Morning sunlight slowly spread across the desert, the cold night fading away as heat began rising again. Inside the tent, Leo was still asleep… but unconsciously, he had wrapped his arms around Lily, pulling her close like a pillow.
Lily's eyes suddenly opened. She froze for a second, her face turning slightly red.
"…Leon."
No response.
"…LEON."
Still nothing.
Her eyebrow twitched, and without hesitation—
THAP!
Leo flew to the other side of the tent.
"Ow!! What was that for?!" he shouted, holding his head.
Lily stood up, fixing her hair, clearly annoyed. "We are NOT at home. Don't even think about doing things like that again."
Leo blinked, confused for a moment, then realized what happened. "…Wait, I was just sleeping!"
"Yeah, sure," Lily said coldly and walked out.
Outside, everyone was already awake. They washed their faces, brushed their teeth, and prepared to move again. But the biggest problem was obvious—water.
Leo looked around. "So… where's the water source here?"
Chen Wei stretched his arms lazily. "There is no natural source."
Leo frowned. "Then how are we still alive?"
Chen Wei smirked slightly. "Because I'm here."
He raised his hand, and water began forming out of thin air, slowly filling their bottles again.
Leo stared at him in disbelief. "Seriously? That's unfair."
Chen Wei sighed dramatically. "I'm not a water tank, okay? I'm a Dragon Martial Artist. But here I am… being used like a water machine. No respect at all."
Lily chuckled lightly while Yuna shook her head.
After getting ready, the group continued their journey, their bodies still tired from the previous day. The desert heat returned stronger than ever, draining their energy with every step.
Hours passed…
Suddenly, Leo stopped.
"…Wait."
Everyone looked at him.
Leo narrowed his eyes, staring far ahead. Something… was shining.
"Look there… something's glowing."
The others focused, and their expressions changed.
"…You're right."
Without wasting time, they started running.
As they got closer, the shape became clearer—an ancient ruin, half-buried in sand, broken walls and a massive stone gate standing in the center.
They finally stopped in front of it, breathing heavily.
Chen Wei looked at the structure. "This… is the Temple of Earth?"
Leo scratched his head. "Looks more like a destroyed movie set."
Lily crossed her arms, smirking slightly. "Tell me honestly… does anyone really think a girl would be living inside a place like this?"
Yuna replied calmly, "At this point, nothing surprises me anymore."
They all moved toward the gate. Leo took out the Earth key and slowly stepped forward.
"Let's just get this over with."
As soon as he brought the key close to the lock—
The ground started shaking.
"…Wait."
Cracks spread across the sand.
And then—
SKELETON HANDS BURST OUT OF THE GROUND.
Dozens… hundreds of skeletons began rising, their empty eyes glowing faintly.
Leo smirked. "I knew it. Trouble never leaves us, huh?"
Chen Wei stretched his neck. "We're trying to save the world. Of course everything's coming after us."
Lily stepped forward. "Everyone, get ready."
Yuna raised her hand, forming a defensive field. "Stay inside. I'll handle protection."
The skeletons rushed toward them.
"Don't waste time shooting randomly," Lily said sharply. "Break their skulls directly. That's the fastest way."
Leo grinned widely. "Now this is what I'm talking about."
Chen Wei cracked his knuckles. "Finally… some action."
Both of them dashed forward.
The desert exploded into chaos.
Leo punched straight through a skeleton's head, shattering it instantly. Chen Wei moved like flowing water, crushing skulls with precise strikes. Bones shattered one after another as they fought like monsters.
"Two days in this desert…" Leo said while smashing another skeleton, "…my body was getting rusty!"
Chen Wei laughed. "Same here!"
The fight intensified, skeletons surrounding them from all sides.
Leo suddenly jumped back and pulled out his gun.
"By the way… what's the point of having this if I don't use it?"
Lily shouted, "Don't overdo it—"
"Too late."
Leo aimed forward, his aura gathering into the weapon.
"Let's make this fun."
The gun glowed intensely.
"Aura Bullet."
BOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion erupted, wiping out the entire skeleton army in one shot. The desert shook violently as a huge sandstorm rose into the sky.
Silence followed.
Far away, hidden behind dunes, two figures were watching everything.
One of them, a girl with a cold smile—the Poison Girl.
Beside her stood a tall martial artist, his killing intent clearly visible.
"Should we attack them now?" he asked.
The Poison Girl chuckled softly. "Why rush?"
She looked toward Leo's group.
"Let them clear all the obstacles first…"
Her smile widened.
"…then we'll come and take everything for free."
Back at the temple, Leo dusted his shoulders. "Well… that was easy."
Chen Wei smirked. "Show-off."
They walked back to the gate. This time, Leo inserted the key properly.
CLICK.
The ancient door trembled, and a deep, heavy voice echoed around them.
"Greetings… it has been a long time since someone opened this rusted gate."
Everyone froze.
"I am the former guardian of this temple… now long dead."
The voice continued, calm yet powerful.
"Whoever has opened this door must not be an enemy… perhaps you are allies of the one I once chose."
Leo raised his hand confidently. "Yes sir!"
Chen Wei immediately slapped his head. "Idiot. It's a recording. It can't hear you."
"…Oh."
The voice continued, "Inside this temple sleeps a girl… and above her lies the core of this temple's power. Protect her… and take the core away from here. Do not let it fall into the wrong hands."
With a loud rumble—
The doors opened.
Inside… darkness.
They stepped in.
Instantly—
TRAP ACTIVATED.
Arrows shot from the walls. Leo barely dodged them, pulling Lily aside.
"Careful!"
The ground shifted, and massive stone balls rolled toward them. Chen Wei raised water pressure to slow them down while Yuna reinforced the path.
They kept moving.
Spinning blades appeared from nowhere, forcing them to jump and slide through narrow gaps. At one point, the path became so thin they had to walk sideways against the wall.
"Who designs stuff like this?" Leo complained.
"Dead people," Chen Wei replied.
They reached a puzzle door next. Symbols of earth shifted across the surface.
Yuna stepped forward, analyzing it calmly. "It's a pattern lock. Follow the natural flow of elements."
After a few tense seconds—
CLICK.
The door opened.
They moved forward again, avoiding swinging weapons, collapsing floors, and hidden spikes. Each step required perfect timing and teamwork.
Finally…
They reached the inner chamber.
In the center of the room…
A coffin.
Inside it, a girl was sleeping peacefully, untouched by time.
Above her, floating in the air, was a glowing crystal—like a sphere of condensed desert itself, with the Earth symbol shining inside it.
Everyone stood still.
"…So this is it."
Leo took a slow step forward.
Something about this place… felt wrong.
And just as he got closer—
The air changed.
Something was about to happen. 🔥