A deep, hoarse gasp torn from his throat as he forced himself upright. Every movement was agony—his limbs like lead, his throat raw, his head pounding from dehydration.
Above him, the sandstorm loomed, swallowing the horizon in a rolling wall of darkness. The ground trembled beneath him.
And the thing beneath the sand?
Silent.
Waiting.
His mind screamed at him to run, but his body refused. His legs wobbled beneath him, barely able to keep him upright. His gaze darted across the barren landscape—nothing but sand, stone, and death. No shelter. No escape.
Then—
[Terraforming System Update: New Feature Unlocked – Survival Mode: Water Extraction Available.]
Water.
The word slammed into him like a lifeline. His body craved it, his thoughts blurred with thirst. If the system had unlocked something, it meant survival was possible.
His cracked lips barely moved. "System… activate Water Extraction."
For a moment, nothing happened. Then—a faint hum vibrated through the air, a sensation at the edge of his consciousness. A translucent blue screen flickered before him.
---
Water Extraction – Atmospheric Condensation
[Process: Pulling moisture from the air]
Current Humidity: 1.3% (Critically Low)
Estimated Yield: 50mL per 10 minutes
[Confirm Activation?]
---
Fifty milliliters?
His mind barely processed it, but some logical part of him knew—it was almost nothing. But it was something.
"Yes," he rasped.
A pulse of energy rippled outward. The air shimmered, the surrounding temperature subtly shifting. Slowly—painstakingly—tiny droplets of water condensed from thin air, merging into a small, floating sphere.
The moment it appeared, he grabbed it.
His hands trembled as he brought it to his lips, the droplet barely enough to coat his tongue.
But the moment it touched his mouth—
His entire body shuddered.
It was cool. Pure. The best thing he had ever tasted.
Too little.
Nowhere near enough.
The system continued extracting, but the process was slow. He forced himself to focus on the next step—if he didn't find shelter soon, the storm or the cold would kill him first.
His eyes scanned the dunes, desperate for anything. Then—a cluster of stones. Half-buried. Not much, but better than nothing.
His body protested every step, his feet dragging through the sand, but he pushed forward. When he reached the stones, he collapsed to his knees, digging blindly.
The sand was loose, but below—packed, stable ground. He clawed at it, pulling free stones, digging deeper. He wasn't building a shelter—just a hole deep enough to survive in.
Minutes passed.
The wind howled.
Finally, he had something—a shallow pit, barely big enough to curl into. It wasn't enough, but it had to be.
[System Notification: Water Extraction Complete.]
Another droplet.
He caught it, swallowed it instantly. Still not enough. But at least he wasn't dying yet.
For a moment, he let himself breathe.
Then—
A vibration.
Not from the storm.
From the ground.
His blood turned to ice.
Slowly, he turned his head.
Just beyond his pit, the sand was shifting. Swelling. Rippling.
As if something enormous was moving just beneath.
His instincts screamed—run. But he couldn't. He knew now—they hunted by movement.
He went completely still.
The sand split open.
A massive, segmented form emerged—dark, ridged, glistening beneath the dying sunlight. No eyes. No mouth. Just a featureless, armored thing, its front swaying, as if sniffing the air.
His breath stopped.
The storm howled, dust and sand pelting his skin. The creature's body loomed over him, towering like a nightmare given form.
[Basic Scan Activated.]
✔ Analyzing unknown lifeform…
✔ Processing environmental data…
A new window appeared.
[Basic Scan Results]
Species: Dormant Class Predator (Designation Unknown)
Size: 4.3 meters (Exposed)
Lifespan Estimate: ???
Threat Level: Medium (If Provoked)
Hunting Method: Thermal & Motion Detection
Primary Function: Sustains itself on trace organic energy & geothermal heat.
System Analysis:
✔ Creature is adapted for extreme environments.
✔ Limited metabolism—can survive long periods without food.
✔ Not actively hostile unless disturbed.
[Further data unavailable – Scan Rank Too Low]
His stomach twisted.
It wasn't hunting him.
It was observing.
It must have sensed his heat signature or the energy from the system, but without enough movement to confirm him as prey…
It was hesitating.
He barely breathed.
He stayed frozen, waiting, heart pounding.
The wind screamed through the dunes.
Then—
The temperature dropped.
Not just a little.
All at once.
His breath froze mid-inhale.
The sun, once a merciless firebrand, had vanished behind the storm.
[System Notification: Extreme Temperature Drop Detected – Immediate Shelter Required.]
Teeth clenched, he buried himself deeper, pulling loose sand over his body like insulation. It wouldn't be enough, but he had no choice.
The wind shrieked, the cold gnawed at his flesh, and exhaustion crashed over him like a wave.
The system notifications flickered before his eyes.
[Water Extraction: 10% Complete.]
[Shelter Mode: Locked.]
[Terraforming Rank: F (0%)]
Not enough.
Not yet.
But he wasn't dead.
And as long as he was alive—
He would fight.
Survive. No matter what.