World of Rules

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BOOM!

A massive wave of sand erupted as the colossal sandworm emerged, shaking the entire caravan under the force of the explosion. Echoes of terrified screams spread across the vast desert.

The guards tried to react quickly, but the worm’s enormous body was like a moving mountain, moving with a speed that such a massive creature should not have possessed.

CRACK!

One of the leading carts was instantly crushed under a direct hit from its hardened body. The wheels shattered into pieces, and the horse pulling it bolted in panic—before suddenly being dragged beneath the sand, vanishing completely as if it had never existed.

“It’s a sandworm! Prepare yourselves!”

One of the guards shouted as he raised his spear, but his voice was lost amid the growing chaos.

“Our weapons won’t pierce its skin!” Another guard yelled in despair as he watched spears bounce off the creature’s thick scales, leaving only shallow scratches.

The sandworm did not stop.

It lunged again, its twisting body slamming into the ground with immense force, sending a seismic wave that knocked some guards off their feet while others barely managed to evade being buried under the flying sand.

“Hold your formation! Don’t let it tear us apart!” the captain of the guards commanded, trying to restore order amidst the panic.

But that was easier said than done.

BOOM!

The worm suddenly rushed toward a group of guards, its dark maw opening wide.

They had no time to run—

Darkness consumed them.

Their screams vanished in an instant, leaving only the sickening crunch of bones being ground within the beast’s maw.

The remaining guards witnessed the scene, their faces turning into masks of horror, some instinctively stepping back.

“It’s picking us off one by one… We’re no match for it!” one of them muttered in a trembling voice.

But retreating was not an easy option.

As if sensing their fear, the worm suddenly burrowed into the sand.

For a few seconds, silence reigned.

Then—

CRAAACK!

It erupted from below, its massive jaws swallowing two more guards whole!

Their blood sprayed into the air before their mangled bodies crashed onto the sand.

“Fall back! Fall back to the carts!” the captain yelled, his voice now laced with panic.

The surviving guards began retreating, gathering near the massive carts at the heart of the caravan.

But the attack was far from over.

The gigantic worm didn’t stop—it moved slowly this time, as if studying them, observing its prey.

And from a distance, hidden among the dunes, Di watched silently.

He showed no reaction to what was happening.

But… this battle was not over yet.

Because amid the chaos…

Someone finally moved.

As the guards braced themselves for the final confrontation, some retreated toward the largest cart in the caravan—a heavily armored iron-plated carriage that had remained unmoving in the center.

Suddenly, its door slowly creaked open…

A tall man stepped out, his body draped in a black robe embroidered with golden threads. A sword with a reddish-blue blade hung from his waist.

He was no ordinary person.

The moment he emerged, the air itself seemed to change.

Standing in the sand, he gazed at the massive sandworm with cold eyes.

In a calm yet commanding voice, he spoke:

“You’ve played enough.”

Only then did the sandworm pause.

That was unnatural.

Even the fiercest creatures could feel danger.

“The Caravan Master…!” one of the guards muttered in astonishment as the others regained a flicker of hope.

With deliberate slowness, the man drew his sword.

He didn’t move hastily. There was no rush in his actions.

Yet, despite that—

The sandworm took a step back.

It hesitated for a moment before releasing a low, rumbling growl, its massive body writhing as if torn between attacking and retreating.

But the Caravan Master had no intention of giving it a choice.

As he raised his sword—

The air trembled.

Di, watching from afar, lifted an eyebrow slightly.

“Second-tier…” he murmured to himself.

Now, he was finally interested.

Only now… had things become truly intriguing.

---

The Wind of Death

Their eyes met in silence.

The beast didn’t attack immediately like it had before. Instead, it seemed hesitant, its massive body coiling slightly as its black eyes cautiously observed the man before it.

That was strange.

Even the most monstrous creatures could sense danger.

WHOOSH!

In an instant, the tall man moved.

There was no sound of hooves. No shifting of sand beneath his feet—

Only wind.

He appeared before the sandworm as if he had always been there, his sword slashing through the air at a speed barely visible to the human eye.

SHRAAAK!

A razor-sharp gust cut through the air, and then—

CRACK!

A section of the sandworm’s armored scales exploded, black blood spraying into the air before evaporating in the swirling winds around the man.

“GUOOOOHHH!!”

The sandworm let out a furious roar, its massive body convulsing violently as it charged, attempting to crush its opponent completely.

But—

WHOOSH!

The man vanished.

He reappeared a few steps away, standing as if he had never moved at all.

“Too slow.”

With those quiet words, he raised his left hand.

And in an instant—

HOOOOOSH!

Blades of wind filled the air, dozens of invisible slashes raining down upon the worm from every direction.

CRAAACK!

Its tough hide split open, deep gashes appearing all over its body. The beast screeched in pain, its massive form trembling under the relentless assault.

But it refused to surrender.

Instead, it suddenly burrowed underground!

For an ordinary human, tracking it beneath the desert would be impossible.

But—

“Heh… trying to hide?”

The Caravan Master smirked.

Then, he lifted his finger toward the sky.

And in that instant—

The entire desert shook.

“Gale Severance.”

With his whispered command, the air around him erupted into a violent storm.

Then—

BOOOOM!

The sands exploded!

A massive tornado of wind and sand engulfed the area, pulling the sandworm back into the open!

Ripped from the earth by sheer force, its enormous body twisted frantically in the air.

It had no time to react—

SHRAAAAAK!

With a single slash, the tall man’s blade sliced through the air, and—

CRAAACK!

The sandworm’s body split in two!

Its upper half crashed onto the ground with a thunderous impact, while the lower half lingered in the air for a brief moment before collapsing, black blood pooling into the sand.

“It’s over.”

The man sheathed his sword, his cold gaze lingering on the massive corpse before him.

Then, as if performing a trivial task, he reached toward the worm’s belly.

WHOOSH!

A sharp gust of wind sliced into the carcass, tearing into its insides before—

BOOM!

A large, glowing yellow core emerged from within, floating momentarily in the air before the man caught it in his palm.

The beast’s essence crystal.

It pulsed with a deep golden hue, flickering like lightning trapped within.

“Hmph… not bad.” he muttered, turning it between his fingers.

As the caravan members slowly regained their breath, staring in awe at the man who had slain the monstrous beast alone, someone else was watching from afar…

Di.

His cold eyes followed the battle, betraying no emotion.

But deep inside, he was analyzing the man before him.

“A second-tier Rule Master… wind element.”

“If he’s this powerful… why is he leading a caravan?”

Many questions remained.

But Di wasn’t in a rush for answers.

He had already decided to follow the caravan.

And now, he had one more reason to stay close.

Because despite the battle being over…

That sense of danger lingering in the air had not disappeared.

If anything—

It had grown even stronger.

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