Chapter 13: The Fin of the Desert

The sails billowed full as the Sand Ship cut through the sand waves, speeding across the Sand Sea.

This small Sand Ship, no more than eight or nine meters long, is a mode of transport unique to the Great Desert.

The hull is crafted from lightweight wood, making it very nimble; metal plates are inlaid along the gunwales and the bottom. Narrow and sharp like a blade, it can cleave through sand waves with minimal resistance to travel at high speed.

In the Great Desert, especially the Sand Sea Region at its core, the sand is extremely fine and dry; wheeled vehicles simply cannot travel, and for those unaccustomed to the desert environment, even walking normally is difficult.

To travel long distances across the Great Desert, there are only three options.

First is the Airship: fast and efficient, but its sole flaw is the exorbitant price, so only well-off Travelers and Merchants transporting precious goods choose this mode of transport.

Second is a Caravan composed of Herbivorous Dragons and camels; it can transport large quantities of goods at a lower cost, but its drawbacks are slow speed and the risk of Monster attacks, though it remains the most mainstream means of commercial circulation.

The third option is the Sand Ship; large Sand Ships are difficult to build and very rare, so they are generally not used by civilians.

Medium Sand Ships suffer from severe jolting and have restricted operating areas, only able to sail where the sand is finest and the wind is strong, so they are generally used as Fish Boat Teams for catching Sand Fish.

The jolting problem is even more pronounced on small Sand Ships, making them hard for ordinary people to adapt to; furthermore, their load capacity is very limited, and operation is complex, requiring an experienced driver to constantly adjust the Sail and the rudder.

Yet it is the favorite and most common mode of travel for Desert Hunters.

A journey of dozens or even hundreds of kilometers can be covered in a single day; if one were to walk, it would likely take a week.

The Sand Ship Aolang and the other two were riding was exactly such a vessel.

To save some money and free up more load capacity for supplies and ammunition, and to carry back more valuable materials, they did not hire a professional boatman but chose to drive it themselves.

"My boat-handling skills are great, right!" The person currently steering the Sand Ship was the loud-mouthed Crossbow User Asa, who laughed while adjusting the Sail.

"Yes, yes." Aolang replied perfunctorily, but inwardly he had to admit that these two brothers' skills in driving a Sand Ship were indeed excellent, even professional.

He himself could also steer a Sand Ship, taught by Master Haifa, but he was only at the level of barely managing normal travel; if the turn was too sharp, he would lose speed and stop, which was nothing compared to them.

"Our father was a Fisherman in the Fish Boat Team." Nuri, who sat specifically at the mid-to-rear section of the ship to adjust the center of gravity and prevent the bow from dipping, said with a smile.

"Driving a Sand Ship and throwing Spears are things we practiced since childhood; they belong to our 'Family Heritage,' though this kind of heritage isn't worth much money, haha."

"No, in the Sand Sea, it is a very practical skill." Aolang said very seriously.

Nuri helped his brother adjust the ropes of the Sail. "When we were young, we two brothers never thought about becoming Hunters or anything like that.

But one year during the Harvest Festival, we watched the Sand Ship Fleet return fully loaded, and seeing those Hunters on board looking so majestic, we formed that idea from that moment on."

Asa laughed and chimed in, "We ran back and told Mom and Dad about it; Mom was firmly against it, saying being a Hunter is too dangerous.

Dad, however, wasn't opposed. He said he originally planned for us to inherit his profession and join the Fish Boat Team, but being a Fisherman catching Sand Fish didn't seem much safer than being a Hunter, so he agreed to let us try.

As a result, we both unexpectedly passed the screening and entered the Training Camp, and Mom scolded Dad for that for many years.

Ah, right, I haven't asked yet, Aolang, why do you want to become a Hunter?"

Aolang adjusted the Conical Hat on his head. "I am not from Locklak City; I am a nomad from a nearby Oasis.

When I was young, our settlement was attacked by Monsters, and my relatives and friends could not survive; I was saved and adopted by my teacher.

As for the reason I became a Hunter, it is mainly because I admire people like my teacher, but of course, part of it is also for revenge; someone must give the spirits an answer."

Silence fell over the Sand Ship; the Sand Fish curled up at the bow lifted its head to look at him once, while Nuri kicked his brother.

Coming to his senses, Asa stammered, "I'm s-sorry... I didn't know, I didn't mean to reveal your scars..."

"It's fine." Aolang's expression didn't change much. "I moved past it long ago; such things aren't rare, so there's nothing to hide."

The atmosphere on the Sand Ship was somewhat heavy; after a moment, Nuri spoke up. "Actually, I met a few people in the Training Camp with experiences similar to yours.

The feeling you give off is a bit different."

"Yeah." Asa's voice was much lower. "Those guys all looked full of aggression, didn't interact much with people, and trained with their lives on the line every day.

The instructors often told us to actively approach them and make friends with them, and even warned them that if the purpose of becoming a Hunter is only for revenge, it will eventually kill themselves and their teammates, or lead them down a dark path.

You, Aolang, don't give off that feeling; you always seem calmer and much more rational than us."

"Maybe it's because I have a good teacher." Aolang thought for a moment and said.

The mission area was not far from Locklak; taking the Sand Ship, it took only a little over two hours for them to arrive at the camp near the mission area.

When they arrived, several Hunters were already waiting inside the camp.

As the eldest of the three-person team and the one with the highest Hunter rank, Nuri naturally became the Captain and had to take on the responsibility of external communication.

He stepped forward proactively. "We are the Citadel Guerrillas; sorry, seniors, we are late."

Aolang's gaze, through the low brim of his hat, quietly observed those few Hunters.

They were a three-person squad, with the same configuration as them: two Swordsmen and one Archer.

The leader was a Dual Blade User, wielding the "White Speed King Extreme Cold Dual Claws," an excellent pair of Dual Blades forged from White Speed King materials and repeatedly reinforced, with a formidable Ice Attribute energy intensity.

Since his teacher was also a Dual Blade User, he had a deeper understanding of this weapon; as for the weapons of the other two, he couldn't identify them that precisely.

The Great Hammer behind that Great Hammer User should be the Earth Sand Great Hammer made from Earth Sand Dragon materials; he didn't recognize the Light Crossbow User's weapon, but Asa, who was also an Archer, did.

He turned his head and whispered to Aolang, "Snow Lion's Tail, a Light Bowgun made from Snow Lion materials that can rapid-fire Ice Binding Bullets."

Their weapons differed, but most focused on Ice Attribute attacks, while their armor was the unified "Sand Dragon S" series.

Judging by the name, one could tell this was armor made primarily from Sand Long Wang materials; it wasn't just a regular Sand Dragon Set, but the best of the best, carefully crafted by gathering a large amount of high-quality materials to create the "Sand Dragon S."

In terms of defensive performance, it was hardly inferior to high-level armor like the Fire Dragon Set.

Combined with the three men's graying hair and somewhat aged faces, the name of a Hunting Guild popped into Aolang's mind.

— Desert Fin.

He had heard of this Hunting Guild, although its reputation wasn't particularly good.

Since thirty years ago, this Guild has been active in the Great Desert and surrounding areas; from Reksara in the north to Tangia Port in the south, their figures could be seen everywhere.

The reason its reputation isn't good isn't because they did anything wrong, but because this Guild only hunts one type of Monster: the Sand Long Wang.

Some busybodies have tallied that the number of Sand Dragon Kings killed by their hands is likely not less than one hundred, and ordinary Sand Dragons could be over a thousand; they are truly "Sand Dragon Killers."

Some people think, "These guys have been hunting Sand Dragon Kings for twenty or thirty years; now they are almost at retirement age, yet they are still hunting Sand Dragon Kings. Are they really stuck in their comfort zone with no ambition at all?"

Of course, this is just the view of some Hunters; the Guild actually greatly appreciates Hunters like them.

They don't cause trouble, they don't act recklessly, they focus on hunting one type of Monster to become experts; when the Sand Dragon problem needs solving, contact them, and you are guaranteed a proper resolution. How good is that?

While Aolang and Asa were sneaking glances, Nuri's side had already finished most of the communication.

"We'll head out first to make some arrangements, and at the same time we'll tag the Sand Long Wang with a Dye Ball. When you go to hunt the Sand Dragon, pay attention to the Dye Ball's scent. Once you notice the Sand Long Wang approaching, withdraw as quickly as possible."

With that, the three veteran Hunters prepared to leave the camp.

As they passed by Aolang and the others, the leading Dual Blade User glanced at Aolang's face, which was unreasonably young for his age, then turned his head back and added a line.

"The Sand Dragon, like the Sand Long Wang, has its weakness in the neck, belly, and back area. You can use noise to blast them out of the sand.

They aren't good at walking. Concentrating attacks on their legs can force them to fall, and once they do, they're no longer a threat."

While Aolang was still stunned, the three had already reached the camp gate, and he hurriedly raised his voice to call out.

"Thank you for the advice!"

The veteran Hunters didn't stop their steps, just waved their hands.