[Complete a contract. Time remaining: 91 hours 36 minutes.] The most uncomfortable truth about riding a mechanical horse through the wasteland wasn’t the blistering sun overhead or the constant, fatiguing jostling. It was the sand. Tiny grains continuously whipped against my face like razor-sharp needles. Even with my enhanced physique, I wasn’t entirely immune to the irritation caused by sand getting into my eyes and nostrils. It may not be painful, but that doesn’t mean I’m completely indifferent to the persistent discomfort of foreign particles scraping against sensitive areas like my nose and eyes. I let out a sharp breath to clear my nostrils of dust, then turned to gaze at my surroundings. By the time I arrived, everything was already over. An empty silence loomed over the barren land, the wind hugging the crimson earth as it howled through the desolate expanse. A faint scent of blood lingered in the air. Mixed with it was a strange, acrid stench—something reminiscent of oil or burning metal. Is it coming from the mechanical limbs? A shredded piece of cloth, torn and tattered, drifted along the wind before brushing against my horse’s hoof and fluttering past. Twenty meters ahead, eight hunters lay scattered across the ground. Their bodies were either torn apart or crushed beyond recognition. The land bore clear signs of battle, adorned with massive footprints and deep craters that resembled small pits. At nine o’clock, a gaping hole in the ground caught my attention. Judging by the displaced earth, I could guess what had happened. The colossal beast had likely burst out from underground. Turning my gaze to one o’clock, I saw deep tracks trailing off into the distance—a path carved through the land as the monster fled. The monster seemed capable of moving freely between the surface and the underground. I also noticed that the patches of soil soaked with the creature’s blood were turning black and rotting away, a telltale sign of corruption. Is its blood contaminating the earth? Mere appearances weren’t enough to be sure, but another thought was nagging at me. I didn’t consider the possibility that the monster could burrow. The illustrations I had seen didn’t suggest anything of the sort. How does it even dig through solid ground? Maybe its actual appearance was different from what I had expected. I wouldn’t know until I saw it for myself. As I approached the scene of destruction, Doppy tensely asked, “Can I get down?” “Yeah. It’s already gone.” Even with my heightened senses, I could no longer feel any tremors. The beast had completely left the area. Still, there were tracks to follow. It wouldn’t hurt to gather more information before setting off in pursuit. I brought my horse to a stop a short distance away and dismounted, making my way toward the fallen hunters. Even though I had reassured him, Doppy remained tense and scanned the area as he followed closely behind. The first thing I noticed was a half-shattered mechanical arm at my feet. Clutched in its fingers was a revolver, strikingly similar to the one I had received earlier. Should I take a spare? I only had six bullets left. Even if I didn’t need it right away, having a few extra wouldn’t hurt. The tower didn’t sell firearms, after all. A magic-infused revolver. It could prove useful in various situations, whether I fought a mage or a warrior. Moreover, there wasn’t only one—I saw several other revolvers lying around. May as well collect them all. I picked up the mechanical arm and took a closer look. It was my first time inspecting one so closely. A tangle of gears and mechanisms intertwined within the limb, complex yet oddly simple in design. Just to be safe, I stored it in Mung-chi before picking up the revolver with my right hand. At that moment, an odd impulse stirred within me. Should I take a shot? Unlike before, it seemed reasonable now—I had refrained from using it since I had only possessed six bullets. While I could sense the mana infused within each bullet, I had yet to gauge the revolver’s true destructive potential. To wield it effectively, I needed to grasp exactly what it was capable of. I flipped open the cylinder and inspected the remaining rounds. Likely a result of the previous battle, only two bullets remained in this revolver. Having never handled a revolver before, I wasn’t entirely sure how precise my aim needed to be. I should be able to hit the target as long as I get the general direction right. A scene from a movie suddenly surfaced in my mind. Following that memory, I flicked the cylinder with my fingers. The chamber spun violently. Once it slowed, I snapped it shut, raised the revolver, and tilted it slightly as I took aim at the ground some distance away. A dry fire. Not missing a beat, I pulled the trigger once again. At that moment, the revolver drew out a small portion of my mana. A deafening blast erupted as the revolver spewed fire from its barrel. I had braced myself for the recoil, but the sheer force behind the shot still made my shoulder jolt slightly. “Aaack!” Doppy screamed, startled. The bullet tore through the dirt in the distance. A tremor pulsed beneath my feet. The earth caved in as if a bomb had detonated, leaving behind a deep crater. The impact sent a plume of dust and sand billowing into the air, which the desert winds carried away to the west. Is this really a revolver? Or am I holding a miniature cannon? I couldn’t help but admire its destructive power. Even with mana-infused rounds, the level of devastation compared to the amount of mana it consumed was absurd. I exhaled and sent a puff of air over the smoking barrel. Out of nowhere, a sound echoed that startled me. It had come from within the pile of corpses. My heart nearly skipped a beat. I thought they were all dead. What the hell? A zombie? Quickly turning around, I saw one of the fallen men had barely lifted his head, his dazed eyes widening in shock as he processed the situation. I glanced downward. A gaping hole had been blown through his abdomen. Realizing his condition, the man suddenly let out a desperate, agonized scream. “Aaaagh! F-fuck!” He groaned in pain before collapsing back to the ground. Judging by the wound, he had been unconscious from the shock of having his stomach blown out, but had woken up from the sheer force of my test shot. His heartbeat was faint, on the brink of stopping. I hadn’t paid attention to him earlier, which was why I had failed to notice it. Honestly, the fact that he was even alive in that state was nothing short of a miracle. I stepped closer, wondering if I could get any useful information out of him. The man was barely clinging to life. His pale skin had turned a ghastly shade of gray, and signs of death had already begun creeping onto his face. Even Doppy’s healing magic wouldn’t be able to save him. Still, I wanted to try just in case. “It’s no use! He’s as good as dead!” Doppy shook his head firmly, and I simply nodded. The man’s half-glazed eyes flickered. Each cough weakened his already failing body. His death was near. Even if I used healing magic to keep him alive for a bit longer, it wouldn’t make a difference. There was no point in delaying the inevitable, and the man probably wouldn’t want that, either. Doppy muttered something under his breath. It was a familiar spell—one for pain relief. A gesture of mercy to ease the man’s passing. His twisted expression softened slightly, and his pupils regained a hint of clarity. I gently called to him, “Hey.” The man let out a wheezing chuckle, and blood bubbled at the corners of his lips. “Huff. S-shit. Cough. You’re lucky, man. Cough. Just looting our gear alone would make you rich.” His voice was a strained mixture of bitter amusement and agony. Each word was interrupted by ragged coughing fits, staining his mouth with dark crimson. I cut straight to the point. “What happened to the monster?” “No idea, f-fuck. Cough. Damn it all.” Those were his final words—and swear. He went limp, and his lifeless eyes stared blankly at the ground. Death had claimed him. It would have been nice if he had at least left me with some useful information before dying. Maybe I should have cast a healing spell, after all. Is that too inhumane of a thought? I could feel my perspective shifting in real time. Reaching down, I gently closed his eyes. There was nothing left of value to gain here. Well, except for weapons and supplies. I needed to gather whatever I could and set off before the shifting sands erased the monster’s tracks. [Complete a contract. Time remaining: 89 hours 17 minutes.] Gathering the hunters’ gear didn’t take long. I had no intention of prying out their mechanical eyes or amputating their cybernetic limbs. Instead, I took only the fallen revolvers, whatever bullets they carried, and any detached mechanical parts that seemed useful. Once that was done, I set off in pursuit of the monster. The trail it had left was inconsistent. Despite the monster’s massive footprints, it didn’t leave imprints on the sections of soil that were more packed, and the constant desert winds kept erasing any traces left behind. My tracking slowed considerably. At one point, I even lost my way, aimlessly wandering in circles. Thankfully, I managed to pick up some traces of it in the end. I spotted a section of scorched, decayed earth—evidence of the monster’s blood tainting the soil. Following that lead, I eventually found another massive burrow, similar to the one before. The creature had traveled a fair distance before tunneling underground once again. The opening was wide enough that I could probably ride my mechanical horse straight in. The slope is a little steep, but it should be fine since my horse isn’t ordinary. Just as I was considering my next move, a lone figure appeared in the distance. They weren’t just idly wandering but were headed straight toward me. Their silhouette wavered in the heat haze, making it difficult to discern any details. Based on the fact that they were mounted, it seemed likely. How did they get here? If they were tracking the monster like I was, I would have noticed them much earlier. Moreover, their angle of approach didn’t match the beast’s path. Perhaps they had heard the monster’s burrowing sound from afar and came to investigate. Regardless, I can’t afford to let my guard down. Bounty hunters weren’t exactly the type of people known for playing fair—most of them were ruthless. If I had to categorize them as either good or bad, they leaned heavily toward the latter. If this one were traveling alone, they had to be confident in their abilities. Though the floor had gone smoothly so far, I needed to keep in mind that this was still a trial within the tower. I nudged Doppy behind me, then rested my left hand on my revolver and cautiously gripped my axe with my right. As the figure closed the distance, I realized that they weren’t a bounty hunter. To begin with, they weren’t riding a horse. It looked more like a horned ox or something similar—an unfamiliar creature. The person’s clothing also came into view beneath their hooded cloak. They were outfitted in thin, brown leather clothes, had a small sword strapped to their back, and wielded a bow. I shifted my gaze to their face. Their tanned complexion resembled those of Middle Eastern heritage back on Earth. Large eyes. A sharp nose. Discover more novels at novel✶fire.net They had appeared right where the monster had been sighted. Are the rumors true? Do the natives actually control the beasts? I had no way of knowing yet. All I had to go off of was what I had learned from the pioneers—they were the original inhabitants of this land and had been forced out by the pioneers. That alone wasn’t enough to determine whether they were friend or foe, though. I remained still, waiting for them to approach. They had already noticed me, but rather than outright attacking me, they cautiously readied an arrow. They weren’t aiming it at me. They were just holding it in a way that allowed them to fire at a moment’s notice. They were sizing me up, just as I was assessing them. I kept my hand on my weapons but refrained from drawing them. I wanted to talk first. They probably think I am just another pioneer. I should try to appear non-threatening. Whether they understood my intentions or not, the individual didn’t immediately attack. Instead, they seemed... surprised. Maybe because I haven’t struck first? Sitting atop their strange mount, they narrowed their eyes and scrutinized me. Then, they let out a small sigh and gestured. They pointed at me, then at the far-off horizon. Are they telling me to leave? Immediately after, they motioned again, first pointing at my feet, then crossing their arms into an X, before finally gesturing to their bow. It was a clear warning. They were telling me to leave or they would shoot. In all honesty, that didn’t bother me. I watched them curiously. They then sighed again. “Ugh. Dumb pioneer. I really don’t want to kill you.” At that moment, I realized that there was a language barrier between the pioneers and the natives. Thanks to the tower, though, I didn’t have that problem. “Who are you calling dumb?” “Uh—?! Uhh?” The native jolted in shock, gripping their bow tightly.