In the desert camp,
"Uncle Bryce!"
Duke hurried over to the campfire in the middle of the camp and shouted at Bryce.
Bryce had been discussing caravan matters with the others. Seeing this, he frowned.
Duke was being rather rash. Couldn't he see Bryce was busy?
Bryce had wanted to reprimand him, but he held back and decided to hear what Duke had to say.
Duke had always been sensible before. He shouldn't have acted like this.
Had something happened?
"What is it?"
Bryce set down the wooden bowl in his hand and rose to his feet.
"Lord Li Si said Sandworms have burrowed over here and told us to be careful."
"What? Sandworms?!"
Bryce's expression changed as he hurriedly confirmed,
"Did that Mr. Li Si say so?"
"Yes. I went to see him just now, and he told me."
Duke nodded hurriedly and answered with certainty.
"This is troublesome."
Bryce furrowed his brow, and the people beside him looked equally grim.
Sandworms were not the most dangerous creatures in the desert, but they were certainly the ones travelers least wanted to encounter,
especially for caravans like theirs.
Sandworms generally moved in groups, lurking beneath the dunes and slowly approaching their prey. They posed little threat to powerful Extraordinary Professionals, but they were deadly to ordinary people and camels.
If the caravan's supplies were all destroyed, even Extraordinary Professionals would find it difficult to leave this desert on their own.
Caravans that chose to cross the desert generally prepared special Magical Items in advance to detect approaching Sandworms beneath the dunes.
Yet Bryce's magical item had shown no reaction at all.
After hesitating only briefly, Bryce immediately ordered the others,
"Didn't you hear him?"
"Move, now!"
"The guard unit, follow the plan we made before and prepare our countermeasures."
"If