Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Wonders of Nature

"Dooo—"

The long, resonant notes of horns echoed one after another through the streets and alleys of Loc Lac. It was the signal that the monsoon had arrived.

The locals, long accustomed to this, retreated into their homes at once, while the seasoned merchants hurriedly packed up their stalls. Only the travelers who had arrived in Loc Lac for the first time remained bewildered, until, guided by the city's garrison and the Felyne scouts, they were ushered into safety in a chaotic scramble.

At this moment, the sandship dock was undoubtedly the busiest and most lively place in the entire city.

With sails half-raised, the *Fengshan Maru*—the flagship of the sandship fleet—slid out of the dock first, plunging into the boundless sea of sand like a gargantuan whale returning to the ocean. Twelve smaller sandships followed in quick succession, nimbly adjusting their formations like a pack of beasts guarding their alpha, clustering tightly around the *Fengshan Maru*.

"Woo-hoo!"

Standing at the bow, Sael, unable to contain his excitement, raised his arms and cheered.

Amused by his usually composed and polite senior, Oran stuck his fingers into his mouth and let out a shrill, piercing whistle.

"Hahaha! That’s the spirit, you rookies!"

From another small sandship just a few meters away, a burly man with a greatsword strapped to his back laughed heartily. "Be careful not to fall off!"

"Dooo—" The signal horn directing the fleet sounded from the *Fengshan Maru*.

"Hey, you lot! The Captain’s orders are in—don’t get left behind!" shouted the helmsman partnered with the greatsword-wielder. He hauled on the lines to adjust the sails and accelerated, surging past them.

"Damn it!" Asa cursed, yanking on the ropes. The gale caught the sails, filling them instantly, and their sandship jolted forward so violently that Sael, who had been standing proudly at the prow, nearly tumbled overboard.

Oran and Sael turned to glare at him, but they didn't forget to shift their weight and stabilize the ship, finally forcing the bow, which had lifted due to the sheer speed, back down into the sand.

Following the horn's commands, the small sandships surrounding the *Fengshan Maru* accelerated and then fanned out. The flagship had issued an order for a dispersed search; to successfully intercept the Jhen Mohran, the first step was to find its trail.

In an environment like this, with the monsoon blowing and sand clouds filling the sky, airships and hot air balloons faced extreme danger if they attempted to take flight. Furthermore, visibility was incredibly low. To locate a Jhen Mohran hidden within the sandstorm, the fleet had to rely on these swift, agile sandships and the fishing fleets trailing nearby.

After separating from the main fleet and sailing at high speed for some time, they could no longer see any other ships. The only sound remaining in their ears was the howling of the gale.

Asa partially lowered the sails to reduce their speed, steering in a zigzag pattern while trying to keep the ship steady. Oran and Sael adjusted their goggles and face scarves, peering through the blinding sand, alert for any abnormalities.

Time blurred. Perhaps fifteen minutes had passed, perhaps an hour. Oran even began to wonder if the battle had already started back at the flagship, and that their ship had simply lost its way in the sea of sand.

*Thump!*

A dull impact echoed, and the ship shuddered. The sudden change startled the three men.

"What was that?" Sael asked instinctively. "Did we hit a reef?"

"There are no reefs in the sea of sand," Asa muttered. "If we hit a rock, the ship would have capsized long ago."

A few seconds later, another *thump* sounded.

Suddenly realizing something, Asa looked up sharply and shouted, "Check the surroundings! Is there a school of Delex?"

Oran stepped to the railing and, sure enough, saw a triangular dorsal fin, over a meter high, cutting through the sand not far away. Further out, in the areas blurred by the swirling dust, more fins could be seen circling.

"A school of Delex! They're everywhere—there are so many!"

"We hit the jackpot! Fire the signal flares, and make sure to fire a few extra—don't let the wind and sand hide them from the others!"

Asa’s tone was tense, but mostly filled with excitement. "I’m turning around! Hold on tight!"

With that, he yanked the sail ropes and the rudder, and the small ship made a sharp turn, heading back the way they came. As the ship turned, Oran and Sael fired their flares. Feeling one wasn't enough, they each fired another once the first had drifted down.

Soon, a different color of flare rose in the distance. It was the signal from the *Fengshan Maru*, marking its position while calling the scattered sandships to regroup.

Once the task was finished, Sael finally had the chance to ask what was on his mind. "I’ve heard it said that schools of Delex follow the monsoons along with the Jhen Mohran. But is the connection really that tight? Does finding Delex mean finding the Jhen Mohran? We haven't even caught a glimpse of the beast yet..."

He was worried that if they provided false intelligence, it would severely impact the fleet's interception mission.

Asa was too busy maneuvering the ship through the storm to offer a detailed explanation, and even if he had the time, he likely couldn't have explained it clearly.

It was Oran, who had specifically asked Mr. Lamark about this, who understood it best. He took the initiative to speak.

"The idea that Delex arrive with the monsoon is a misconception. In reality, only the Jhen Mohran follows the monsoon, and the reason for that remains unknown. As for the Delex, the monsoon means nothing to them; they are simply following the Jhen Mohran. As the beast cruises through the sea of sand, it swallows minerals, and its massive body churns up organic matter buried deep at the bottom of the dunes. The Delex follow the beast to feed on these nutrients. That is why they appear so plump when they reach the vicinity of Loc Lac—they’ve been stuffing themselves in the Jhen Mohran’s wake the entire journey."

"I see. But why is there so much organic matter settled at the bottom of the sand sea?" Sael's confusion lessened, but new questions surfaced.

Oran pondered. "Well... perhaps it’s because the Great Desert was once an ocean in ancient times? Look at the monsters—the Delex, the Cephadrome, the Gobul—they all show traits of aquatic creatures. However, there is no consensus in the academic community. Let's just call it the wonder of nature."

Before he could finish his sentence, the surrounding dunes began to heave and ripple like true ocean waves.

The next second, a pair of tusks, so massive they seemed unnatural, erupted from the depths of the sand. Then, a shadow as vast as a mountain surged out, flipping and breaching into the air nearly a hundred meters high. Its body blotted out the sky, and for those few seconds, it felt as if night had fallen.

*BOOM!*

The moment the giant body crashed back into the sand, the earth trembled, the sea of sand boiled, and the raging winds seemed to be silenced by the sheer scale of the event. The surging sand waves formed a terrifying tsunami, sweeping across the expanse.

Witnessing such a magnificent spectacle for the first time in his life, Oran could only gape, muttering unconsciously:

"To the wonders of nature..."

"To hell with your wonders! Next time!" Facing the incoming sand wave—no, the tsunami of sand—Asa roared, "If you don't want to die, start helping! We have to ride the sand and accelerate!"