Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 17

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 17

Aura was emanating from Gawain’s clenched fists.

His aura was more intense and splendid than that of Klayne or Mashimoto. It was proof that his rank was higher than theirs.

His rank surpassed even Zeon’s.

Purely in terms of ability, Zeon couldn’t possibly defeat him.

But this was the desert.

And the entire desert was Zeon’s stage and canvas.

Here, he could paint any picture he desired.

Swoosh!

Walls of sand suddenly rose from all directions, shielding Zeon. Yet, they shattered under Gawain’s fists.

Unfazed, Zeon countered with Sand Missiles.

It was the same technique he used to eliminate Klayne.

“No way.”

Gawain sung his fist, shattering the Sand Missiles.

He had observed Zeon’s attack strategy while witnessing Klayne’s demise.

“Surrender!”

Gawain, having neutralized the Sand Missiles, closed in on Zeon. He swung a massive fist towards him.

“Hmph!”

Suddenly, with a burst of energy, Zeon vanished from Gawain’s sight.

A massive pit formed beneath Zeon, swiftly sucking him in.

The suddenness left Gawain bewildered.

Zeon fired Sand Missiles from under Gawain’s feet.

Boom!

The explosions caused Gawain to stagger.

“Grr!”

Gawain hunched, minimizing the impact, thanks to his strong resilience as a D-rank Awakened and reinforcing his body as an aura.

That allowed him to withstand the indiscriminate sand missile bombardment to an extent. However, he knew that continually enduring such a barrage would cost him his life without a chance to retaliate.

Gawain gritted his teeth.

“Don’t underestimate me! Aargh!”

He roared, slamming his fist into the ground.

Crack!

A shockwave, his skill, Shockwave, erupted, flipping the entire area’s sand upside down.

Even the pit where Zeon was hiding couldn’t escape the Shockwave.

“Argh!”

Zeon’s brain was concussed by the Shockwave.

Blood vessels burst in his eyes and eardrums.

Caught off guard by Gawain’s unexpected retaliation, Zeon staggered.

Not missing a beat, Gawain leaped into the pit.

“It’s over, you brat!”

He unleashed a Shockwave towards Zeon.

A direct hit would be fatal for Zeon.

“Yah!”

At that moment, sand surrounding them poured into the pit along with Zeon.

The mound of sand surged like a wave, engulfing Gawain and Zeon.

The sand’s impact canceled Gawain’s Shockwave.

“Ugh!”

Gawain, who was suddenly buried alive in the sand, quickly came to his senses.

A vast amount of sand pressed against his body.

He first checked for Zeon’s presence in the surroundings. Yet, he felt no sign of Zeon anywhere.

It was evident that Zeon had escaped the sand pit.

‘That little rat…!’

Gawain trembled, struggling to stand.

Boom!

As he unleashed Shockwave, the immense amount of sand covering him exploded.

Gawain, preparing for Zeon’s next attack, was wary above the sand pit.

Puff!

Suddenly, an immense pain struck his lower body.

“What…?”

With disbelief, he looked down.

A dozen thorns were piercing through his lower body and abdomen. They were thorns made of sand.

He had only anticipated attacks from above, neglecting any preparation for attacks while inside the pit.

He had assumed Zeon had already escaped.

That was when, suddenly, Zeon rose from the pit’s floor.

“Urgh! You?”

Gawain spat blood, staring at Zeon.

He truly hadn’t expected Zeon to deceive his senses and hide within the pit. That made it even more shocking.

The ability to manipulate sand so freely was a power possessed by only one.

“You, could it be… a Sand Mage?”

“Yes!”

“Crazy bastard To awaken such a deceitful ability. Argh!”

Gawain spat blood once more.

At that moment, Zeon asserted dominance. Consequently, the sand thorns that had pierced Gawain’s body collapsed, turning back into grains of sand.

With the sand thorns that supported his body gone, Gawain crumbled too, never to move again.

“Phew!”

A relieved Zeon finally sat down on the ground.

In truth, the last skill Zeon used to attack Gawain was an improvisation.

It was a spur-of-the-moment method that occurred when his life was at stake.

There was no guarantee this gamble would work, but he trusted his instincts.

Instead of escaping the pit, he hid under Gawain, concealing his presence within the sand.

If Gawain had noticed even a bit, it would’ve been over.

A direct hit from the Shockwave at such close range would’ve instantly taken Zeon’s life.

“Huff! Huff!”

Zeon gasped for breath.

“You bastard!”

“I’m dead!”

Scavengers, emerging from the pit, launched a joint attack.

Zeon, taken aback, looked just as their weapons were about to hit him.

There was no time to evade.

At that moment, Zeon contemplated death.

Swoosh!

An intangible force swept over Zeon’s head.

Boom!

The Scavengers attacking Zeon staggered and fell under the force.

Their spilled blood covered Zeon.

“Ah!”

Spitting out their blood, Zeon only grimaced.

At that moment, Dyoden’s voice reached his ears.

“You let your guard down when there are still enemies left.”

Zeon lowered his head deeply.

He had no words, even if he was cursed out.

“You still have a long way to go, you idiot!”

Dyoden’s words felt like a dagger to Zeon’s chest.

***

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Dyoden wielded Kreion.

Using Kreion, he shot out a sword energy, swiftly eliminating all the enemies attacking Zeon.

Dyoden’s prowess in hurling Kreion dozens of meters away was truly impressive. However, Pavilsa was astonished not by Dyoden but by Zeon.

“Good Lord! An Awakened who can manipulate sand?”

While wandering the desert for many years and encountering numerous Awakened, Pavilsa had never encountered a Sand Awakened. It was beyond his imagination.

Pavilsa glanced at Dyoden.

Dyoden still wore an unsatisfied expression.

Dyoden wasn’t pleased that Zeon, by making a mistake at the end, had caused the crisis.

‘Seems like that monster I heard about is indeed accompanying him.’

Now, Dyoden seemed to understand why Zeon was traveling with Dyoden.

In a desertified world, the most powerful entity was undoubtedly a Sand Mage.

Although Zeon’s abilities weren’t as strong as expected, the potential for growth was limitless.

After dealing with all the Scavengers, Zeon walked unsteadily towards the Archelon. His face showed signs of exhaustion.

For this one battle, Zeon had given everything he had.

Imagination, mana, every drop of physical energy had been squeezed out.

Fighting with monsters was tough, but battling humans was tougher.

“Phew!”

Exhaling heavily, Zeon ascended the Archelon.

“Good job.”

“You did well.”

Pavilsa and Kailey greeted him, but Dyoden was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Dyoden?”

“He went inside. He said that his eyes were about to rot…”

“Haa!”

As Zeon sighed, Pavilsa chuckled and said.

“His standards are just too high. You fought well.”

“Yes.”

“You’ve worked hard, go in and rest.”

He nodded to Kailey.

Kailey approached Zeon.

“Let’s go! I will guide you to your quarters.”

“Thank you.”

Zeon followed Kailey without hesitation.

She led him to a small room tucked away in a corner.

“Rest here. I’ll bring you something simple to eat.”

“Yes!”

Kailey left Zeon alone and stepped out.

Zeon sat on a bed made of stone, staring at his hands.

Rattle!

His hands were shaking as if he had a tremor.

Today, he killed numerous people.

Though they were Scavengers, they were undoubtedly people, just like him.

Taking the lives of those like himself caused significant mental anguish.

While he had killed before, it felt different now.

Back then, it was survival amidst a struggle, unintentionally causing deaths. Now, it was a systematic plan resulting in countless deaths.

The guilt was immense.

“Still, I have to get over this, right?”

Zeon steadied his trembling emotions.

He couldn’t keep blaming himself forever.

In this harsh world, one had to shed guilt to survive.

Although momentarily shaken, Zeon understood the laws of such a world long ago.

“Haa!”

His trembling hands rapidly calmed down.

Now, he had a moment to reflect on the recent battle with the Scavengers.

***

Pavilsa entered the room where Dyoden was resting in without knocking.

Dyoden was staring fixedly at Kreion, placed on his knees.

Pavilsa spoke up.

“Kreion has changed.”

“I infused it with the heart of a Flame Drake.”

“You granted Kreion the fire attribute? That’s quite the experiment.”

“For a hundred years, I’ve never forgotten my goal, not for a single moment.”

“Phew! A hundred years is plenty of time to forget everything.”

Pavilsa sighed.

His face darkened with a deep shadow.

He felt ashamed.

He had buried memories of that day, dismissing it as an unavoidable event, a catastrophe beyond human capacity to handle.

Instead, he focused solely on the protection and prosperity of the Motte Tribe.

Even while he was living only for his tribe’s welfare, Dyoden lived for a single purpose.

Such dedication wasn’t something anyone could do.

At least, among the people Pavilsa knew, Dyoden was the only one.

That’s why he seemed foolish yet admirable.

Pavilsa said.

“Give me Kreion.”

“…”

“In its current state, using Kreion might harm it. I’ll get the kids to stabilize it”

The heart of the Flame Drake contained tremendous fiery power, akin to a living furnace.

Absorbing such flames had pushed Kreion’s tolerance to its limits.

Without stabilizing it now, its strength would significantly diminish.

Dyoden handed Kreion to Pavilsa.

The moment he received it, Pavilsa staggered; Kreion’s weight was enormous.

This sword bore the weight of Dyoden’s entire life.

The man who had lived a hundred years with this sword, pursuing one and one goal only.

That man was Dyoden.

[Translator – Peptobismol]