The sky above the Ash-dune sea was a canvas of bruised, sickly purple, an oppressive ceiling for a world that seemed to be slowly dying. High above, the razor-thin crescent moon hung like a malevolent scythe blade. The air itself was a torment, a thick, stinging sheet of coarse, grey-brown sand ripped across the dunes by a relentless, shrieking wind.
Grey walked with a weary, practiced gait. His face perpetually squinted against the perpetual storm.o claim.]
DING!
[You have collected all the fragments of the map of lost tomb]
[Combining the fragments]
The rest of the pieces appeared out from his inventory and started sticking together. An intense glow radiated as the pieces combined together.
After the light died down, a golden key appeared floating just where the maps combined together. Just as Grey held the key, the system notification popped up.
[Key of Pharomin’s Tomb
The key to the tomb of the last tyrant of the cracked lands, Pharomin. Use this key to enter his tomb and obtain the riches lying in wait.]
[The map to the Pharomin’s tomb has been updated in the system]
[Use the system map to move to the location]
"I’ve been roaming around for days, trying to find this fucking map. Hope there is something good in there, or else I’ll demolish that tomb even if I have to use the last drop of my aura."
The small circular form of system map appeared, with his location blinking with a blue dot and the red line showing the route to the tomb.
"Let’s move."
****
The howling wind was a persistent torment. Grey had to cover his eyes from the flying sand pricking hi skin with every strike.
He walked for what felt like hours, guided by the map and his determination of reaching the tomb. Then, he saw something at the distance, outside the sand storm, devoid of a single blow of wind.
Nestled between two towering, rust-colored dunes was a sudden, miraculous patch of life; an oasis.
It wasn’t lush, but compared to the sterile grey desert, it was sanctuary. Date palms, huddled around a body of water, a deep obsidian lake. Its surface was eerily still, undisturbed by the chaotic air above.
Grey looked at the map once again, his face twisted with confusion. According to the map, this oasis was the very location of the tomb. But no matter how much his eyes scanned, there was no structure present that he could pass as a tomb.
Then, a wave of surprise passed through Grey’s face. His eyes moved towards the lake.
"Don’t tell me it’s fucking below the lake!"
Chapter 39: Under the dunes
3 min read