Barren

Boom!

Just then, a massive fireball plummeted from the sky. It was none other than the Sun Bird.

Halfway out of the rift, the red-eyed giant grinned wickedly and cruelly. Layer upon layer of young witches guarded him.

A muffled groan.

The giant's upper body had completely squeezed through the rift. He reached out a huge hand toward the towering sand tower below, his wicked smile brimming with cruel desire.

"Let's go. If we don't leave now, it'll be too late."

Reilo urged him on.

Naraku, however, jumped into the ruins of an underground dwelling and said anxiously, "But we have no water. Even if we leave, we won't survive!"

Huh?

The human civilization of Starveil Land had long since overcome the limits imposed by the need for basic necessities.

Reilo had never considered the problem of water. Not only did he have ample supplies in his spatial ring, but scholars could also use Natural Law to draw moisture from the air. Even in a dry desert, that should have been enough to drink.

But before Reilo could say anything, Naraku exclaimed in delight, "Found it!"

He climbed out of the ruins, clutching a clay pot.

Just then,

the sand beneath his feet began to shake violently.

He froze for a moment, and before he could react, Reilo lifted him into the air. His body rose against his will.

Looking down, he saw a giant sandworm bursting out of the ground. Its mouth, several meters wide, gaped open, revealing rows upon rows of densely packed, razor-sharp teeth. They snapped shut on empty air.

"It's a sandworm!" Naraku cried in terror.

Hovering in midair, Reilo held Naraku in one hand and the Mithril Dust Seal in the other. He watched as the giant sandworm, hidden beneath the desert, failed to land