"Get acknowledgment from the relics to level up? Is it going to open a dungeon?"

Theo, having previously opened a dungeon, was more familiar than anyone with the convenience it offered—rarely did a place allow him to gain both practical experience and leveling experience simultaneously.

"I still have the key I used to open the Lesser Drake's dungeon in my inventory."

If not, he might be drawn into the subconscious world, similar to when he first handled the Moonlight Sword.

Opening his inventory, Theo took out a copper ring and slid it onto his left index finger.

The ring fit as if it had been crafted just for him.

Click!

At that moment, he heard a mechanical sound like gears aligning.

**[You have equipped the "Taego Dragon Relic: Ring of the Desert."]**

**[Moving to the second dungeon.]**

A sudden sensation of his consciousness being pulled elsewhere overwhelmed him.

When Theo opened his eyes, he found himself in a barren desert.

The sun was so harsh it felt like it was stabbing his skin like knives.

The sand made his feet sink with every step, and the stifling heat made it hard to breathe.

This environment was the exact opposite of the icy Winterer he was accustomed to.

"Of all the places, why a desert…?"

Having never set foot in a desert in either of his lives, Theo felt out of his element.

**[You have entered the scorching desert. Survive here for 72 hours.]**

**[72:00:00]**

But the timer had already begun counting down.

**[71:59:59]**

**[71:59:58]**

"...This won’t work. I need to find a spot to set up a base camp."

Theo knew that every quest or mission he had undertaken so far, whether real or an illusion, carried a penalty of death if he failed.

He also had no desire to squander his limited returns by dying here.

'From the second return on, neither my father nor Black Dragon will place their hopes on me.'

Given their deep-seated hatred toward those who return, it wasn’t a baseless thought.

Moreover, they both had unique abilities to neutralize returnees.

If they decided to use it on him?

It would be the end of everything.

‘For now, let’s keep moving.’

He walked cautiously, each step sinking into the sand, feeling as if his energy was being sucked out with every stride.

Whenever he felt thirsty, he purchased water from the shop multiple times to stay hydrated.

After a few more steps, he noticed a rumble beneath him.

"What’s that?"

Theo halted, sensing the slight tremor in the sand.

At first, he thought he was imagining things due to exhaustion from the heat, but the tremor grew stronger.

Something enormous was approaching.

Then, he saw a whirlwind of sand forming in a circle around him, spiraling downwards.

The radius grew larger, expanding rapidly from a few meters to over ten meters as the tremors intensified.

Before he could react, Theo was caught in the trap, with sand pulling him down like a sinkhole.

Looking down, he saw an enormous mouth opening beneath him, more than ten meters wide.

Ragged, layered teeth filled the gaping maw, and beyond them was a red tongue.

"Desert Worm!"

This was the Desert Worm, a monstrous creature even larger and more fearsome than a sandworm, considered the king of the desert.

As expected, it was one of the lower dragonkin, like the Drake, Griffin, or Wyvern.

"Survive for 72 hours" seemed to mean surviving against this monstrous Desert Worm.

"Damn it!"

Even for an advanced swordsman like Evelyn or Kleve, defeating a high-level monster like this alone was nearly impossible.

Theo quickly manipulated his Death Beads telekinetically.

Shhh! Shh! Shh!

Using the Death Beads as makeshift footholds in the air, he sprang upwards.

Clang!

He narrowly escaped as the Desert Worm's jaws snapped shut beneath him.

Its jagged teeth and acidic saliva splattered everywhere.

The worm, displeased that its prey had evaded it, extended its massive body and began chasing after Theo.

"Damn."

Theo cursed, moving faster across the Death Beads.

But the worm was much faster, closing in on him, nearly snapping at his heels.

‘If I could summon Umbra, it would help, but that’s not working…!’

Realizing he’d be caught soon, Theo swung the Drake’s blade down fiercely.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Power surged from the heart of the dragon, mixing with the energy in his core, and shot out in a blast of heat.

White steam mixed with bright yellow lightning, striking the Desert Worm's face.

Crack!

The Desert Worm’s tough shell was covered in wounds, but it wasn't enough to stop its pursuit. Instead, it seemed only to enrage the beast further, making it more relentless.

Yet, surrender wasn’t an option.

Theo gritted his teeth, swinging the Drake’s blade faster, sending streaks of light everywhere.

Boom!

As his heart pounded, faint shockwaves rippled in the air.

**[Five Claws of the Dragon - Ravage]**

Slash!

Light streaked across the Desert Worm’s face, creating a thick cloud of smoke.

Shrieeek!

The Desert Worm writhed in pain, shaking the desert around them.

But by the time it turned its bloodied face toward Theo again, he had vanished, blending into the smoke.

Kaaaargh!

The Desert Worm roared in fury, shaking the surroundings.

‘It can’t locate me when I stay still.’

Hidden behind a pile of rocks not far from the worm, Theo observed.

‘It was detecting my footsteps or, rather, the vibrations from my steps.’

Theo knew that most subterranean monsters like worms had extremely poor vision.

That’s when a thought struck him—perhaps the Desert Worm used a sensory organ to detect foreign vibrations.

Wind-blown sand and footsteps create different rhythms. If the worm was searching for those unusual rhythms, it could just engulf the surrounding area, sand and all.

With its massive maw, the Desert Worm could undoubtedly do that.

Theo had disturbed its senses to test this theory, and it had worked.

But he couldn’t stay hidden here forever.

He looked down with a serious expression.

Thump... Thump... Thump...

In the sand, several concentric circles were forming.

‘There’s more than just one Desert Worm. At least a dozen.’

Attracted by the vibrations, other Desert Worms from across the desert were converging quickly.

Like sharks drawn to the scent of blood.

The tremors grew more intense.

**[69:44:38_66]**

Theo would soon have to figure out a way to escape from this hellish situation.

Then an idea popped into his mind.

‘What would happen if I activated another relic mission before completing the first one?’

In the corner of his vision, his inventory opened, almost as if reading his thoughts.

"Let’s try it."

Theo instinctively reached into his inventory and pulled out a butterfly-shaped earring.

He quickly put it on his left ear.

Click—

The pinching of his earlobe stung slightly.

Then,

**[You have equipped the "Taego Dragon Relic: Butterfly of Ice Blossom."]**

**[Moving to the third dungeon.]**

His vision blurred.

But,

**[Currently engaged in the second dungeon mission; cannot initiate the third dungeon mission.]**

**[Conflicting missions.]**

**[The two Taego Dragon relics are vying for priority.]**

Wuuuung! Wuuuuung!

The ring and earring vibrated violently, each seeming to assert dominance.

Cracks began to form in the bright blue sky, spreading rapidly.

**[Dungeon in chaos due to mission conflict.]**

**[Integrity degrading rapidly.]**

‘As expected.’

Theo smirked.

Every relic he’d encountered had guardians to protect it, refusing to grant ownership unless acknowledged.

But this also meant that the relics would likely clash fiercely over their pride.

If he triggered both missions simultaneously, they wouldn’t yield to each other.

**[The two dungeons clash, attempting mutual invasion.]**

**[Dungeons merging.]**

An unnatural chill leaked through the cracks in the sky.

Pshhhhh—

The frigid air quickly filled the sky, cooling the desert heat, and swirling clouds and mist began to form, bringing storms.

Crash! Boom!

Through the mist emerged a large, butterfly-shaped creature—the Fairy Dragon, a creature that could control the weather, bestowing favorable conditions upon humanity.

Kraaaargh! Kraak!

At that moment, a dozen Desert Worms burst from the sand, baring their fangs toward this new enemy.

With a mighty flap, the Fairy Dragon unleashed a hail of ice upon the worms, and a new battle erupted.

* * *

**[You have entered the Snow-Capped Ice Mountain. Survive for 72 hours against the Fairy Dragon.]**

**[72:00:00]**

Beyond the desert, a mirage of an icy mountain flickered in and out of sight.

Whenever the mountain appeared, the storm and hail intensified, and when it vanished, the ferocity of the Desert Worms surged as if they were on the brink of tearing into the Fairy Dragon.

Crack! Boom!

These lower dragonkin creatures, among the strongest monsters, created utter chaos, tearing the dungeon to shreds.

It seemed Theo was no longer of interest to them.

Or perhaps they’d come for him once they’d claimed victory.

"Either way, this works perfectly for wearing down both relics..."

Now Theo faced a choice.

Should he escape?

Or lie in wait for an opportunity?

Or perhaps…

"What if I wait until they’re both weakened and then take them down together

?"

Given that the missions were about survival rather than defeating the guardians, it was likely impossible under normal circumstances.

But now, it seemed feasible.

‘If these creatures were real, I’d try to tame them using [Wyvern Taming].’

His eyes darkened with determination.

Just then—

Buzz! Buzz!

He felt a sharp vibration from his waist.

It was the Moonlight Sword.

More accurately, the Griffin within it.

It was asking to be released.

It wanted to decapitate these creatures just as it had been defeated.

Its pride was on the line.

The Griffin wanted to show that it was superior to both the Desert Worms and the Fairy Dragon.

"Fine. Have it your way."

With a smirk, Theo reached for the Moonlight Sword.

Roooar—

The Moonlight Sword vibrated intensely, scattering a misty moonlight in all directions.