Night faded into day.
A vast open land stretched endlessly under the bright sky. A buggy moved across the terrain, carrying several passengers—including Lior and Yuki.
One of the passengers turned toward them.
"Where are you two heading?"
Lior, who had been quietly looking outside, turned his gaze toward him.
"We're going to Banadu."
"Oh… that's quite far," the man said. "Why are kids like you going there?"
Yuki answered casually,
"Actually, we got a mission from our school. We need to complete some work there."
"I see…"
The man nodded and turned away.
Yuki leaned closer to Lior and whispered,
"Why did you tell him the wrong place? Aren't we going to the Abamami Desert?"
Lior sighed.
"Why do you keep forgetting? This is a secret mission."
"Ah—! Tehe… sorry…"
After several days of travel…
Lior and Yuki finally stood at the edge of the Abamami Desert.
It was a strange sight.
Behind them lay lush green grasslands… but just one step ahead—
An endless sea of sand.
"Whoa!" Yuki exclaimed. "One step here and we're in the desert… one step back and it's grassland!"
"Stop playing around," Lior said calmly. "Let's complete the mission first."
"Oh right… let's go."
They stepped into the desert.
Time passed as they walked deeper and deeper into the scorching land. The heat was intense, and sweat soaked Yuki's body.
"Haa… haa…" Yuki panted. "Why aren't there any vehicles here? Even a buggy would help… this heat is killing me…"
"Because they won't last," Lior replied. "The beasts pulling buggies would get exhausted, and machines would overheat."
"Yeah… but there are beasts that can handle heat…"
"…True."
Yuki suddenly turned toward him.
"Then why the hell are you not sweating?! And where is that small jungle you mentioned?!"
"This level of heat doesn't affect me," Lior said casually. "And that jungle is still about 8–10 kilometers away."
"WHAT?!" Yuki shouted. "Are you crazy?! We still have to walk that far?!"
Completely exhausted, he dropped to the ground.
"I'm tired… I don't have your stamina. I'm still just a trainee! And if I get this tired now, how am I supposed to fight that beast later?!"
"…Haa…"
Lior looked at him silently.
Was I ever this annoying and childish…?
After a moment, he spoke.
"…Fine. I'll carry you."
"What?!" Yuki stared at him. "Are you a monster or something?! How will you carry me and walk 10 kilometers non-stop?!"
Without another word—
Lior transformed.
A massive dragon form emerged.
Yuki froze in shock.
"W-WAIT—WHAT?! A dragon?! Aren't you the king's brother's son?! Is he a dragon too?! NO WAY!!"
Lior glanced at him.
"My parents are human. Now get on. We'll fly—there's no one here to see us."
"…Oh… right…"
Still confused and stunned, Yuki climbed onto Lior's back.
With a powerful motion—
Lior took off into the sky.
They soared high above the desert. Cool, gentle winds brushed against them, a complete contrast to the burning heat below.
"Ahhh… this feels amazing!" Yuki said. "Why didn't you do this earlier?!"
"…I didn't think you'd get tired," Lior replied. "And it's safer not to use my dragon form unless necessary."
"Oh…"
After some time—
A small jungle appeared in the middle of the endless desert.
At its center was a lake, surrounded by towering dark trees. Beside it stood a small mountain.
Lior landed near the lake.
Yuki got down, and Lior returned to his human form.
"So… this is the place, huh…"
The water was incredibly clear… yet strangely deep.
Yuki slowly stepped forward, about to dip his foot into the water—
But suddenly—
Lior pulled him back.
"Don't touch it. It's too deep."
"Oh… how deep is it?"
"I'm not sure," Lior said. "But maybe around 25 kilometers."
"…WHAT?!"
"And that's not all," Lior continued. "This lake isn't just deep—it's wide. It sits at the center of the desert. From above, it looks like a small 10–15 meter lake… but in reality, it spreads nearly 37 kilometers in every direction."
"Wait… you mean the entire desert has water underneath it?!"
"Yeah."
Yuki's face turned pale.
"I don't want to scare you," Lior continued calmly, "but imagine this—if someone is in the middle of the desert and an earthquake breaks the ground…"
"…Water would swallow everything."
"…And there would be no chance of survival."
Yuki trembled.
"And who knows what kind of massive beasts live down there?" Lior added. "If you stepped in, something might drag you under and drown you instantly."
Yuki stepped back in fear.
"…Turn into a dragon again. I'll stay safe on your back."
"No," Lior said. "We're going underwater."
"NO!" Yuki shouted. "I'm not going! I don't even have anything for oxygen! And who knows how many dangerous beasts are down there?!"
"…You're right."
Lior turned away.
"Then stay here and guard."
"WHAT?! And what if the land breaks like you said?! What do I do then?! I can't swim for hours! I'll die before that—some beast will eat me! Just thinking about something grabbing my legs from underwater is enough to scare me!!"
"…You really get scared easily."
"Of course I do!" Yuki snapped. "I don't have any skills! Just this bow and a few arrows! How am I supposed to fight anything?!"
"I'll go in," Lior said, ignoring him. "Stay safe."
Yuki's face was filled with fear.
"If any beast appears that you can't handle," Lior added, "go hide on that mountain."
"And if the land breaks?! That mountain will sink too!"
"…That was just a joke," Lior said. "The land won't break. Now let me go."
"Y-Yeah… but…"
Ignoring him completely—
Lior jumped into the lake.
"WAIT—!"
Yuki stood frozen at the edge, watching him disappear beneath the water.
Inside the lake…
Lior swam deeper and deeper into the endless darkness.
Then—
"Jujutsu."
A skill activated.
He could now breathe underwater.
Without hesitation—
He continued descending into the unknown depths.