"Don't stop, keep moving!" Saria's voice commanded with unwavering determination.
She stood on the frontmost sand vehicle, her orange eyes gleaming with resolve.
Just as the convoy was about to collide with the still-moving body of the giant beast, she raised her hand.
Despite the rain, the calcium in the sand was being separated.
"Solidify!" Saria's shield slammed down with force, causing the sand vehicle to emit a loud bang.
The driver gritted his teeth, holding the steering wheel tightly.
A white road appeared under the sand vehicle, allowing the convoy to pass over the helplessly wailing body of the beast.
Garde emerged from the beast's body and looked up.
At the horizon, a large and a small crescent moon were about to set.
The sun finally began to rise.
Bang!
As one of the sand vehicles hit the ground, its rain-corroded tires burst, causing it to veer off and fly sideways.
Fortunately, the other vehicles held it back, preventing any injuries to the occupants.
They transferred all usable supplies to the undamaged sand vehicles and abandoned the wrecked one before continuing their journey.
The rain, having arrived swiftly, dissipated just as quickly.
Three hours later, the rain had lessened, and the sun rose higher.
What had been cold rainwater only moments ago now threatened to turn into scalding hot water within half an hour.
All the operators were soaked, and the carriages were filled with water.
As temperatures soared towards noon, two non-combat operators, with weaker constitutions, collapsed.
For the first time, Rhine Lab's operators truly understood the harshness of the Hotlands' weather.
Within an hour, knee-deep water evaporated, revealing the sandy ground beneath.
As the water evaporated, the air became humid and stifling.
The high-temperature steam rendered a car's air conditioning unit useless, prompting the operators to turn off their air conditioning in fear.
But with the noon heat, this left them feeling as if they were on the brink of death.
Luckily, there was still a Caster in the convoy.
"Hmph, it seems like only I can handle this situation."
With a confident smile, Carnelian, who had been itching for action, lightly raised her hand.
A sand fortress large enough to shelter several sand vehicles appeared, blocking the direct sunlight.
"Hooray for Miss Carnelian!"
The operators cheered from their hearts, and Carnelian's smile widened.
Being new to the team, she was still a young girl at heart and delighted by the praise.
However, noticing Garde sitting in the corner with Saria, seemingly oblivious to her efforts, her smile faded.
"That crocodile... Could he actually like that Vouivre woman? Why does he always stick by her side?" Carnelian muttered to herself.
As if sensing her gaze, Saria looked over and nodded at her, which Carnelian took as a provocation.
Had she not known Saria's personality over the past few days, Carnelian would have believed Saria was challenging her.
'Calm down, Carnelian. You just want to learn Columbian from that crocodile man. Don't act like you care about him.'
She took a deep breath to calm herself.
It wasn't that she cared about Garde; she just found it unfair that he treated Saria so well while being so indifferent to her.
Upon reflection, she realized it had nothing to do with her.
She had only known Garde for a few days, so why should he treat her kindly?
Furthermore, an ordinary male Archosauria shouldn't matter to her.
Garde, who was talking to Saria, noticed Carnelian's gaze but didn't pay it much attention.
While he appreciated Carnelian's timely help, it was Saria who was in command of the team, not him.
Even though he might become the Department Head of Rhine Lab Security Department in the future, for now, having Saria's gratitude was sufficient.
He didn't need to involve himself unnecessarily.
The group of Rhine Lab operators huddled inside the sand fortress could clearly see the distant water evaporating rapidly, turning into high-temperature steam.
Only the local beasts, accustomed to such conditions, could survive this harsh environment; those that couldn't adapt had long perished.
The two non-combat operators were clearly suffering from heatstroke. After taking some medication and resting, their complexions improved slightly, but the thought of the journey ahead left them despairing.
If they encountered several more torrential rains like this morning, they might not reach their destination alive.
At this point, there was no room for discouragement.
They understood that retreat was not an option, and voicing negative thoughts would only dampen the team's morale without improving the situation.
This highlighted Saria's approach to team selection: while strength was essential, the most crucial trait was mental fortitude.
Contributions to the team's effort were secondary; the key was not to hinder the group's progress.
After a brief rest, some operators worked together to repair the vehicles.
Normally, on regular terrain, a sand vehicle's tires might show wear and tear after covering more than fifty thousand kilometers.
Here, they had to change tires twice in less than a day.
Moreover, the morning's acid rain had stripped much of the vehicles' paint, and some areas even showed signs of corrosion.
Without specialized repair tools, they could only ignore the less critical damage.
Having weathered the worst part of the day, they prepared to move forward as the sun set.
However, the sky unleashed another downpour.
The temperature dropped sharply; what had been scalding rain in the morning turned into hail in the evening.
They were forced to fortify their position and endure the night.
While the local beasts reveled in the abundant water, for the Rhine Lab operators, it was a long, arduous night.
They began to doubt whether Garde had truly traversed the Hotlands.
But the data he provided had proven accurate during their journey.
So, the skepticism was fleeting, and the group looked at Garde with awe.
How had this crocodile man survived such a hostile place?
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