At the faint light of dawn, Xie Jianxun finally saw the shape of human architecture in full.
It stood clearly before them, built from sandstones and red clay into a series of arched caverns.
Stone bridges connected each building, allowing people to move directly from one rooftop to another without descending to the ground level—a clever design for ventilation and escape.
Low stone walls surrounded the area to keep out insects, but now most of them lay in bombed-out ruins.
Or rather, the entire complex looked ragged and battered, as if it had been shelled by something.
Xie Jianxun stopped in his tracks, pretending to think while actually twisting his ankle to ease the aching soles of his feet.
“An abandoned building with no one around?” he wondered.
One casually tossed Krimus to the ground and, without another word, scooped Xie Jianxun into its arms, letting him sit comfortably in the crook of its elbow.
Xie Jianxun startled, giving a guilty smile as he realized the mechanical puppet had seen right through his little scheme.
The mechanical puppet said steadily, “The blast marks are fresh. It must have happened recently. There are probably people inside.”
Xie Jianxun replied, “Let’s go, let’s go, sir. We’ll check it out… You’re really treating me like a kid.”
He muttered under his breath.
The mechanical puppet said nothing, but its pale blue eyes flickered with something like, Are you even an adult? No, right?
Xie Jianxun got the message and shut his mouth, pretending he hadn’t said anything.
Krimus had been jostled along nicely and was getting used to it when he suddenly hit the ground with a thud.
He struggled to roll over, about to curse, but then he met a pair of golden eyes and a pair of blue ones. He shut his mouth with a sheepish look.
“I was just going to say, could you see this through to the end… like sending Buddha all the way to the West…”
He grumbled, then suddenly realized his legs could move—he could stand and walk! Krimus sprang up from the ground, excitedly stomping his feet.
But his joy didn’t last. He quickly noticed the collapsed perimeter walls around them, and his mood plummeted.
A suspicion rose in his mind: the Patrol Troops must have arrived long ago and clashed fiercely with the Sand Bandits.
From the looks of it, the battle had already ended.
Damn it, he thought. How was he supposed to carry out his plan and escape these two now? He absolutely couldn’t withstand that flaming knife!
Krimus cursed inwardly. Seeing One carrying Xie Jianxun stride inward, he staggered after them.
Pretending ignorance, he asked, “Where is this place?”
The little repairman who had been picked up turned his head and said seriously, “You should know, right?”
Xie Jianxun began counting off points. “Since you’re Sand Bandits, that earlier raid was all a show. And they arrived so quickly—their camp must be right near the Oasis. See? It all lines up.”
Krimus: “…Haha, yeah.”
They had barely entered when a squad of Patrol Troops emerged and politely invited them to meet the captain, asking them not to wander off.
Just as suspected, the Patrol Army Captain confirmed this was the Sand Bandits’ main camp.
“About three hundred of them, according to our scouts’ reports.”
The Patrol Army Captain stood under one of the cavern arches—the surrounding caverns had collapsed or been blown apart; this was the only intact section. The tall armored man nearly brushed the ceiling with his helmet.
“We didn’t plan a frontal assault, so we used some firepower,” he said bluntly.
Xie Jianxun looked around. Dust hung in the air, and numerous Sand Bandit corpses littered the ground, showing the battle had ended not long ago.
The firepower had been pretty intense.
“But the Sand Bandits got word ahead of time and most escaped… How come only you three? Where’s the Joint Group?”
The Patrol Army Captain’s gaze fell on Krimus, lingering on the leather straps binding his hands. He frowned.
Xie Jianxun said succinctly, “The Oasis was crawling with Sand Bandits. They raided the Joint Group at night. We escaped by chance and don’t know their status. Captain, the Joint Group needs rescue!”
“Him?” The captain gestured.
Krimus shuddered and took a step back.
Xie Jianxun: “He’s the mole!”
Captain: “How can I believe you?”
Krimus jolted and blurted, “Captain, those two are the Sand Bandits’ moles! I’m an old hand from the Adventure Group—they’re total strangers…”
Before he finished, the Patrol Army Captain stepped forward unexpectedly and slammed a heavy fist into Krimus’s gut. Krimus rolled on the ground, crying out in pain and coughing up a puddle of blood.
The Patrol Army Captain withdrew his hand, switching the helmet tucked in his left elbow to the other arm.
He looked at Krimus like he was an idiot. “If they were moles, would they bring you—bound—into the Sand Bandits’ main camp that’s already under our control?”
He turned to Xie Jianxun and nodded. “I understand. But I can’t leave right now. The Sand Bandits’ leader just fled, and scouts are tracking their route. I can’t split the team yet. Stick with me for now. Once scouts confirm the area’s clear, we’ll head back to the Oasis.”
Sand Bandits fled? Xie Jianxun frowned, thinking of the Joint Group at the Oasis.
The Patrol Army Captain summoned his deputy and pointed at Krimus. “Deal with him.”
“…No! Secret tunnels—there are secret tunnels!”
All eyes turned to Krimus. He forced a smile, speaking ingratiatingly. “Someone told me they built a bunch of hidden tunnels here. Normal people can’t find them.”
His face was still handsome and carried a sense of righteousness, but his fawning tone ruined any dignity.
“I know a few locations. I can show you—give your scouts clues to the others…”
The Patrol Army Captain eyed him for a moment, then waved. “Move!”
Two Patrol Troops grabbed Krimus by the arms and dragged him to point out the tunnels.
Soon, they found several secret passages and fresh tracks from the newest one—the Sand Bandits must have escaped that way.
No one entered the pitch-black underground channel yet; they cordoned it off with yellow caution tape.
The Patrol Army Captain glanced at the sky.
Daylight was well advanced, and considerable time had passed since the Sand Bandits’ flight.
If they didn’t pursue now, the bandits would vanish into the desert like drops in the ocean.
He decided swiftly, splitting the Patrol Troops into two teams: one to pursue underground, the other to stay topside for support.
He led the descent himself, leaving his deputy above and handing him a small, disc-shaped Comm Buckle for communication.
The deputy saluted gravely. “Captain, I’ll handle all topside support.”
Rarely, facing his deputy, the Patrol Army Captain paused, his tone softening slightly.
“This is your first time leading solo. Don’t be nervous. If the Sand Bandits double back, you’re in full command—responsibility’s on me.” His voice hardened again. “Understood?”
“…Yes!”
The deputy straightened, replying louder.
“Desert tunnels—the terrain’s probably more complex than usual.”
The Patrol Army Captain thought, then pointed at Krimus. “You’re coming down with us.”
Krimus pointed at himself in shock. “Me? No, no, no!”
He protested loudly at first, but under the captain’s glare, his voice weakened. “But… what use am I? I… I only heard about them. I’ve never been inside…”
“You’ll be useful somehow. Or I deal with you now.”
Two Patrol Troops closed in. Krimus glanced around desperately, covering his face. “No, no! I’ll go!”
He climbed slowly to his feet and peered into the dark hole.
“Oh, you son of a bitch…”
He muttered a curse, wiping blood from his lips, as if blaming his rotten luck.
As the Patrol Troops filed down one by one, the ground team’s numbers dropped by a third, leaving the area feeling emptier.
The deputy began organizing the topside team, counting heads and sorting remaining firepower and supplies.
Xie Jianxun licked his lips and checked the sky.
No Light Brain, but he guessed it was around six in the morning.
He wasn’t sleepy, but hunger and thirst hit hard. He approached the deputy and asked for water.
The deputy promptly issued them two portions of breakfast rations: two bottles of water, two loaves of bread. To avoid blandness, he called a logistics soldier to heat some bean soup on a Quick Heat Stove.
Xie Jianxun took the meal, pleasantly surprised.
This deputy was far friendlier than the stern captain!
“Is this okay?”
The deputy looked down at Xie Jianxun, who only reached his chin, smiling shyly as if worried about poor hospitality. “The team’s mostly on dry rations—not as varied as the Joint Group’s supplies.”
Xie Jianxun smiled. “It’s great! First time trying this flavor of bean soup.”
Deputy: “Added a bit of salt—oh, the beans are pickled with Golden City spices, so heating them on the Quick Heat Stove gives a unique taste.”
He seemed awkward, perhaps unused to casual chit-chat with outsiders.
Xie Jianxun perched on a stone bench, sipping the soup while watching the sun rise over the distant desert.
The familiar orange glow bathed the land, with Patrol Troops moving about behind him.
A wind field stirred on the horizon. Xie Jianxun missed it at first, but One spoke up. “Look, sir—a wind field.”
The young man swallowed his last sip of soup and saw the wind whip up sand grains from the ground, curling like a solid dragon, rolling slow yet fast from afar.
“Will it sweep me into the sky?” Xie Jianxun asked curiously.
One considered. “You’re not safe in a wind field.”
Xie Jianxun laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll cling to you first thing—you can’t complain I’m heavy.”
One: “You’re as light as a feather…”
But Xie Jianxun had already hopped off the bench and turned to find the deputy—or anyone—to ask for a trash compactor for the bean soup can. No littering.
Over there, he overheard the deputy on the Comm Buckle.
“Yes, Captain—no movement yet, but the wind field’s here. Visibility’s dropping topside. If the Sand Bandits loop back for revenge, this could be their first strike point.”
He looked shocked. “Three levels underground?”
Seeing Xie Jianxun approach, he didn’t hide. “Captain, the Sand Bandits might’ve looped back to the surface via tunnels. They could have ambushes set!”
He relaxed slightly at some order. “Yes, Captain.”
Then he raised a brow, glancing at Xie Jianxun. “That… Captain, their fee won’t be cheap.”
“Yes!”
He clipped the Comm Buckle back to his collar and faced Xie Jianxun, bending his knee slightly. “Captain says you’re a repairman?”
Xie Jianxun nodded, puzzled. “Yeah? I’m from the Joint Group’s logistics, handling weapon maintenance and repairs.”
The deputy smiled awkwardly. “We’ve got a batch of weapons badly damaged in the fight. We’d like your help. Pay per Golden City rates, uh, plus a hardship bonus.”
Xie Jianxun said brightly, “No need for money—I can do it anyway.”
Deputy: “No, we have rules and budget for it.”
Xie Jianxun: “Alright then.”
He followed a couple steps, then turned at the lack of footsteps behind. He beckoned the mechanical puppet staring at him.
“Not coming?”
His voice was soft, laced with youthful liveliness. “Or do you want to stay and watch the wind field, the sand, these boring rocks?”
One stood, its tall frame blocking much of the cavern entrance light.
“…”
The deputy glanced at them, then again.
Casually, he said, “You look really… young. Are you an adult?”
Xie Jianxun calculated. “Almost, almost.”
Almost—what did that mean?
A few more days, or perhaps a few more years… Oh God, the age of Easterners was truly a mystery. He looked simply like he was only, uh, fifteen or sixteen. It shouldn’t be that much, right… The deputy closed his mouth.
