Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 18

The Motte Tribe aboard the Archelon possessed exceptional abilities in crafting and enhancing items.

They are talented individuals who would receive great treatment if they entered Neo Seoul. These same talented individuals were given the order to stabilize Kreion.

Not only did these skilled individuals meticulously disassemble Kreion, but they also repaired damaged parts, making it appear as good as new.

Kailey attempted to add another enchantment to Kreion, but the sword already had numerous enchantments, rendering it impossible to add any more.

With an incredulous expression, Kailey asked Pavilsa.

“What on earth is this sword? I’ve never seen anything like it. Are you sure it was created by humans?”

“Kreion is a masterpiece born from one man’s persistence and dedication.”

“Are you sure it was really made by a human?”

“Yes.”

“Who exactly?”

“Kreion!”

“What?”

“Kreion forged this sword.”

“So, the sword is named after the person who created it?”

“That’s correct.”

“Why…”

“Enough! I cannot reveal more than that.”

“Ah!”

Kailey wore a disappointed expression as Pavilsa firmly drew the line.

Pavilsa stored Kreion in the scabbard and headed towards Dyoden.

Dyoden was already prepared to depart, accompanied by Zeon.

Pavilsa said as he handed over Kreion.

“It has been refurbished to be as good as new.”

“Thank you.”

Dyoden’s expression of gratitude caught Pavilsa off guard.

It was the first time in a century that he had expressed thanks.

Dyoden was never one to say thank you or express gratitude to anyone.

Because he believed everyone in the world was not worthy, including himself, to be treated well. Naturally, this also included Pavilsa.

For Pavilsa, it was an unprecedented event.

Pavilsa cautiously said.

“You speak as if we will never meet again.”

“Probably. I doubt we’ll meet again while we’re alive.”

“Hmm!”

“Farewell, Pavilsa! Thank you for everything.”

Dyoden chuckled as he rose to his feet.

Pavilsa, overwhelmed by his aura, found himself unable to say anything for a moment.

For him, being rendered speechless was indeed a rare occurrence.

While gazing at Dyoden for a moment, Pavilsa instructed Kailey to bring some items.

Items essential for surviving in the desert, such as a tent that concealed presence from monsters, a dagger with enhanced cutting power, a large jar for carrying water, and magic stones that could be used as a substitute for currency.

“Take them. They might not be of much help, but someday you might find them useful.”

Dyoden, glancing at the items for a moment, told Zeon.

“I don’t need them, so you carry them all in your subspace artifact.”

“Yes!”

Zeon infused mana into his gauntlet, activating the subspace artifact.

The items lying around were all swallowed up by the subspace artifact.

Zeon looked at his gauntlet with an amazed expression.

At that moment, Kailey spoke up,

“Oh! This too.”

She held out the breastplate made from the Queen Wolf Ant’s carcass and presented it to Dyoden.

It was an item designed to perfectly protect the chest and abdomen while allowing movement without any discomfort.

Even though she couldn’t enchant it due to time constraints, the armor made from the Queen Wolf Ant’s carcass provided formidable defense.

Dyoden said.

“Give that to him.”

“Right! This was for Zeon.”

“Yes! I still can’t protect myself like an idiot, so I’ll just have to carry this armor around.”

“Haha, alright.”

Kailey handed Zeon the breastplate without any further questions.

“Here!”

“Ah, thank you.”

Zeon took the breastplate.

Without a doubt, if it were someone else, they might have felt a blow to their pride. However, Zeon was more grateful for having one more means to protect his life than concerned about his pride.

As Dyoden had said, he did not yet have the abilities necessary to survive. He needed all the protection he could get until he was strong enough.

In particular, he could’ve really used this protective gear during his fight with the Scavengers.

Zeon wore the armor beneath his robe.

Just by wearing the armor, he felt significantly more secure.

Dyoden said.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes!”

Zeon replied, and they both disembarked from Archelon.

Pavilsa and Kailey watched the two figures depart.

Both of them walked away without looking back.

By the time they disappeared from view, Kailey asked Pavilsa,

“Grandpa!”

“Why do you go so far for him? Did you find some weakness in him, perhaps?”

The Pavilsa she knew was not someone who would go to such lengths to help and care for someone.

The most important thing to Pavilsa was his tribe.

She couldn’t fathom why Pavilsa, who saw everyone else as tools to be used, would extend such generosity towards Dyoden.

Pavilsa’s answer was straightforward.

“I and the world are indebted to him.”

“Indebted? How so?”

“Everyone, including me, has been avoiding the truth and living cowardly lives. But he’s different.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s the only one facing the truth and moving forward. For a hundred years. Regardless of his situation, how could you not respect such a man? He’s the only person I respect and fear.”

“I don’t understand what Grandpa is saying.”

“You don’t need to. It’s a truth I don’t want you to know. But promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“Zeon is the one Dyoden chose to be his companion. If you ever see him again, please help him. It’s the only way we can somewhat repay our debt to Dyoden.”

The atmosphere around Pavilsa was so heavy that Kailey didn’t dare to ask any more questions.

***

Dyoden and Zeon, having left Archelon and headed eastward.

Dyoden hadn’t disclosed their destination to Zeon, simply striding forward silently.

Zeon didn’t inquire either.

Now, he just mechanically followed Dyoden.

Despite walking through the desert all day, he didn’t feel tired at all.

The sand itself propelled Zeon forward, leaving him only the task of managing his mana to ensure it didn’t deplete, a task quite challenging but now familiar.

Mana was an amazing phenomena, and the more one used it, the more its capacity increased, an intriguing discovery for Zeon. Hence, during rest times, he made it a habit to deplete mana to the bottom.

He constantly used his skills like the Sand Blaster, Sand Missile, and Sand Manipulation to increase their proficiency.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

The fight against the Scavengers was a major turning point for Zeon that made him realize his infinite potential.

He constantly replayed the fight against the Scavengers, checking for any mistakes he made, and thought about how to use the sand more efficiently.

As he trained with sand day and night, his skills improved dramatically.

Walking through the desert, he was frequently attacked by the monsters.

Dyoden did not lift a finger, and it was up to Zeon to deal with the monsters.

Now that he had gained quite a lot of experience, Zeon faced the monsters without panic.

As he continued, he displayed all the tricks he could imagine against the monsters, increasing his skill proficiency.

Now, Zeon could use Sand Strides, and execute Sand Blaster and Sand Missiles at the same time. He also learned many other skills.

Observing Zeon’s progress, Dyoden watched with an indifferent expression.

Boom!

A dozen or so monsters collapsed due to Zeon’s Sand Missiles.

These were Ghost Scorpions, hiding in the sand and attacking with venomous stingers,

Among the monsters that inhabit the desert, it belonged to the lower ranks.

They were extremely dangerous if they were not detected in advance, as they would hide in the sand and then attack by surprise.

However, despite their attempt at stealth, they couldn’t conceal the minute vibrations carried by the sand particles.

Kaboom!

As soon as the Ghost Scorpion emerged through the sand, its head was obliterated.

Many more met their end at Zeon’s hands.

The ground was littered with the remains of shattered Ghost Scorpions.

“Hmph!”

Dyoden snorted and turned away.

Zeon still didn’t meet his standards. Still, it was worth praising him for not letting his guard down until the end.

Now, Zeon never lets down his guard no matter what.

‘At least, now he’s not a complete newbie.’

Feeling prideful that the learning effect was working, Dyoden continued walking.

After clearing all the Ghost Scorpions, Zeon promptly caught up with him.

Despite facing numerous Ghost Scorpions, Zeon’s breath didn’t even become heavy.

He didn’t even look happy.

Now it had become a natural thing for him to hunt down monsters of this level.

“Hmm?”

Walking alongside Dyoden, Zeon suddenly exclaimed, spotting a large rock in the distance.

Such protruding rocks in a world mostly composed of sand were exceptionally rare and valuable as shelter. This was because monsters that move beneath the sand, like Sandworms, could not approach it.

It might have been part of a massive rock formation buried in the sand, similar to the Mana Stone Mines Zeon had worked in.

Dyoden said.

“Seems like something that was buried in the sand has revealed itself. Let’s rest here for today.”

“Yes!”

The two sat down on the large rock.

Without a word, they both took out jerky from their pouches.

Chewing slowly and sufficiently moistening it with saliva before swallowing, they consumed the high-nutrient jerky made from the meat of a large horned hyena.

A single piece provided enough energy for a day, but for Zeon, who’s still in his growing phase, one piece wasn’t enough.

He reached for another piece and put it in his mouth, observing his surroundings.

Before long, the sun had set, plunging the desert into darkness.

It was silent in the desert surrounded in darkness.

Most monsters ceased activity, seeking refuge for sleep. Night in the desert was perilous even for the monsters.

Zeon had now realized that monsters active at night tended to be stronger.

While not a problem for powerful individuals like Dyoden, for Zeon, it was a matter of survival.

Kuooh!

The roar of a monster echoed through the darkness.

It was the roar of a colossal creature usually active at night.

Zeon furrowed his brow and looked at the place where the roar came from.

It was clear that the sound came far from the rock where the two were resting. As long as the monster didn’t approach directly, there seemed little reason to worry.

Unconcerned about the monster’s roar, Dyoden withdrew Kreion and drove it firmly into the rock.

Thud!

The Kreion sank into the hard rock, almost like piercing tofu.

After placing Kreion on the rock, Dyoden engaged in conversation with the sword.

“My friend…”

Though a sight witnessed countless times, it still didn’t feel familiar. So Zeon tuned out Dyoden completely, focusing on the gauntlet strapped to his right hand.

As someone who wielded sand as a weapon, Zeon had never directly swung the gauntlet. Hence, he hadn’t truly felt the gauntlet’s power.

Its most practical feature was the subspace attached to the gauntlet.

Zeon stored all usable parts from the carcasses of monsters he hunted in this subspace.

The subspace was unaffected by passage of time or changes in the environment, allowing items to be stored indefinitely.

Moreover, the subspace was like an endless warehouse. Even after storing many items, there was ample space left—a remarkably versatile item.

Zeon caressed the concave part on the back of his hand.

“By equipping a fire attribute item here, the power can be amplified.”

The mention of a fire attribute item reminded Dyoden of the dungeon where he had defeated the Flame Drake—the dungeon that had swallowed Zeon.

All creatures within that dungeon possessed a fire attribute.

If only he had known that he would acquire such a gauntlet earlier, he might have searched for useful items there.

“Tsk!”

Since there was no use in crying over spilled milk, Zeon merely clicked his tongue.

That’s when it happened.

Kwooahhh!

“Over here!”

“Escape to that place!”

The roar of a monster and the desperate voices of people were heard at the same time.

Shortly after, four figures emerged through the darkness. However, their appearance was peculiar.

Their brown skin tanned by the sun, coupled with clothes made from monster hides, somewhat resembled humans. But their pointed ears and violet irises were definitely not human traits.

“A different race?”

[Translator – Peptobismol]

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