Dominion Bond System: The Only Man Left Has A Yandere Girlfriend

Chapter 81: Let’s Dance

[Shadow Step.]

Reiji stepped into the deep blue gate.

As expected, the portal immediately changed.

[C+ Rank Gate]

[Status: Unstable.]

Reiji blinked.

Not because of the system notification... but because of where he now stood.

"...A desert?"

Golden sand stretched endlessly in every direction.

The scorching sun hung high overhead, radiating unbearable heat across the barren landscape. Waves of hot air distorted the horizon, making distant dunes appear as though they were melting into the sky.

Reiji instinctively turned around. The portal had already disappeared.

He wasn’t surprised.

"...One of those types."

There were Gates that remained connected to Earth.

Then there were isolated Gates like this one.

The only way out was to kill the Boss Monster.

He slowly removed his hoodie before stuffing it into his Inventory. Next came the baseball cap and gloves.

After hesitating for a second, he removed his black T-shirt as well, leaving only a thin black singlet clinging to his upper body.

"Much better."

Even then, sweat quickly formed along his forehead.

The heat here was unlike anything he had experienced on Earth.

It wasn’t merely hot the air itself seemed intent on draining every ounce of moisture from his body.

Reiji narrowed his eyes and looked toward the endless dunes.

"So... Which way?"

Everything looked exactly the same.bThere wasn’t a single landmark.

No mountains. No trees. Nothing but endless waves of sand.

After thinking briefly, Reiji chose a direction at random and began walking.

*Crunch!*

*Crunch!*

Every step sank several inches into the loose sand. The silence surrounding him felt unnatural.

There was no wind. No insects. No cries of birds overhead.

Only the steady sound of his own footsteps echoed across the empty desert.

Ten minutes passed. Nothing.

Twenty. Still nothing. Thirty. Not even a single monster.

Reiji frowned. "This isn’t normal."

A C-Rank Gate shouldn’t be this empty. Especially a C+.

He activated Detect Presence.

Still nothing. Not a single lifeform entered his perception.

"...Weird." He muttered but kept on walking.

The heat became increasingly oppressive.

Sweat rolled down his neck before evaporating almost instantly.

Fortunately, his enhanced Vitality made dehydration far less dangerous than it would’ve been for an ordinary person.

Otherwise, he would’ve collapsed long ago.

After another fifteen minutes, Reiji stopped beside a small dune and looked around once more.

Still nothing.

He sighed. "I should’ve brought sunglasses."

The sunlight reflecting off the endless sea of sand made his eyes ache.

He reached into his Inventory, pulled out a bottle of water, and drank several mouthfuls before storing it away again.

"...At least the Inventory keeps things cold."

That was one pleasant surprise. The water tasted as though it had just come out of a refrigerator.

After resting for another minute, he resumed walking.

As time passed, strange formations gradually began appearing throughout the desert.

Massive skeletons protruded from the sand.

Some belonged to creatures resembling gigantic reptiles.

Others looked vaguely humanoid.

Several skulls alone were larger than trucks.

Reiji slowed his pace. "...Something hunted these."

The bones had long since turned white beneath the relentless sun.

Most bore deep bite marks.

Others had been snapped clean in half.

Whatever had killed them possessed terrifying jaw strength.

He crouched beside one of the skeletons and brushed away some sand.

The ribs were thicker than concrete pillars.

Yet something had crushed them effortlessly.

"Hmm..." He stood back up.

If monsters this large had once roamed the desert... then the Boss Monster was probably even bigger.

Another thirty minutes passed. The sun hadn’t moved an inch. Time itself felt frozen inside the Gate.

Reiji frowned. "I’ve been walking for almost an hour..."

Yet nothing attacked him. Not even an insect. The desert remained eerily silent.

Then...

*Crunch!*

Reiji froze.

That sound...

Hadn’t come from his footsteps. He slowly looked downward. The sand beneath his boots shifted ever so slightly.

"...Finally."

The movement spread outward. More sand trembled. Then another patch. And another.

Within seconds the ground all around him began vibrating.

Reiji calmly reached over his shoulder.

From his Inventory, the long bone sword appeared in his hand.

The familiar weight immediately brought back memories.

The countless battles he’d fought with it. A small smile appeared on his face.

"...It’s been a while."

He slowly rolled his shoulder. The sword felt surprisingly natural in his grip.

Almost as though it had been waiting for him.

Then...

BOOOOOOM!!

The desert exploded.

Sand shot dozens of meters into the air.

A gigantic creature burst from beneath the surface.

Its body resembled an enormous earthworm over ten meters long.

Its pale skin glistened beneath the sunlight.

Instead of a face, it possessed a horrifying circular mouth lined with hundreds of rotating teeth.

The green translucent screen floated above its head.

[Serpent Worm (C)]

*SHRIEEEK!*

The monster let out a shrill screech before lunging directly toward Reiji.

Its mouth widened.

Rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth spun violently, capable of shredding solid steel.

Reiji didn’t move.

He simply watched it approach.

"...Haha too slow."

At the very last second...

[Shadow Step.]

His figure vanished.

The Serpent Worm crashed straight through the spot where he’d been standing.

Before it could burrow underground again...

A silver arc flashed through the air.

*SHING!!*

The bone sword sliced cleanly across the creature’s neck.

For one brief moment nothing happened.

Then...

Its massive body split cleanly into two.

Both halves crashed heavily onto the sand.

Blood poured across the desert before quickly soaking into the ground.

Ding!

[Host has killed a C-Rank Serpent Worm!]

[+43 EXP]

Reiji flicked the blood from the bone sword before resting it across his shoulder.

"...I missed using you."

Compared to magic there was something satisfying about ending a battle with a single clean slash.

He had almost forgotten that feeling.

Just then... the desert trembled again.

*RUMBLEEE!*

Then dozens of ripples spread beneath the sand.

Reiji slowly lifted his head. "...Not one?"

BOOOOOOM!!

The ground erupted.

Another Serpent Worm emerged. Then another. Then five more.

Sand exploded in every direction as enormous pale bodies burst from beneath the dunes.

Within seconds more than twenty gigantic Serpent Worms surrounded him from every direction.

Their circular mouths opened simultaneously.

Hundreds of rotating teeth produced an eerie grinding sound that echoed throughout the endless desert.

Reiji stab the sand with his sword and slowly loosened his neck.

*Crack!*

Then rolled his shoulders.

*Crack!*

A calm smile spread across his face as he picked up the sword. His grip tightened around the bone sword.

The scorching wind swept across the battlefield.

Though he could use magic as a mage and wipe the worms out but that definitely won’t be as fun.

The desert fell deathly silent once more.

Only the shifting sand betrayed the monsters’ movements.

Massive ripples raced beneath the dunes as the Serpent Worms circled their prey, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Reiji’s gaze calmly swept across the battlefield.

"...Twenty?"

He counted at least that many.

Perhaps more still lurked beneath the sand.

The creatures had surrounded him completely.

No matter which direction he looked, another ripple waited.

There was nowhere to run. Not that he planned to.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. This was exactly what he had hoped for. A straightforward battle.

No traps. No complicated abilities.

Just him and his blade. His fingers tightened around the bone sword’s hilt.

The familiar weight steadied his breathing. For the first time since entering the Gate he felt truly alive.

*SHRIEEEEEEEK!!!*

The Serpent Worms let out a piercing shriek as they all lunged together.

Reiji lowered his stance. His eyes sharpened.

"...Let’s dance."