"You alright, buddy? Talk to meeeee!"

Wang Jin raised his voice. The flashlight had long since disappeared and the entire area was now completely shrouded in a thick mist. 

However, Wang Jin did not stop. He kept on calling out. Ever so often he would move in a certain direction in hopes of finding the person, but to no avail. 

"Gaa!" 

Wang Jin clutched his aching head. He had bumped into someone. 

"That's you, right? Thank god. Couldn't ya have called out to me?"

"I don't want to waste my breath on the likes of you, Wang Jin."

"Damn, that voice?!"

Using his wind magic, Wang Jin hastily pushed aside the surrounding mist, perhaps more vigorously than earlier. 

And there it was. The person he had bumped into was none other than Donna Arison. Her hands were on her sword as if prepared to end his life.

"Donna!?, I, uh, could've sworn you wouldn't be here." 

"And why is that? I was heading towards the exit when this thick mist suddenly began to take hold of the place."

"Hello to you too, I guess. You're looking as nice as ever."

Donna raised the tip of her sword to Wang Jin's throat. 

"Has your tongue grown slicker in the short time we weren't together?"

"Maybe. But oh, boy, am I glad to see you. I got blown off the infirmary, so I'm walking around."

Donna's eyes raised at this. 

"I do not recall asking you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be heading for the exit."

"Whoa, come on! It's not like you'll actually find the exit. No matter how far you walk, you won't get anywhere. Can we at least team up for a bit?"

"...very well."

"Hah! Nice! Alright, let's go." 

***

"Hey, is it true?"

"Yeah. Word has spread that Nomadian's scheduled a conference later on. You don't think we're actually heading out, do you?"

"I bet half my ass we are. I can feel it. This time the announcement is something other than the division of rations and supply of water."

The Wastelanders, despite being led by a man named Nomadian, weren't the type to move around a lot. 

As the Beast Continent held dangers in practically every corner, it was difficult to find land that could actually support the lifestyle they held. If the continent's biomes were to be listed on some sort of measure, grasslands would only take up about three percent of the continent. 

And that three percent was only located in the Utopiac Motherlode, the name Nomadian gave to the Wastelanders' base of operations. 

The Motherlode featured a wide, circular wall that surrounded the actual "Mother."

"Mother", of course, referred to the gigantic shipwreck which the Wastelanders had repurposed into their headquarters. 

It was said that the Mother was part of a large fleet of ships, but was shot down as it was flying across the Beast Continent.

The Wastelanders weren't ones to waste such good housing, of course. Where else would they find such a large, premade structure that had air-conditioning?

Anyway, it was a normal, sunny day for Nomadian's goons, when an announcement started blaring through the speakers of the Mother.

"Good morning, fellow Wastelanders! This is an urgent announcement from your leader, Nomadian. I am requesting all capable fighters to rally at the central deck in the next hour."

"I repeat, all capable fighters are to be at the central deck in the next hour. I will be leaving the Defense Force led by Ginny to guard this place. That is all."

And after that, rumors soon started spreading about the Second Crusade. The first being Nomadian's fabled trip across the Beast Continent. 

This led to everybody getting excited. Many fighters soon began appearing at the central deck not even after ten minutes had passed. 

"Remember, be safe, and don't act stupid."

"Yeah, yeah. But you know me, Cassandra. Whatever trouble I get into, I always get out alive."

The two finally arrived at the door to the deck. Pushing it open, Nomadian was surprised to find that almost all of the Wastelanders' fighting force was already gathered there. 

"Ah! Boss is here, guys!" One of them shouted out. 

"Boss? Boss is here?!"

The room started to get loud and only started quieting down once Nomad raised his hand. 

The Wastelanders' reactions weren't too unordinary. As most of them were saved by Nomad, they held a strong sense of loyalty for him. 

Just being able to survive in the Beast Continent was worthy of praise. But rescuing other people as well? It'd be weirder if none of them held at least some form of respect. 

"Thanks for gathering here, everyone. For those who may not have caught wind of the rumors, let me explain."

"We'll be heading out to the Desertian region in order to get rid of some pests. These pests are, however, more persistent than cockroaches. Which is why I called upon you all."

"Don't worry, as long as I'm here, no Wastelander will lose their life."

***

"This damn mist… I can't tell how long we've been inside now."

Donna and Wang Jin had been walking through the thick mist for what seemed like an eternity now. There was no sign of them nearing a landmark, or anything that could help pinpoint their location. 

"But if this is the park, then there should be trees here, eh? What do you think, Donna?" 

"I think you should keep talking. It's a real help."

"Oh, really? That's nice to hea–"

"I was being sarcastic."

"Oh…"

*whoosh*

A sudden change in the air. Wang Jin felt a portion of the mist in front of him opening up. Instinctively, he ducked. And to his surprise, a blade shot past where his head used to be. 

Donna noticed this too. She quickly drew her sword, pointing it in the direction of the attack. 

"Another!" Noticing another attack approaching, Wang Jin ducked, bracing himself.

But it was only then that he realized the attack wasn't aimed for him. No, it was meant for Donna. 

Applying mana to his body, Wang Jin forcibly launched himself forward, pushing Donna downwards. 

"T…thanks."

"Don't mention it. This mist isn't safe, we have to find a way out immediately!" 

The two of them quickly got up. They looked at each other, before choosing a random direction and running. 

"Might you know who our unidentified assailant is?" Donna questioned Wang Jin as they ran. 

"Nope! Not a single clue! Whoever they are though, they must want our heads."

The two didn't make it far before Wang Jin felt the mist around them getting thicker. It was getting increasingly hotter, almost as if the mist was now becoming steam.

"Too weak, Wang Jin. When you left the clan years ago, I had hoped that you had found a way to increase your strength."

"But really, this is disappointing. The elders made me embark on this mission just to assassinate some lowly D rank."

"Oh, but whatever. I'll make this worth my time, one way or another."

Wang Jin watched as the voice in the mist gradually started getting closer and formed into a humanoid shape. 

It was then that he was reminded of it. A past that he had long decided to leave behind, and something that he hadn't expected he had to face so early. 

***

"Onwards, my brethren! To the Desertian region!"

And with Nomadian's rallying shout, the Wastelanders were finally off. 

Armed each with a Motorkade designed for swift movement through the Desertian region, the army that consisted of more than two thousand powerful individuals was now heading in the direction of the pests. 

The warm air trickled down the Wastelanders' skin, telling them that they would reach the hot, unforgiving region of the Beast Continent soon. 

The grass began to turn wilted, and wildlife began to grow sparse the more they rode on. 

Eventually, there were no more trees left, and the only type of plant in view were the nearly-dying shrubs scattered across the sea of sand. 

"So this is the Desertian region… it's certainly as terrifying as the stories say."

"What, you've never been out of the Motherlode?"

"Not once. I was always stuck cleaning the halls. But I'm glad that many of us finally have a chance to prove our worth to Nomadian."

"Damn right."

The air around the Wastelanders turned… prickly suddenly. They could feel their throats hurting every time they breathed. 

"It's started. Everyone put on your masks!" Nomadian shouted. 

The scene was very reminiscent of sand storms. The entire landscape was now surrounded in an almost opaque wall made of billions of grains of sand. 

The sand held a special property in it. It was infused with an increased amount of mana, adding a certain sting to each grain. 

"This is the least of our worries, though. They should be coming soon."

The Beast Continent was famously known for its unforgiving climates. 

That wasn't all of it, however. Life manages to survive, no matter how harsh the environment. 

"Wraghhh!!!" 

"Here they are! Ready yourselves, boys! The Sand Wolves have arrived!"