System: Daily login!!, jackpot on the first day!!!-Chapter 353 - - Ancient Ruin

After that night, Taufik and his family spent a few more days with the Green Dragons before it was time to leave. Their next destination was the Desert Continent.

"... Are you sure you don't want to stay a little longer, big brother?"

Arman asked, looking a bit disappointed.

Taufik smiled and shook his head.

"We'd love to, Arman. But we can't. Time is not on our side right now, we can't stay for too long in this world, and we still have other destinations too, so yeah, we can't stay"

Dagraha stepped forward and grabbed Taufik's hand in a firm handshake.

"Then go with strength. And remember, if you ever need us… The Green Dragons will stand with you"

Taufik nodded.

"I know. Thank you, Dagraha. I won't forget"

After that, the others said their goodbyes one by one. When the farewells were over, Taufik raised his hand and opened a portal, its edges shimmering with dark light.

The swirling vortex revealed a harsh, sun-scorched landscape, endless dunes, jagged rocks, and a blazing sky.

Without hesitation, Aksara stepped through the portal, heading straight toward the Desert Continent, followed closely by Taufik and the rest of the family.

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As the portal opened right above the golden sands, Aksara took the first step into the land of endless dunes.

"Why does it have to be the desert?"

Aksara muttered.

Taufik, who was following behind, chuckled.

"...That's why it's called the Desert Continent, Aksa. Endless heat, sand in your boots, and sunburn as a welcome gift"

Aksara groaned, shielding his eyes from the blazing sun.

"I already miss the forest…"

The rest of the group stepped through the portal one by one, their eyes adjusting to the blinding light and vast emptiness ahead. The heat rolled over them like waves, and the dry wind carried the scent of dust and something faintly metallic.

Taufik's expression grew serious as he looked toward the horizon.

"...Be ready. The Desert Continent isn't just sand and sun. This land has buried secrets... And many of them don't like being disturbed"

Aksara glanced at him, curious.

"Like what?"

Taufik didn't answer right away. Instead, he looking at Rani.

"... You need to ask, your mother, Rani about that, after all, this is her Homeland"

Rani stepped forward, her expression unreadable as she looked over the golden landscape.

"... This desert is a witness to everything that happens on this continent"

She said quietly.

"Every battle, every betrayal, every secret that was meant to be forgotten"

Aksara raised an eyebrow.

"Sounds like a grudge-holding wasteland"

Rani didn't smile.

"It is. And some things buried here are better left untouched"

They began walking, their feet sinking slightly into the hot sand. The portal shimmered behind them before closing with a faint hum, cutting off the coolness of the forest world entirely.

As they moved deeper into the desert, the wind picked up, carrying with it faint whispers, like voices from the past trying to reach out.

Taufik narrowed his eyes.

"...We're being watched"

Rani nodded.

"We always are, here"

Aksara instinctively reached for his Ninjato, scanning the dunes around them. But nothing moved, just the endless waves of sand and shimmering heat.

Then, the ground trembled.

Aksara froze.

"Did the sand just… Move?"

Suddenly, a massive shape erupted from beneath the dunes, a Giant Centipede, its armored body glinting under the sun, dozens of sharp legs churning the sand as it let out a screech that echoed across the desert.

Its mandibles snapped aggressively, dripping with venom.

Taufik stepped in front of the group, his hand raised slightly.

"... Looks like this thing still holds a grudge against me, for what I did to them in the past"

"That's a guardian beast. A Desert Burrower. They only surface when something threatens the old grounds"

Rani said, her expression hardened.

Hearing that, Aksara drew his Ninjato.

"Let me guess... We're the threat?"

Taufik smirked, his voice calm.

"No, not yet. But we're getting close to something it's guarding"

"Everyone... Get ready!"

Right after Taufik said that. The centipede lunged, sand spraying in all directions. Its massive body twisted midair, mandibles wide open, ready to crush anything in its path.

But Aksara didn't flinch.

Before anyone moved, Aksara dashed forward, his Ninjato already drawn, a flash of silver against the golden sands. The centipede's jaws snapped shut just inches from him, but Aksara slid beneath the attack, his movements sharp and precise.

"Light Form: Blinding Arc!"

A searing flash of light erupted from his Ninjato blade as he slashed upward, striking the centipede's underbelly. The creature screeched, its armored plates cracking from the impact. It twisted violently, tossing sand everywhere as it reared back.

"You've got its attention now!"

Taufik shouted, shielding his eyes from the sandstorm.

"I better have!"

Aksara growled, already moving again.

The centipede surged after him, carving trenches in the sand with its writhing body. Aksara leaped onto a nearby dune, using the height to gain an opening.

His eyes locked onto a section of its back where the armor was thinner, right between the segment joints.

"Light Form: Piercing Ray!"

A beam of concentrated light shot from his Ninjato, drilling into the centipede's exposed joint. It roared, crashing sideways and slamming its body into a dune, shaking the earth.

But it wasn't done yet.

The centipede whipped around, catching Aksara mid-air with one of its bladed legs. Aksara blocked just in time, the impact sending him flying across the sand.

"Aksara!"

Gaia shouted.

Taufik moved to help, but Aksara pushed himself up, coughing sand from his mouth.

"I'm okay!"

He called out, gritting his teeth. He wiped the blood from his lip and stood tall, his aura flaring.

"This thing's tough… But so am I"

The centipede reared up again, preparing to strike.

Aksara grinned.

"...Round two"

The centipede lunged again, faster this time, its mandibles snapping with a metallic screech. Aksara planted his foot into the sand and surged forward, dodging to the side at the last possible second.

The creature's momentum carried it past him, its body carving a wide trench in the dune.

Aksara raised his blade, his eyes sharp and locked on the beast's movements.

Aksara leaped high, the heat distorting the air around him, and with a twist midair, he brought his Ninjato down.

"Light Form: Shatter Fang!"

The strike connected with a thunderous crack. The centipede's thick carapace splintered, and a greenish fluid sprayed into the sand as it shrieked in pain. But still, it didn't fall. It thrashed, throwing itself against the dunes, scattering the group.

Aksara landed roughly, rolling to his feet.

But upon seeing the giant centipede still moving, Aksara gritted his teeth; it hadn't been long since this battle started, but because of the scorching sun, Aksara's breath ragged, and sweat dripped down his temple.

The beast's armored body twitched, mandibles scraping against the sand, its many legs digging in as it stubbornly tried to rise.

"No way… That thing still alive?"

A blinding flash of light suddenly pulsed along Aksara's Ninjato, responding to his will. The blade shimmered like it was made of pure sunlight, humming with barely contained energy. Cracks of glowing runes etched themselves along its surface, ancient and radiant, reacting to Aksara's resolve.

His eyes burned with light.

"I won't let you stand again..."

He raised the blade high, his feet shifting into a stance that focused all his strength on the next attack. The desert seemed to still be around him. Even the wind paused. The centipede reared back, sensing the danger, letting out a rumbling screech as venom dripped from its shattered mandibles.

Aksara took one step and vanished.

A sonic crack tore the air as he reappeared directly above the centipede's exposed, fractured back.

"Light Form: Final Slash!"

He brought the blade down in a divine arc, a wave of radiant energy erupting from the strike. The impact split the air and the earth alike, sending a blinding column of light into the sky. The centipede's screech was silenced instantly, its body jerking before finally collapsing with a thunderous crash.

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A wave of dust and light rippled across the dunes.

When it cleared, Aksara stood atop the unmoving corpse, the glow of his blade fading, his breath shallow.

"It's done"

He whispered,.

Gaia rushed to his side, catching him before he stumbled.

"You idiot… You could've died"

Aksara gave her a crooked grin, eyes half-lidded.

"But I didn't... I'm not that weak, Mom, it's just... It's just the Heat I felt it's a bit unendurable"

Behind them, the sand shifted again, not from danger, but revealing more of the ancient stone beneath. Rani stood in front of it, eyes narrowed, fingers brushing along the engraved sun symbol on the surface.

"This was a seal"

She said quietly.

"The Centipede wasn't just guarding this place, it was part of the lock"

The stone surface cracked.

From within the ancient ruin, a low hum began to rise, an ancient energy stirring from its long slumber.

Taufik, who had silently watched the battle from afar, finally approached, his gaze sharp and unreadable.

He looked at the ruin, then at Aksara, and said only one thing:

"...We've opened the first gate, so let's see what's inside, shall we?"

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