CHAPTER 84: DUNE CRAWLERS

Gracie and the group reached a makeshift room made of mud and stone.

Some students were already in the room. When Gracie approached, people made way for her.

Seeing the bodies in front of her, Gracie was confused—they had no apparent injury marks.

"It’s clean," Gracie stated, surprised.

She couldn’t find anything that indicated the cause of their deaths.

"What could it be—was it natural death?" Sylas asked, his muscles bulging with every movement.

"I would’ve thought that—but four natural deaths in such a short period? It’s not believable," Gracie dismissed the theory.

"Then how could someone die without any injury—and so silently that no other student noticed?" It was the question everyone wanted to ask, but only Sylas said it out loud.

Everyone had a fear. A fear of the unknown. A fear of something they can’t control.

But there was also confidence—in powerful cultivators, in Gracie.

Gracie didn’t say anything—she knew every word out of her mouth would shape how the whole settlement reacted.

This was the feeling she hated: to be in control of others’ fates.

Gracie clenched her hands, nails digging into her palms.

’Was it not this thing...that I wanted?’ Gracie sighed.

She had always wanted to be strong enough to protect others. To stand in a place where she could make decisions—for herself, for her friends—and yet here she was, avoiding it for so long.

Her eyes gleamed with newfound confidence, clouds of mental dilemmas vanishing.

"We’ll find the reason soon. Bring the bodies to the hall," Gracie said and walked out.

But before exiting the room, she glanced toward Gareth.

"Announce that no one is allowed to move solo. Everyone should work in pairs."

The students in the room were a little afraid, but Gracie’s assurance calmed their minds.

The bodies were taken to the hall.

"Did you find anything?" Gracie asked, standing beside the bodies.

A man was inspecting them.

"In the academy, they only taught us a few things that could lead to this kind of situation," Tyler said after the inspection.

He had taken a medical course—his practical knowledge was limited, but theoretically, he had a decent idea of what it could be.

Gracie, Gareth, Theron, and Sylas—all four important members—were looking at Tyler, expecting good news.

"Why are you looking at me as if my word is absolute?" Tyler scoffed, seeing their expressions.

"You better start talking," Sylas said, pressing his hands together in frustration.

"Alright, alright! According to me, it’s either natural death or elemental attacks like poison or mental-type," Tyler said. Then, after a pause, he pointed toward Gracie. "There is another possibility, but I think Gracie could explain it better."

"Ahhh... here we go," Gracie sighed.

"It’s soul attack."

"Soul attacks can cause a person to lose their soul, and after that, they become a hollow corpse—no different than dead people," Gracie explained clearly.

"Ahhh... I remember learning that somewhere in class," Theron said, tapping his finger as if trying to recall.

Others just nodded in agreement.

"So I don’t think it’s a case of natural death. That leaves two possibilities: either poison or a soul attack," Sylas concluded.

"No... To succeed in damaging a soul to that extent, it takes a long time and a significant difference in power levels. So we can rule that out too," Gracie said. Eliminating a soul wasn’t easy. If she had to imagine someone capable of doing it in such secrecy, that person would have to be at least a Spiritual Sage.

"Gareth, continue with our plan. Build a team that will make others follow the rules.

Theron, you have friends—find all the students who have elements related to poison and psyche.

In the meantime, keep your eyes open for any suspicious activity."

The hall emptied.

Gracie sat down, frustrated—her plans to explore different biome was crumbling.

So far, she had already explored three directions. Only one side was left... If she failed to find anything there, she’d have to start venturing farther in every direction.

But now, even those plans were staggered.

"None of our friends made it to the settlement?" Tyler asked.

"All the students were teleported randomly. We have no idea about the planet’s size," Gracie laughed. "On top of that, we’re in the middle of an endless desert."

Those last words weren’t as simple as they sounded.

They meant all the students who ended up in the settlement were teleported into desert areas, and as time passed, the number of newcomers would continue to decrease.

Because a person can’t survive too long in the vile desert, which is full of beasts. The mortality rate would only grow with time.

Those still wandering the desert in search of shelter lived a daily life full of battles. Every day was nothing short of hell—and eventually, they would either find safety or get devoured by the struggle.

This wasn’t something unique to Gracie or a few specific students. Almost all students had suffered similarly. The difference was only in the timeframe—some struggled for hours, some for days, and some for weeks.

"They’re capable enough to survive on their own," Gracie said, standing up with resolve.

"Let’s go." She had sorted things out for now.

They walked through the settlement. Students were busy with their own tasks—some building shelters, others preparing for adventure.

Food, water, and shelter were important, and they were exchanged using beast crystals.

Forgers were still around who could make weapons, but the ingredients needed to mix with crystals had become more expensive than the crystals themselves.

The only way to acquire them was through broken artifacts or damaged weapons.

Makeshift shelters were built along both sides of the pathways. Students gave space for Gracie to pass through.

Walls were still under construction—stone element users were building outer walls to safeguard against random beast attacks.

As Gracie and Tyler approached the outer edge of the settlement, there was commotion.

"How many more...?" a student shouted, throwing a club toward a meter-long centipede, crushing it beneath the weight.

But killing one centipede made no impact on the army of thousands.

Another centipede secreted a poisonous liquid, melting the club instantly.

"You piece of shit!" the student cursed, backing away as another attack came his way.

Similar scenes were happening all over the battlefield. Hundreds of centipedes were fighting against dozens of students.

Students had given a name to these hordes of centipedes.

"Dune Crawlers."

Gracie and Tyler sighed as they saw the situation.

It was nothing new—they had been fighting these hordes daily. It could even be said that these swarms were the main reason why building the walls had become a priority.

Gracie flickered from her position, appearing in the middle of the battle.

Behind her, Tyler also zapped in at lightning speed.