as dark as the sand," Pandora grumbled, sounding oddly like a vexed young maiden.

Rush and Tugou exchanged glances, noting a subtle shift in Pandora's demeanor of late.

Just as Xiao Feng drifted toward slumber, Tugou, standing under the blazing sun, patted his armor. "Damn, I swear my armor's hot enough to fry an egg…"

"Heh, pity we don't have any eggs," Rush chuckled lightly.

Before Rush could finish his laughter, the sand dune beneath Tugou abruptly surged upward. Tugou's body shot skyward as a massive serpent's head burst forth from the earth—a colossal snake with a girth of nearly two meters, forcefully tossing Tugou into the air.

Rush and Pandora stared in shock. Tugou shouted in midair, "What the hell is going on?!" As he turned, he glimpsed the enormous serpent, which gaped wide and lunged at him.

The beast was evidently unaware Tugou was encased in metal, a fact which likely spared him from being the serpent's last victim.

The snake swallowed Tugou whole, who cried out loudly for help from within its jaws.

With a violent flex, the serpent plunged back beneath the sand, seemingly intent on escaping after its capture. But Pandora suddenly launched herself forward, her blade slashing fiercely at the serpent's tail.

Sparks flew as the knife bit into flesh, and with a muffled grunt, Pandora hissed, "Die…"

With one powerful stroke, she severed the serpent's tail. The wounded beast howled in agony beneath the sands, then reemerged from another dune, its two massive, gem-like black eyes fixed on Pandora.

The snake flicked its tongue and lunged toward her, intent on swallowing her whole.

At that moment, a series of thunderous explosions erupted from its abdomen—deep, pounding detonations that forced the serpent to convulse wildly atop the sand.

Despite its desperate thrashing, the blasts continued unrelenting.

Pandora, Xiao Feng, and Rush understood immediately: Tugou was the source of the explosions.

Minutes later, the serpent ceased its writhing and lay lifeless atop the sand.

Slowly, Tugou crawled from the serpent's belly, black blood staining his frame. Thanks to Pandora's severing of the tail, his escape was possible—otherwise, it would have been nearly impossible.

Standing under the scorching sun, Tugou held a crimson magic crystal in his right hand, a testament that the serpent was merely a Class-C magical beast, not Class-B. Disappointment flickered among the four.

Tugou tossed the crystal to Pandora, muttering, "What a disgusting smell…"

The foul stench wafted toward Xiao Feng and the others. Rising from the shadow, Xiao Feng said, "That's awful… let me wash you off."

Remembering Xiao Feng's ability to manipulate water molecules, Tugou's face lit with hopeful anticipation. Yet, despite Xiao Feng's efforts, only a wisp of mist appeared—no flowing water—leaving Tugou dumbfounded.

Adjusting his sunglasses, Xiao Feng muttered, "Damn it, not even a trace of moisture in this desert… this complicates things…"

"No worries," Pandora said coolly, "just keep Tugou outside the plane."

Tugou froze in disbelief. "No way… don't do this…"

Xiao Feng and Rush returned to the aircraft. After Pandora reinstalled the magic crystal, she too entered the cockpit. This time, Tugou was left outside, choosing to lie atop the Trident's roof. As the plane took off, he sealed his visor.

Inside the cockpit, Xiao Feng said to Pandora, "See if you can find a lake nearby for Tugou to wash up."

Pandora smiled. "Understood."

The plane surged forward, crossing the desert into an endless wasteland. Fortunately, the season brought some rainfall. Soon, Pandora located a lake and brought the aircraft to a halt.

The lake lay only a hundred or so kilometers from the coordinates Xiao Feng had provided.

Tugou disembarked, followed by Xiao Feng, who cautioned, "Don't jump in to bathe. I'll rinse you off. If you jump in, you'll pollute the whole lake..."