THE WARNING ALERT

It took me checking how far I'd gone before I realised how much of a distance fifty kilometres was. I walked for what felt like hours until my throat was dry and parched, and swallowing became a nasty chore.

Tired, I sat in the sand to take a drink of the water, and I was well down a generous amount before calling onto Maia.

“Yes,” she answered as the System Dashboard appeared, even bright in the sun.

“How long is the distance I have covered?”

“Approximately 4.8 kilometres.”

Stunned, I swallowed. “And that means I have 46.2 kilometres to go?”

“Yes. I would also advise you to be careful with your water ration as there is a long way to go, and to keep your katana close, as there are dangers to be encountered in the desert.”

“What's the worst that could happen?” I growled, disgruntled by my condition. It would have been worth it if I could find somewhere and wait to die, but I was not afforded such luxury, only unless I could get through with these cursed levels.

“Threats…”

“I don't want to hear any more of it.” I fired. Instantly, my System Guide went quiet, and the screen disappeared. My mistake became clear to me then as I saw that Maia had simply gone off in a very human-like tantrum. I called her several times, but nothing happened, and I decided that I was left with no choice but to continue on my own.

I put the bottle back in the bag, hung it over my back again, and continued to walk, until my throat felt parched again. Without paying any attention because of my terror of Maia's warning, I continued to walk while being too afraid to call her and ask how far I'd gone.

The day was long and hot, only cooling when evening came, and I continued to walk until I saw a rock waiting, the only thing standing for miles about. I decided that I needed to camp near it and take the chance to jump into my biscuits as the hunger was starting to bite at my intestines.

I sat down for the first time since I continued on my journey that afternoon, and leaned my back against the rock. Again, I attempted to call Maia, but she gave me no response, leaving me to sit alone where I was. How could I have known that my System Guide was this touchy, this sensitive to a retort made in anger?

Sand started to billow all around me, and though I barely knew anything about sandstorms, I knew that they were frequent in the desert, and that this was most probably one of them. Desperate to be well covered during the sandstorm, I quickly took one biscuit, and was about to chew on it when my mask stopped me.

No matter how hard I tried — to eat without taking off the mask — I could not open half my lips, and was forced to remove my mask, which did a lot to make me laugh. I had asked Hades for a mask that would cover my face all the time, and he left me one that would be taken off when I needed to eat. It was enough that I could not die, but now he sought to make my life torment, reminding me that half my face was burnt off. Again, he had tricked me, and must love watching me squirm.

In the end, hunger prevailed, and I took off the mask, rushing through the biscuits before wearing the mask back, wrapping the hood about my head to protect myself from the sand that now threatened to rise even higher, and setting my head down. With my metallic body unable to feel anything, and my remaining head and skin well hidden under the cloth, I could dare to fall asleep.

It must have been far into the night when a beeping alarm woke me up, jerking me awake. When I checked, it was from my System Dashboard.

*1. New Notification Alert*

Warning Alerts: 3x Sand Demons approaching. 0.2 km away.

“Maia,” I cried out, hoping my moody System Guide would reply to me when I needed her the most, and nothing pleased me more than the sound of her voice.

“Yes.”

“Oh Maia. I've missed you so much. Please tell me what these Sand Demons are about…”

“The Sand Demons are desert demons that fight and kill desert travellers at night, and are headed in your direction.”

“How far off are they, and how do I defend myself against them?”

My System Dashboard showed before me, and the map showed my current direction and how close the Sand Demons were. They were moving at a pace so fast they could have been humans running towards me.

“Defend against them with your katana. Don't forget to cut through the heart.”

“Where is a Sand Demon's heart in their body, Maia?”

“You can find a Sand Demon's heart within its chest, sitting exactly in the centre. Getting into it will kill the Sand Demon in an instant. Goodluck.”

With only seconds to spare, I dove into my bag and took out the night vision goggles, clasping them on my face at the very moment when a yowl in the distance echoed. I spun about on my heels to see what it was, as my System Dashboard disappeared into the darkness at the same time.