Chapter 208: Playing Along.

One of the Sand Hounds suddenly vanished into the sand, activating its Dune Pounce.

It tunneled beneath the surface, aiming to strike from below.

A perfect ambush.

Or so it thought.

The moment it burst upward.

BANG!

A terrifying axe strike met it mid-motion. The impact sent the beast staggering backward, its body trembling from the force.

Disoriented.

Vulnerable.

The undead servant did not hesitate. It raised its axe again and brought it down.

Once.

Twice.

Again and again.

Each strike carried brutal precision, leaving the Sand Hound no chance to recover.

The Sand Hound’s head shattered under the final blow, its skull splitting apart as blood splattered across the sand.

Before the corpse could even settle, another Sand Hound burst out of the ground from the left, launching a surprise attack on the undead servant.

Its jaws snapped shut around the servant’s leg, ready to tear through flesh and bone.

But instead, its teeth struck something hard.

Unyielding.

Bone.

“Hmm?”

The beast paused for a fraction of a second, confused.

The undead servant did not react to the bite at all. It remained completely still, as if the attack had never happened.

It was undead. Pain and fear means nothing to it. It deep hollow eyes locked on the Sand Hound trying desperately to tear off it body.

Meanwhile, the young woman and her team saw the Sand Hound bitting into the hooded and only for it to be stuck.

’How is this possible?’ They screamed in their heart.

They expected the hooded figure to scream in pain or even retreated from the attack. But they were wrong, what happened next stunned.

Bang!

The undead servant raised its hand and powerful fist slammed into the Sand Hound’s neck.

A sickening sound echoed in the air.

The impact sent a ripple through Sand Hound entire body. The beast let out a pained whimper, its grip loosening as instinct screamed at it to retreat.

But it was too late.

The undead servant raised its axe and brought it down.

Slash!

Again.

Slash!

And again.

Each strike was heavy, precise, and merciless.

The axe bit deep into the creature’s neck, tearing through flesh and bone without pause. There was no hesitation, no wasted movement—only relentless execution.

The Sand Hound struggled.

It writhed.

But it could not escape.

Within seconds, its resistance weakened… then ceased entirely.

Its body collapsed onto the sand, lifeless.

Watching the brutal display, everyone present was stunned.

They sucked in cold breaths, their eyes wide with disbelief. Yet, none of them dared to speak.

Even though Thoren had only instructed his undead servant to protect him and eliminate nearby threats, the sheer ferocity of its attacks had ended the battle far quicker than anyone had anticipated.

[Experience Gained +50]

[Experience Gained +50]

[Experience Gained +50]

Thoren glanced at the notifications appearing before him and frowned slightly.

“Why is the experience so low?” he muttered inwardly.

He had expected far more, considering the danger these creatures posed.

But the rewards were… underwhelming.

Still, after a brief calculation, he realized he had gained a total of 150 experience points, while his summoned undead had received 75.

“It’s something,” he concluded.

“Sir, thank you for your help.” The young woman stepped forward again.

This time, her smile was brighter, genuine, even.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead, her breathing still slightly uneven from the battle.

“I’m Tahlia,” she said, placing a hand lightly against her chest before gesturing toward her teammates. “And these are my team mates.”

One by one, she introduced them.

Their team composition quickly became clear.

A tank, the burly man with the battered shield.

Healer, a pale young woman still focuse tending to the wounded. Then, a hunter. The bald young man who had lost part of his arm. A fire mage, standing at the back, clutching his staff tightly.

And Tahlia herself, a swordswoman.

The injured hunter lay on the ground nearby, his face still pale from blood loss. However, thanks to the healer’s efforts, his condition had stabilized.

Though his arm was gone, his life had been preserved.

Thoren observed them quietly for a moment before responding.

“I’m Thoren.”

That was all he said.

“Alright, Thoren,” Tahlia continued, her tone more relaxed now, “where are you headed?”

As she spoke, she crouched beside one of the Sand Hound corpses.

Her teammates followed suit.

Without wasting time, they began harvesting the beasts.

They worked efficiently, clearly experienced in this task.

“Nowhere in particular,” Thoren replied calmly.

“Hmm?”

Tahlia paused slightly, glancing at him.

Her brows furrowed as she studied his expression, as though trying to understand him better.

After a moment, she spoke again.

“Then why don’t you come with us?” she suggested, rising to her feet. “We’re heading back to our camp. You’ll find clean water and food there.”

She hesitated briefly before adding,

“And more importantly… a place to rest.”

Thoren looked at her for a second.

Then he nodded.

“No problem.”

This had been his intention from the start. He had allowed them to draw him into the battle for this very reason.

Information.

Resources.

In a place like this, having a temporary base even if it belonged to others was valuable.

“Good,” Tahlia said with a small smile.

Within minutes, the group had finished harvesting the most valuable parts of the Sand Hounds.

What remained were bloodied carcasses, stripped of anything useful.

Without delay, they prepared to leave.

“Let’s move,” Tahlia ordered.

The group quickly reorganized themselves, supporting the injured and maintaining a cautious formation.

Together, they departed the battlefield, heading southeast across the endless dunes.

Their figures gradually disappeared into the distance.

A few seconds after they left, the ground shifted. The sand trembled slightly before collapsing inward.

Like a hidden maw opening beneath the surface. The remaining Sand Hound corpses were dragged downward, swallowed whole by the desert.

Within seconds, the ground returned to normal.

Smooth.

Undisturbed.

As if nothing had ever happened.

****

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