NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 17: Chapter 17: In the Desert
Chapter 17: In the Desert
Finn looked up at the sky, watching as the ship drifted further and further away from him. A few seconds later, he heard a metallic clang in the sand ahead. He stepped forward, brushed away some of the sand displaced by the ship, and uncovered Pb's communication device.
Pressing the sole button on it, a glowing pink screen appeared before him. On it, Pb, still at the helm of the ship, came into view.
"Hahaha, what do you think now, huh? You... you damn bastard! You take my lover's virginity, and on top of that, you have the audacity to claim she enjoyed it with you more than she ever did with me?!" Her teeth clenched, her expression bordering on manic ecstasy. "Impossible... Impossible! There's no way that's true. I'm coming back now, and whatever curse you put on her, I'll break it! We'll go back to how we were before—or even better—and there's nothing your ass can do about it!" she screamed hysterically.
She continued, "As for you, you'll rot out there until the monsters pick your cursed bones clean. Every single day, while you starve and thirst and suffer, you'll wish you had cut off that filthy cock of yours before ever laying a hand on her!" Her chest heaved as she finally gasped for air, nearly out of breath from the rant, yet a twisted smile lingered on her face. Meanwhile, Finn stood there, holding the device in one hand, his expression calm and unreadable.
"I had planned to be kind in what I'd do to you," he said quietly, his voice carrying a chilling edge, "but now... you'd better pray I stay far away." Heat radiated from his palm, the air shimmering around it as the device began to melt, sizzling and warping under the intense heat. With a sudden, forceful grip, he crushed the molten remains into a smoldering, unrecognizable lump, the faint smell of scorched metal lingering in the air.
The connection cut off, and Pb knew the device had been destroyed. A new wave of emotions swept over her, leaving her puzzled about what he had meant by wanting to be "kind" in what he was going to do to her.
Could it be... was he planning to do to her what he did to Marceline? He'd hinted at it when they were together, but she had dismissed it as an attempt to provoke her. Shaking her head vigorously, she pushed those thoughts aside. Anyone posing this kind of threat to her might as well already be dead.
Finn calmly trudged across the vast expanse of red sand, stretching as far as the eye could see. The silence and eerie stillness of the desert were suffocating.
[You seem pretty calm for someone stranded in one of the planet's deadliest places.]
"Crying and whining won't get me back home," Finn replied. "Besides, losing control of myself twice was humiliating enough. It's not going to happen again," he added, recalling the time he'd let his anger take over because Master Sika had forced him down a specific path using the shop. That had led him to fight the bull, which was stronger than him, without any proper plan or strategy.
[Speaking of which, you seem to be doing fine now.]
"Trouble doesn't stick to me for long," he said with a shrug. Continuing his journey, he walked for an hour straight, his senses alert to every potential threat in this treacherous land.
"Wait a second. Now that I think about it, this isn't the same desert Finn and Jake visited before. I remember that one had normal-colored sand. Are we in a completely different desert?" he asked, slightly confused.
[You didn't notice because you were too busy chatting with PB. This desert is actually the core of a much larger desert. The outer regions have normal-colored sand—those are likely what Finn and Jake explored. This inner part, with its reddish sand, is known as the Deadly Desert.]
"And is the heat the only thing that makes it deadly?"
[The heat, the terrifying scarcity of water, giant sandworms, aggressive desert foxes that roam in large numbers, and predatory hawks... Every creature here has adapted to survive in this extreme climate, so expect the unexpected.]
"No need to remind me," Finn muttered as he suddenly froze in place. The sand beneath his feet began to tremble slightly. His eyes darted quickly, and he jumped as far away as possible.
From the spot where he'd been standing, an enormous sandworm erupted from the ground, its circular mouth lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth. It lunged toward Finn, its gaping maw ready to devour him whole. He stood firm, the sand trembling beneath his feet, and raised his hands, which began to glow with an intense, fiery heat. The air around him shimmered as his arms transformed into molten magma, the burning heat causing the sand around him to hiss and turn to glass.
As the sandworm lunged, Finn stepped to the side with precise timing, thrusting his magma-coated arm directly into its fleshy body. The intense heat burned through its hide instantly, the creature writhing in agony as its flesh sizzled and melted. Finn's other hand followed, slashing through the beast like a fiery blade, carving a molten path through its massive frame.
The worm's momentum carried it forward, but its body couldn't withstand the assault. It collapsed partially into the sand, its sharp black tail flailing helplessly above the surface as molten streams of liquefied flesh and blood poured out from its wounds. The acrid stench of burning flesh filled the air as Finn stepped back, his molten arms cooling slightly, leaving the sandworm's remains smoldering and lifeless in the red desert sands.
[Move away from here immediately.]
"Why?" Finn asked, puzzled by the sudden urgency.
[The foxes here are drawn to the smell of scorched meat from kilometers away. They're fast, and if a pack gathers here, it'll be trouble for you.]
Taking the advice, Finn hurried away as quickly as he could.
[Change your direction; there's a pack of eight foxes ahead of you.]
"Got it," he responded, altering his course.
[Ding]
[New Mission: Hard Category]
"Really? Now?" Finn groaned. "What's the mission?"
[Mission 9]
[Difficulty: Hard]
[Kill 100 Desert Foxes]
"Alright, I can handle that," Finn said, not stopping his run. "Remind me, how much does the temporary floating skill cost?"
In the distance, a pack of golden-furred foxes appeared, running as a tight group. Compared to regular foxes, these were much larger, each almost a meter in length.
Suddenly, a fast-moving figure fell from the sky into their midst, landing with an explosive burst of molten heat. The leading fox barely had time to react before it was reduced to a smoldering heap, its body incinerated by Finn's fiery impact. Standing over the charred remains, Finn raised his magma-coated arms, the intense heat radiating off him warping the air around him.
"Come at me!" he challenged, his voice calm yet deadly.
The foxes, enraged by the fiery death of their leader, charged at him as one. Finn stood his ground until the last moment, then thrust his magma-coated fist into the first fox that leapt at him, its body igniting in an instant. Without hesitation, he unleashed a wave of molten magma from his arm, engulfing three foxes in a searing inferno. Their cries of agony echoed briefly before they collapsed, reduced to smoldering husks.
Sliding smoothly across the sand, Finn turned his attention to the remaining foxes. His hands glowed brighter, molten streams dripping onto the ground as he lunged forward. He grabbed two foxes mid-leap, his magma searing through their fur and flesh as their agonized screams filled the air. Their bodies crumbled to ash as he released them, letting their remnants scatter in the wind.
"Two left," he muttered, his molten arms still glowing faintly.
The last two foxes froze in fear before bolting in opposite directions. Finn smirked and stomped on the ground, sending a stream of molten rock surging toward the first one. The fox yelped as it was overtaken by the blazing trail, its body consumed in an instant. Wasting no time, Finn launched himself through the air toward the final fox, landing in front of it and delivering a searing punch that incinerated it on the spot.
Finn stood amidst the scorched remains of the pack, the sand beneath him still glowing faintly from the heat. He clenched his fists, the magma cooling as he exhaled a hot, fiery breath, the air around him shimmering with heat.
[8/100]
"Not bad. I can finish the rest over the next few days on my way out," Finn said
[I should probably mention that you have 48 hours to complete the mission.]
"What?! How am I supposed to find that many foxes in 48 hours?" Finn exclaimed, shocked by the revelation.
[Well, if you don't complete it... you'll lose the rewards you would've earned, along with some random penalties.]
"What the hell?! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" His frustration was evident on his face.
[You didn't ask. If such information isn't listed in the mission's primary details, it's up to you to ask, or I won't tell you on my own.]
"Fine, fine. You said I can reject missions before starting them, right?" He rubbed his forehead, trying to calm himself.
[Well, not after you've already started.]
"@$&)!_@!-_..."
[Wow, some curses here even I don't recognize.]
---
Night had already fallen. The sun was halfway through its descent, painting the sky with hues of orange and other vibrant colors. A high-tech ship landed in front of Marceline's cave entrance.
Pb stepped off the ship, her white suit torn and dirty, smeared with dirt and a strange red substance. Before entering the cave, she picked up a rock from the ground, took a deep breath, and smashed it against her own forehead, leaving a severe wound.
She winced in pain, clutching her forehead. After a moment, she pulled out a small knife and carved three long gashes into her left cheek. Then, as she entered the cave, she smeared her right eye with a blue substance, making it look like she'd taken a brutal hit there as well.
Inside, Marceline was lying on her couch, a sad expression on her face. She had just returned from visiting her lover, who she already missed dearly, only to find he wasn't there.
A loud knock on the door startled her. She got up, irritated by the noise.
"Alright, who the hell is—" she began, opening the door angrily, only to freeze in shock at the sight of her girlfriend, Pb. Her once-pristine white suit was bloodied and torn, her face covered in scratches and bruises, with one eye appearing injured.
"Oh no, what happened?!?" Marceline exclaimed, rushing to catch Pb, who nearly collapsed at the doorway. She helped her inside, laying her down gently and trying to get any information out of her.
"Hey, PB, can you hear me?" Marceline lightly slapped her face, trying to wake her up. Even though she no longer saw PB as a romantic partner, she was still her close friend, someone she'd shared countless adventures and incredible memories with. These feelings were something even Finn would need time to erase.
"Mar... Marceline," Pb murmured faintly.
"Yes, yes, I'm here!" Marceline gripped her hand tightly, waiting for her to say more. "What happened to you? Tell me!" she pleaded, her emotions running high.
"I... we... were attacked," Pb said, her voice breaking.
"You and who? And who attacked you?"
"I don't know. I've never seen them before," she said, looking at Marceline with sorrowful eyes.
"Alright, but who were you with?" Marceline asked, her mind racing with unsettling thoughts that she tried to push aside.
"F... Finn," Pb whispered the name before closing her eyes and going limp. Marceline's eyes widened in shock.
Seeing her friend lose consciousness, Marceline shook her frantically, desperate to wake her and learn more.
Who attacked them? What was Finn doing with her? And where was he now? Most importantly... was he alright? Waves of questions crashed through her mind, amplifying her confusion and distress.
Marceline carried Pb in her arms and headed toward her bedroom. As she did, Pb opened one eye slightly, glancing out the window. There, she saw the old man, Simon, entering through the door. He looked at her with a grateful smile. Pb smiled faintly back and gave him a thumbs-up, signaling that the mission was accomplished.