The desert wind kicked up little swirls of sand as Korran, the big guy, stared Vell down. His crew fanned out behind him, weapons gleaming under the twin suns. They looked tough—leather armor patched with tal, swords and spears ready to go. The Desert Kings weren't playing around.
Vell didn't flinch.
He stood there, hands loose at his sides, his dagger still tucked away. His team stayed close, eyes sharp, waiting for his move. The air buzzed with tension, like a storm about to break.
"Your territory?" He said, keeping his voice calm but firm. "Last I checked, the tower doesn't care who claims what. We're just here to climb."
Korran smirked, resting his hand on the hilt of his curved sword. "Climbing's fine, kid. But you've been digging up dallions—stuff we've been after for weeks. That makes you a problem."
Ruby's tail twitched, and she stepped forward a bit, her bracers glowing faintly. "We found them fair and square! You don't own the desert."
"Quiet, fox-girl," one of the guys snapped—a skinny dude with a spear and a cocky grin. "This ain't your sandbox."
Wren's eyes narrowed, and her fingers flexed like she was itching to claw his face off. "Say that again," she muttered, voice low and dangerous.
"Enough," Vell cut in, raising a hand. His team settled, but the air stayed heavy. He locked eyes with Korran. "We don't want a fight. We're after the tower, not your pride. Step aside, and we all walk away."
Korran laughed, a rough sound that echoed off the blackened tower. "Walk away? Nah. You've got two dallions already—I can feel their mana from here. Hand them over, and maybe we let you limp back to town."
Jia twirled her daggers, smirking. "Big talk for soone who hasn't seen us fight."
"She's right," Jolly added, cracking her knuckles. "You sure you want this?"
Korran's smirk faded, and he drew his sword slow, letting the blade catch the light. "Last chance. dallions, now."
Vell sighed, like this was all just a hassle he didn't need. "Alright. Hard way it is."
Before anyone could blink, he flicked his wrist, and a mana ball shot out—small, fast, and splitting into four mid-air. The Desert Kings barely had ti to react. The balls hit their legs, and they dropped, screaming as mana spread through them like poison, locking their bodies up tight.
"W-what the hell?!" He growled, fighting to move but stuck on his knees. His sword clattered to the sand.
Vell walked closer, calm as ever. "I told you. We're not here for your gas. Stay down, and you keep breathing."
The skinny spear guy tried to crawl for his weapon, but Wren was on him in a flash. She pinned his arm with her foot, mana claws glinting at his throat. "Move again, and I carve you up," she said, grinning a little too much.
Regina stepped up, her grimoire glowing faintly. "Should we take their points?"
"Nah," he said, glancing at the tower doors. "They're not worth it. Let's just get inside."
Korran glared up at him, sweat mixing with the sand on his face. "You think this is over? We've got more people. You won't make it far."
He crouched down, eting his eyes. "Then tell them what happened here. Tell them Vell's team doesn't ss around. Maybe they'll think twice."
He stood and waved his hand. The mana pinning the Desert Kings faded, leaving them gasping in the sand. His team didn't wait—they headed straight for the stairs, disappearing into the tower's shadow.
Inside, the air was cooler, heavy with old magic. The walls were smooth black stone, glowing faintly with symbols. The stairs went down deep, and Regina's light orb lit the way, bouncing off carvings of battles and weird machines.
"This place is huge," Ruby whispered, her voice echoing. "Bigger than the other ruins."
"It's the main one," Regina said, flipping through her grimoire. "The paintings back there—this tower's the heart of whatever they built here."
Vell nodded, gripping the two dallions in his pocket. "Then there's gotta be another one here. Let's find it."
They moved deeper, footsteps quiet on the stone. The air humd louder the farther they went, like the tower was alive. At the bottom, the stairs opened into a massive room. In the center stood a platform with a machine—tall, covered in slots, just like the one they'd seen before. Three slots were empty, but one held a red dallion, pulsing like a heartbeat.
"There it is," Jolly said, eyes wide. "Number three."
"Don't touch it yet," he warned, scanning the room. "This is clearly a trap, like always."
He was right. The floor rumbled, and the walls shifted. Stone panels slid open, and out stepped four figures—tall, armored in sand-colored rock, holding spears that crackled with red energy. Their eyes glowed like the dallion.
"More guardians," Regina said, stepping back. "Stronger ones."
Vell grinned, pulling out his dagger. "Good. I was getting bored. Split up—take one each. I'll handle the last."
The team jumped into action. Ruby blasted water at hers, dodging its spear thrusts. Wren went full weasel mode, zipping around and clawing at joints. Jolly and Jia tead up, smashing and slicing their guardian apart. Regina threw up barriers, slowing hers down while she prepped a spell.
Vell faced his alone. The guardian lunged, spear sparking, but he sidestepped and slashed with the Desert Fang. The blade cut clean through its arm, and the thing roared. He didn't let up—shadow-stepping behind it, he drove the dagger into its back, cracking its core. It shattered into dust.
One by one, the others fell too. The room went quiet, except for the hum of the machine.
[Guardians defeated. Ancient Artifact Found: Crimson Sun dallion. 400 points earned.]
He grabbed the red dallion, feeling its heat through his glove. "Three down. How many more?"
Regina studied the machine. "Two slots left. Five total, I'd guess."
"Then we've got work to do," he said, pocketing the dallion. "Let's head back. Those guys won't stay down forever."
They stepped back into the desert, expecting the twin suns to be dipping low—but nope. The sky was still a blinding orange, the two suns hanging high and fierce, like they'd decided night wasn't a thing today. The heat hit them like a wall, sand shimring in waves.
Before they could catch their breath, a shout cut through the stillness. "There they are!"
Vell's head snapped up. From the dunes around the tower, figures rose—twenty players, maybe more, stepping out from behind rocks and twisted desert plants. They were a rough bunch: swords, staffs, and shields glinting in the light, desert cloaks flapping in the hot wind. So had scars like Korran's crew, others looked fresh but eager, eyes locked on Vell's team.
"Hand over the dallions!" a burly guy in front yelled. He had a hamr slung over his shoulder and a grin that scread trouble. "We know you've got three now. That's more than anyone's nabbed on this floor."
Ruby's tail bristled, and she gripped her bracers. "Not a chance!"
Jia twirled her daggers, smirking. "You really think you can take us?"
The hamr guy laughed, and the others joined in, spreading out to circle the tower's base. "Look around, sweetheart. Twenty of us, six of you. Do the math."
Vell scanned the group, his face calm but his mind sharp. They weren't like the Desert Kings—less organized, more desperate. Probably a mix of solo players and small teams who'd banded together for this. Numbers made them bold, but he could see the cracks: shaky hands, uneven stances. Confidence didn't an skill.
He raised a hand, stopping his team from stepping forward. "Head back to town," he said, voice steady. "You don't want this fight."
The hamr guy snorted. "Oh, we want it. You're tough, sure—heard the stories. But twenty against one team? Even you can't dodge that."
Another player, a woman with a staff crackling with lightning, chid in. "Those dallions are our ticket up the tower. Give 'em up, and we won't have to bury you here."
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck like this was just another annoying chore. "Last warning. Walk away."
The group didn't budge. Hamr guy raised his weapon, and the others followed, mana flaring, blades gleaming. They had the numbers, and it made them stupid.
"Fine," he said, turning to his girls. "Step back. This one's mine."
"you sure?" Regina asked, her grimoire already glowing faintly.
"Yeah," he replied, cracking his hands. "They need a lesson. Stay out of it unless I say otherwise."
The girls hesitated but obeyed, backing off to the tower's edge. Wren crossed her arms, muttering, "This'll be quick."
The players smirked, thinking they'd won already. "Big mistake, hero," hamr guy said, charging forward. The rest followed, a wave of steel and magic rushing at him.
He didn't move at first, just stood there as they closed in. Then, with a flick of his wrist, mana balls shot out—dozens of them, small and fast, splitting mid-air like a swarm of angry bees.
They hit the players' legs, arms, chests—wherever they'd leave a mark without killing. Screams filled the air as mana spread through their bodies, locking muscles, dropping them to their knees.
Hamr guy swung his weapon, but he simply caught it and destroyed it like it was nothing. "Clench your teeth," he said, right before sending the guy flying with a punch to his chin.
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