[Escort. Time remaining: 33 hours 52 minutes.]0

The desert sand shimmered like gold under the blazing sun. Beneath that golden facade lay the bodies of scorpions, men, and the greatworm, spilling blood that soaked into the sand and left dark crimson stains scattered across the dunes. 0

The first ambush had ended.0

As we arranged the fallen and gathered loot from the dead raiders, other mercenaries began to drift toward me—likely because of the role I had played during the skirmish. 0

I knew they weren’t just here to express gratitude; they wanted to befriend a powerful ally. That was just how life among mercenaries worked. It wasn’t anything to be bothered by.0

“Man, you’ve got some serious skills, huh?”0

“Haha... well...”0

“Never seen anyone take down a greatworm in one shot before!”0

“Come on, it’s obvious he’s a top-tier merc from the Northern Front. No way a low-quality like you would’ve crossed paths with someone like him!”0

All I did was smile awkwardly, but that was enough for them to keep the conversation rolling among themselves. Typical mercenaries were quick to become friendly, especially with powerful strangers. I guessed those without the knack for ingratiation didn’t bother approaching me at all.0

I remained silent as they questioned me where I was from when a different figure approached. It was a guard from...0