As the Ashari Desert came into view beneath him, Kai went over his plans once again.

One of the main components of the ritual would be elemental essences. They were necessary to establish a stable connection to the space between realms, acting as anchors that aligned different aspects of mana during the transition. The easiest way to obtain such essences was from higher-grade beasts, especially elementals.

Elementals were not creatures born through reproduction like ordinary beasts. They were manifestations of mana itself, taking shape when a single aspect gathered in overwhelming abundance. They were living projections of the environment around them.

That was why fire elementals were often found near volcanoes, and water elementals appeared in oceans, sometimes forming as massive storms or living whirlpools. Wind elementals roamed open skies, and wild elementals could occasionally be encountered where mana currents clashed.

The Ashari Desert had its own equivalent.

Sand elementals.

When Kai had first heard of it, he had questioned how such a being could exist in a place known for its lack of mana. The desert was infamous for suppressing magic, after all. But the discovery of the aethum stone mines had explained everything.

The mana was not absent. It was buried.

Deep beneath the sands, mana flowed through hidden veins, trapped underground. Only when pathways formed—through mining, shifting dunes, or natural fractures—did traces of it rise into the air. The sand elemental had likely been born below the surface, slowly gathering strength before emerging above ground and becoming a threat to the Ashari tribes.

If everything went according to plan today, Kai would hunt it down.

Doing so would not only give him the essence he needed but would also make the desert far safer than before.

Still, before searching for the creature, Kai angled his flight toward the Valkyrie Tower. He intended to gather more information first.

But as he drew closer, he noticed something

There were figures gathered at the entrance of the tower.

Kai slowed as he descended, noticing Kael and Neris speaking with two tribals while Amyra stood just behind them. As he lowered himself closer to the ground, he recognised them.

They were Khalid and Maari.

Ansel’s brother looked far healthier than the last time Kai had seen him. Though his arm was still gone, a carefully crafted wooden hand had replaced it, moving stiffly at his side. Maari stood beside him, dressed in light, embroidered robes befitting a tribal leader, the fabric fluttering steadily in the desert wind.

Kai landed a short distance away and walked toward them. They noticed him before he reached them.

Kael and Neris immediately bowed, but Kai waved a hand, signaling them to rise. He then turned to the two tribal leaders and gave a small nod. Both Khalid and Maari returned the gesture.

Maari spoke first. “We heard you had returned here, so we came to meet you,” she said. “But Neris told us you had already left. We were just discussing that.”

Khalid nodded. “Yes. I didn’t expect to see you back so soon, King Arzan.”

Kai gave a faint smile. “I had matters that needed my attention elsewhere. But I still have much to do here.” He paused, then added, “Actually, I was planning to visit the tribes soon myself. It’s good that you both came. There’s something I wanted to discuss with you.”

The two exchanged a brief glance.

“Actually,” Maari said, “we also have something to discuss with you, Your Majesty.”

Kai raised an eyebrow, but nodded. “Then we should talk inside.”

He turned and led the way into the tower.

The ground floor had a lot of rooms and the Enforcers had already cleaned all of them. Kael guided them toward one such room suited for meetings, and they entered together.

Khalid and Maari took seats on one side of a sofa, while Kai sat opposite them with Amyra beside him. Kael and Neris remained standing behind, silent and watchful, as the discussion moved to begin.

Although neither of the tribal leaders had seen Amyra before, the way she sat beside Kai—and her composed presence—seemed to make them assume she was someone close to him, perhaps a relative or someone of importance. Maari studied her quietly for a few seconds before turning her attention back to Kai.

“First of all,” Maari said, “all the tribes wish to congratulate you again on becoming king. There is no one better suited for the position than you.”

Khalid nodded beside her. “You may not know this, but when our tribes heard the news, there were celebrations for three days. Everyone believes you are a messiah for what you did for us. They are also very excited about the trade agreements.”

Kai gave a small nod. “I only did what was necessary,” he said calmly. “The Duneborns were nothing but a plague on the desert. It is better for everyone that they are gone.” Then, he paused and looked between the two leaders. “What did you want to discuss with me?”

Maari leaned forward slightly. “I do not wish to ask for more help from you, Your Majesty,” she said carefully. “But it concerns the trade routes we are trying to establish toward Lancephil.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Some,” Khalid replied with a frown. “The paths themselves exist. The cave you used when you first came here is still functional. We were planning to send workers to turn it into a proper road. It is wide enough for carriages, and most beasts there can be dealt with.”

Kai nodded slowly, remembering the cave route. Aside from the darkness, the dangers there had been manageable. Most merchants already traveled with guards anyway, since low-grade beasts were a common threat across the kingdom.

Malden also had a whole party of guards, and even contracts with the Adventures Guild, so the beasts in the cave would never be a real threat to him and his merchant caravan. So what was the problem? When Kai looked at the expressions on the two tribal leaders’ faces, he immediately understood that it had to be something bigger than what the tribals can handle.

“Is there a beast there you want my help with?” he guessed.

Both Khalid and Maari nodded at the same time.

“Yes,” Khalid said. “A pair of sand elementals, King Arzan. They likely migrated from the western desert and settled near the cave. Anyone trying to pass through—or even approach—has been killed.”

Maari added quietly, “We used that route ourselves when returning from Lancephil. Both elementals attacked us.” Her expression darkened. “We barely escaped. Even then, we lost important warriors during the attack.”

Despite the grim news, Kai could not help feeling that fate was aligning things for him. He had expected to spend days searching the desert for an elemental strong enough to harvest essence from.

Now his target had come to him.

Two elementals would make the task more difficult, but it was nothing beyond his capability.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Kai said sincerely and added. “I’ll take care of the elementals.”

Relief immediately appeared on both the tribal’s faces.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Khalid said. “I know it is a large request, but trying to kill them ourselves would cost many more lives.”

Kai shook his head lightly. “It’s not a big deal. I needed to hunt an elemental anyway.” A faint smile touched his lips. “This simply works out for both of us.”

Though he said that, Kai had no idea whether they truly believed him or not. Khalid and Maari simply exchanged knowing smiles before the latter spoke again.

“If you wish,” she said, “we can lend you our best warriors. The two elementals fight together, and we understand it may be difficult to face both at once.”

Kai considered it for a moment, then shook his head. “No. I’ll handle them myself. I do not doubt the strength of your warriors, but if they are on the ground, I would have to restrain my spells to avoid harming them. It would only make the fight harder. It is better if I do this alone.”

Both tribal leaders nodded. They already understood the scale of his power. In a desert of loose sand, his fire magic alone could turn entire stretches of land into glass.

From behind him, Kael suddenly spoke. “Let us come with you, Your Majesty.”

Kai turned back, surprised. Neris stepped forward as well. “Yes,” he said. “We can assist you. We’ve both been training while stationed here and have awakened our elements. We won’t be burdens.”

Kai frowned slightly. “A single sand elemental is massive,” he said. “You would not survive long against two.”

Kael lowered his gaze but did not step back. “We could act as distractions, Your Majesty. While you deal with one, we can keep the other occupied.”

Kai opened his mouth to refuse again, but Amyra gently tugged at his sleeve.

“It’s better to bring them with you,” she said softly. “You will have some help, Lord Arzan.”

Kai hesitated but he saw the concern in her eyes. She likely did not fully understand how dangerous an elemental truly was, but the discussion alone had clearly worried her.

In the end, he sighed quietly and nodded. “Alright.”

Both Enforcers straightened immediately, smiling with relief. “We won’t disappoint you, Your Majesty,” they said almost in unison.

As they spoke, Kai’s thoughts were already moving ahead. If they were coming with him, he would need to make sure they survived the battle, and slowly his mind drifted toward the artifact registry.

Perhaps he should equip them properly first.

***

The first rule when fighting an elemental was simple—bring it out of the ground.

Most elementals did not reveal themselves unless they were already moving. They could remain dormant for days, blending perfectly into their surroundings. Until they surfaced, they were nearly impossible to strike properly. Drawing them out was always the most important step.

At least Kai now knew where they were.

After forming a simple plan in his mind, he moved with Kael and Neris toward the cave route. The desert around them looked much the same as before—endless dunes, shifting winds, and silence stretching across the horizon.

But when he released thin threads of mana into the sand beneath his feet, he immediately sensed something different.

There was far more mana underground than there should have been. That was the first clear sign.

Elementals were manifestations of their aspect, and they hid naturally within it. To ordinary senses, the desert looked empty. To his perception, however, the sand below felt alive with concentrated energy.

He estimated their general location and then glanced down at Kael and Neris standing below him.

They looked very different from before.

Both now resembled royal knights, clad in silver enchanted armor layered with protective runes. Artifacts hung from them in abundance. Neris held a large spear that shimmered faintly with fire mana, capable of releasing flames with each strike. Kael carried a massive shield that nearly covered his entire body, its surface engraved with defensive enchantments. A shield like that was more than protection—it could become a weapon in its own right when properly empowered.

Rings, necklaces, and smaller artifacts surrounded them as well, each designed to absorb damage or reinforce their defenses.

A part of Kai still wished they were not here.

But with the number of artifacts protecting them, he doubted they would die easily. And experience like this could not be taught through training alone. For a warrior, there was nothing more valuable than facing something overwhelming and surviving it.

Kai turned his attention back to the desert.

Now all that remained was to wake the elementals. He looked past Kael and Neris toward the distant dunes.

Their mounts waited there, along with Khalid, Maari, and Amyra. The two tribal leaders had insisted on coming to witness the battle, and Kai had not wanted to leave Amyra alone in the tower again, so she stood beside them, watching him closely. Even from afar, he could see the anticipation in her eyes.

He gave a small smile before turning his attention back to the sand below.

It was time to begin.

His mana reserves were still nearly full after the flight, and he had no intention of holding back. Drawing his wand, Kai immediately formed a spell structure above it. Lines of mana wove together with practiced precision before he released a powerful wave downward.

The mana sank into the sand effortlessly.

He pushed it deeper and deeper, guiding it through the desert like searching roots until it brushed against something vast beneath the surface.

He felt two dormant presences.

Kai’s voice rang out immediately. “Get ready!” he shouted to the Enforcers. “They can come from anywhere. Jump away if you feel heavy vibrations beneath your feet!”

Kael and Neris nodded, tightening their grips on their weapons. The atmosphere turned tense as everyone waited.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

The desert remained still.

Kai frowned slightly, wondering if he needed to send more mana to provoke them—

Then the ground trembled.

The sand began to shake violently as a massive mound burst upward in the distance, rising like a living dune. Almost at the same time, another eruption formed directly in front of the Enforcers. Kael and Neris immediately leapt back, sand exploding outward where they had stood moments before.

Kai ignored the second mound and focused on the larger one.

It churned and twisted, sand spiraling upward as something inside gathered form. Through the shifting grains, Kai caught sight of it—a glowing red core burning within the mass.

He immediately began weaving another spell.

But the mound kept rising.

Higher and higher it grew until it nearly reached his position in the air. The sand compressed into massive limbs, and a harsh, grating screech echoed across the desert as two enormous arms formed and swung toward him.

***

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