When Karl returned, his coat was bulging.
He pushed the door open, peered cautiously down the hallway to ensure no one was there, then slipped inside and closed the door behind him.
"Look at this!"
Karl spread his hands, presenting his findings like a treasure.
They were two curved flutes.
Pale yellow and semi-transparent like amber, they emitted a warm, gentle glow under the light filtering through the window.
Lu Yuan took a look.
"Instruments?"
"They aren't ordinary instruments!" Karl lowered his voice, looking mysterious. "These are sandworm tooth flutes!"
He handed one of them to Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan took it; it was surprisingly light in his hand.
The body of the flute was curved like a crescent moon, about a palm's length.
Natural ring-like patterns covered the surface, bearing a striking resemblance to the segments of a sandworm's body.
There were five holes placed irregularly, unlike the even spacing of a normal flute.
At the edge of his vision, greyish-white text quietly appeared:
【Target detected: sandworm tooth flute (Imitation Version)】
【A strange instrument capable of performing Ancient Music Theory】
【It is said that when Ancient Music Theory reaches its peak, blowing this instrument can summon an unexpected existence】
Lu Yuan's gaze lingered on the last line for a moment.
An unexpected existence.
It sounded dangerous, but it also meant it was highly valuable.
"I took them secretly," Karl leaned in, his voice even lower. "Don't tell my grandpa."
Lu Yuan arched an eyebrow.
This kid was quite bold.
"Do you know how to play?"
"Of course!" Karl puffed out his chest. "I am the number one expert of the younger generation in Sandworm Town when it comes to the Song of the Sandworm!"
Lu Yuan's mouth twitched slightly.
The younger generation... how many of them were there even?
However, he didn't say it aloud, merely looking at Karl.
"Demonstrate it for me."
Karl cleared his throat, raised the tooth flute, and brought it to his lips.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Then, he began to play.
The sound was strange.
Deep and long, it carried a certain ancient resonance.
It didn't sound like a typical instrument; it was more like the wail of wind passing through sand dunes, or the faint whispering of something deep beneath the earth.
Lu Yuan noticed that the sand outside the window seemed to vibrate slightly in rhythm with the music.
Karl put down the tooth flute and opened his eyes, a look of pride on his face.
"How was that?"
"It doesn't look difficult."
"Then why don't you try?"
Lu Yuan did not refuse.
He raised the tooth flute, mimicked Karl's posture, and brought it to his lips.
He blew.
No sound came out.
Only a stream of air passed through the holes, making a faint huffing noise.
"No, no," Karl shook his head. "You're using too much force."
Lu Yuan adjusted his breathing and tried again.
This time, there was a sound.
But the noise was sharp and piercing, like an old saw cutting through a bedpost.
Karl covered his ears, a pained expression on his face.
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Lu Yuan lowered the tooth flute and looked at him.
"What happened?"
Karl rubbed his ears, his expression turning serious.
"You don't blow it with your mouth," he said. "You blow it with 'intent'."
"?"
"You have to imagine yourself swimming beneath the sand," Karl gestured. "Feel the flow of the sand, feel the darkness underground... and then express that feeling through the flute."
Lu Yuan was silent for a moment.
Could something like that really be imagined? It was practically a non-explanation.
But he closed his eyes anyway.
The sand.
The flow.
The darkness underground.
He tried to visualize that sensation.
The desert wind, the dry air, and the sand beneath his feet scorching in the sun.
Then, the underground.
Darkness, silence, and tiny grains of sand flowing slowly in the infinite gloom.
Something was traveling through that darkness, a massive body pushing through the soil, swimming in a specific direction.
Lu Yuan raised the tooth flute again.
He blew.
This time, the sound was different.
Deep and intermittent, it sounded like something trying to wake up, or like the desert letting out a soft sigh.
Though it was still rough, it already possessed some of the resonance Karl had displayed.
Outside the window, the sand on the ground vibrated slightly again.
At the edge of his vision, the greyish-white text flickered:
【Ancient Music Theory: +0.1... 0.1/10】
Lu Yuan lowered the tooth flute.
He had actually unlocked a new skill, though the progress was slow.
But it was definitely effective.
Karl's eyes brightened beside him.
"That's amazing! You're learning so fast!"
Lu Yuan didn't respond, merely looking at the tooth flute in his hand. Had his learning speed increased?
Just then, there was a sudden commotion outside.
There were noisy voices and frantic footsteps, as if many people were gathering in the same direction.
Upon hearing this, Karl's eyes lit up immediately.
"The sandworm hunt is starting!"
He quickly hid the tooth flute back in his coat and grabbed Lu Yuan to head out.
"Let's go, hide the flute first, and I'll take you to see!"
Lu Yuan didn't refuse. He tucked the sandworm tooth flute into his clothes and followed Karl out.
At the north side of town, in the stone field.
Lu Yuan followed Karl through several streets until they reached an open space.
This place was different from the rest of the town.
A ring of stones formed a large circle about fifty meters in diameter.
The stones were of varying heights and stacked in layers, with a flat patch of sand in the center.
There were torch sockets on the stones at the edge of the sand, currently unlit.
About thirty or forty townsfolk stood around the outer ring, holding unlit torches with tense expressions.
The sun was scorching, but everyone held their breath in anticipation.
Lu Yuan's gaze swept through the crowd, finally landing on the highest point of the stones.
The Mayor of Sandworm Town was standing there.
In his hand, he held a bone flute that was older and more exquisite than the one Lu Yuan had. The bone had yellowed, and the surface was carved with dense patterns that shimmered faintly in the sunlight.
Lu Yuan noticed that the Mayor's face was even paler than it had been last night.
The dark circles under his eyes were deeper, as if he hadn't slept at all. His stance was somewhat stiff, as if he were enduring some kind of pain.
Herman stood not far away, looking at the Mayor with a complex expression.
Lu Yuan committed that look to memory.
"Begin preparations."
The Mayor's voice came through, raspy and low.
Several strong men carried a large wooden tub into the center of the sandy area.
Inside the tub was a thick liquid that emitted a strange mineral scent mixed with a fishy odor.
"That's the bait," Karl leaned in and explained in a low voice. "It's a mixture of mineral powder and sandworm oil. Sandworms love it, and there are other things mixed in to keep the sandworm calm."
Hearing this, Lu Yuan understood. They were essentially poisoning the sandworm's food.
The bait was poured in the center of the sand, forming a thick, circular pile.
The Mayor nodded.
A townsfolk walked over to the bait stake and began turning the handle.
A low hum vibrated from underground.
The ground began to shake.
At first, it was just a slight tremor, like a carriage passing in the distance. But soon, the vibration became violent.
The sand beneath their feet began to churn.
Everyone tightened their grip on their torches.
"It's coming," Karl's voice was very low.
The center of the sand exploded.
A figure burst out, kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
But this sandworm...
Lu Yuan's brow furrowed.
Its size was small, only about two-thirds of a normal sandworm.
The color was also wrong.
It wasn't the grey-brown he had seen last night, but a blackish-brown, as if it had been soaked in something.
Even more unsettling was that its body was covered in a large amount of pus.
Thick and disgusting, it shimmered with a sickly oily sheen in the sunlight, slowly dripping down the creature's body.
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