The sand in the desert was nothing like he had imagined. It was fine and soft, slightly slippery when rubbed gently between his fingers. Every step he took felt as if some suction from beneath was pulling him down. And this was even with specially made camel shoes; with ordinary shoes, it would have been far worse.
Camel shoes were designed based on the structure of camel hooves, made exclusively for desert conditions. They were soft, warm, and sweat‑absorbent. Their only downside was their bulk, which made walking awkward. Still, they were the best footwear for desert travel available. Li Juxu would never have thought to prepare such things; Shark had taken care of everything.
After only three minutes of walking, Li Juxu was soaked through. Sweat poured out nonstop, soaking into his tight clothes until they clung sticky and damp to his skin. The blazing sun forced them to wear heavy layers; otherwise, their skin would peel in no time.
The wind was not just hot—it carried fine sand. Even with his dust mask on, every breath felt gritty. It was an awful sensation.
"The desert looks peaceful, but it's just as dangerous as the ocean. Unknown dangers could hide beneath every grain of sand. Quicksand is the worst of them," Lin Lu said, walking behind Li Juxu, with Stone in front. Li Juxu nodded without speaking. He knew that if he opened his mouth, he would only get a mouthful of sand.
After just ten minutes, it felt like hours. Everyone else moved lightly and evenly, while he was already gasping for breath—even though he carried the lightest load. He understood it was not just because it was his first time here. Every member of Shark's team was a Grade 1 Hunter, far superior to him in stamina, endurance, strength, and agility. That was why they made it look so easy.
Half an hour passed. Li Juxu felt as if he had just been pulled out of water, drenched yet parched. But Lin Lu warned him not to drink greedily. After losing so much fluid, chugging water would shock the body.
As they climbed over a small sand dune and began descending, Li Juxu relaxed, thinking he could catch his breath. Suddenly, sand exploded outward. A black shadow shot toward his neck like lightning.
It happened too suddenly for him to react. In his widened eyes, he saw a tan, spotted snake, thumb‑thick, with a piercing triangular tongue and two curved, hook‑like fangs oozing deadly menace.
"Look out!" Lin Lu shouted without thinking, shoving him hard in the back. But it was already too late. The poisonous snake was nearly touching his clothes—
Then a cold flash sliced through the air.
The snake was cut clean in two. It slapped onto the sand, still thrashing violently. The head continued hissing threateningly.
Li Juxu stumbled forward, nearly rolling down the dune. He turned toward the dagger lying nearby—the thing that had saved his life. Shark walked over, picked up the dagger, slid it into his boot, and patted Li Juxu's shoulder as he passed.
"That's a desert rock snake. Excellent at camouflage. One of the most common venomous snakes in the desert. They hide under the sand and strike without warning. But don't worry too much—antivenom exists now."
What he didn't say: they hadn't been able to buy any.
"How do we avoid them?" Li Juxu asked, still shaken. In that instant, he had been just a hair's breadth from death.
"Stay exactly in our footsteps."
Shark returned to his position, second in line. At the very front, scouting, was a small, thin man. Stone called him Dandelion.
Li Juxu only then noticed that everyone but him was stepping precisely in the footprints of the person ahead. He glanced at Lin Lu, almost asking why she hadn't warned him—but swallowed the words. She was not his nanny, and he was not a complete rookie. Carelessness like this got people killed, and no one else was to blame.
The desert rock snake had been a near‑death experience for Li Juxu, but for the team, it was just a minor incident. They continued onward. Li Juxu no longer dared to be careless. After that scare, the scorching heat no longer seemed so unbearable. His thirst remained, but it felt less crippling.
Deeper into the desert, all kinds of dangers emerged: desert rock snakes, desert scorpions, geckos, chameleons, climbing spiders… small, silent, and sudden. Li Juxu got a clear look at how formidable Shark was. His throwing knives moved like lightning, never missing. He saved the team time and again. Without him, at least three people—including Li Juxu—would already be dead.
"About twenty minutes left. Everyone rest."
Shark gave the order. Stone took out a tent, and they set it up quickly. They climbed inside, where an insulating blanket covered the ground—blocking heat and keeping out venomous creatures.
Li Juxu could barely hold on. He collapsed onto the blanket the moment he entered, pulled off his dust mask, and gasped for air. Everyone else was tired, but far better off than he was. Lin Lu and the other female member started a fire to prepare something to eat.
Li Juxu initially thought Shark's team was being fancy, bringing fresh food on a mission. He soon realized he was being naive. Lin Lu was boiling a tea‑like herb. He recognized it: wormwood grass.
Wormwood grass: wards off cold, warms the body, protects the heart.
The desert had extreme temperature differences between day and night—scorching hot during the day, freezing at night. Lin Lu was clearly preparing for the night mission. Li Juxu thought it was a bit early, but he trusted Shark's judgment. They had been here before and knew the rhythm.
After eating and drinking their fill, Shark repeated the mission details, mostly for Li Juxu's benefit. Desert scorpions moved extremely fast. They should not hold back on bullets; just fire, whether they had a clear aim or not. Li Juxu had many questions but kept them to himself. Shark was no child. Any problem he could think of, Shark had already considered. He believed the answers would become clear once they saw the scorpions.
The moment he stepped out of the tent, he froze.
When they had entered, the sun was setting but still bright. Now, darkness had completely fallen. In barely half an hour, the oven‑hot desert had turned bitterly cold, the temperature well below freezing. The contrast was staggering. He thought of the wormwood tea Lin Lu had made. Sure enough, every seemingly unreasonable action had its reason.
"Visibility is poor at night. Stay alert—Dandelion!"
Shark suddenly shouted, reaching to grab him, but missed. Dandelion, still leading the way, had stepped into something soft. He sank instantly, without even time to call for help, vanishing beneath the sand.