Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 239

Graaang!

A strange roar echoed through the NSSC headquarters.

“What’s going on?”

The Awakeneds guarding the NSSC headquarters looked puzzled.

In an instant, the face of the Awakeneds in charge of the barrier turned pale.

“They’re disabling the barrier from outside.”

“What?”

“Is that even possible?”

The Awakeneds stared at the main entrance in shock.

Forcing the barrier to deactivate wasn’t easy. Disabling a powerful barrier like the one protecting the NSSC headquarters was even more difficult.

“Of all times, they choose now to attack? Could they have planned this?”

Most of the NSSC’s forces had been dispatched to respond to the terrorist attack.

Only about a dozen Awakeneds remained at the NSSC headquarters.

Boom!

At that moment, with a loud explosion, the barrier protecting the NSSC shattered into pieces.

“Argh!”

The Awakeneds in charge of the barrier collapsed, severely shaken.

At that very moment, the Pegasus Raid Force’s Awakeneds stormed through the main entrance.

“You think you’ll get away with this?”

“Damn it!”

The NSSC Awakeneds bravely confronted the intruders.

They unleashed their most powerful skills, trying desperately to hold them off. But they were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of Awakeneds surging in like a tidal wave.

“Aaagh!”

“Please, spare me!”

Their desperate cries were soon drowned out.

In an instant, the Pegasus Raid Force subdued the NSSC Awakeneds and made their way underground.

Bronson shouted.

“We’ve got thirty minutes. The Raid Team and Rescue Team, kill Zeon. The Expedition Team, erase all the evidence.”

“Yes, sir!”

The Pegasus Raid Force moved with precision.

Killing Zeon was important, but leaving no evidence behind was even more crucial.

If the City Hall discovered that the Pegasus Raid Force had attacked the NSSC headquarters, there would surely be retaliation.

They needed to meticulously erase any evidence to prevent the City Hall from getting involved.

The Expedition Team, skilled at finding traces, were also adept at erasing them without leaving a single clue behind.

While the Expedition Team began their task of erasing evidence, Bronson led the Raid and Rescue Teams deeper underground.

A long corridor with pristine white walls stretched before them.

There wasn’t a speck of dust, let alone sand, in sight.

It was a scene that perfectly matched the nickname “Clean Room.”

They had only just entered, yet their mana was already stiffening, refusing to flow. The walls were lined with intricate runes that suppressed mana.

Of course, they were prepared for this.

“Activate your mana control bracelets, everyone.”

Each of the intruders wore a simple bracelet on their wrists.

This device prevented external barriers or formations from interfering with the wearer’s mana.

With these bracelets, they could use their abilities freely, even within the Clean Room.

The Awakeneds quickly reached the deepest part of the NSSC prison.

The air was chilly.

A suffocating heaviness filled the entire corridor.

The last cell at the end of the corridor came into view.

“That’s the one.”

“Break down the door.”

Bang!

With a thunderous crash, the door was blown off its hinges.

The Awakeneds stormed into the room.

But their faces quickly turned to confusion.

“He’s not here?”

“What’s going on? Why is it empty?”

The cell, which should have held their target, was completely empty.

The Awakeneds were bewildered by the unexpected situation.

“What’s going on?”

Bronson, who had been following leisurely, pushed past the Awakeneds to enter the cell.

When he saw the empty cell, his expression mirrored that of the others.

“Where’s Zeon? Why isn’t he here?”

“Well…”

The Awakeneds couldn’t answer.

Just then—

Creak!

The sound of a door opening echoed from the corridor.

Everyone’s gaze instinctively turned toward the entrance. It was the first cell they had passed.

The door to the first cell opened, and two figures stepped out.

It was Zeon and Eloy.

Bronson frowned.

“What’s going on? Why are you coming out of there? Did the NSSC move you?”

“We just moved ourselves. It seemed like a better place to confront you.”

“Bullshit! You’re locked up! How could you possibly do that without using mana?”

“Wandering around here and there, I’ve picked up a few tricks. Opening a door like this is nothing.”

Bronson’s expression twisted further at Zeon’s response.

“Moving cells on your own doesn’t change anything. You’re going to die here today.”

“Why doesn’t it change anything? If we were in the last cell, we’d be surrounded, but here, it’s us who have you surrounded.”

“Surrounded?”

“Think about it from a different perspective. Are you surrounding us, or are we surrounding you? I’d say it’s the latter.”

“Even so, what can you do, you halfwit who can’t even use mana? Kill him.”

At Bronson’s command, the Awakened charged at Zeon and Eloy.

“Kill them!”

“Yaaaah!”

The Awakeneds charged at Zeon and Eloy with battle cries.

As Zeon stepped forward to meet them, he muttered to himself.

“They don’t know the basics. The one who secures the advantageous position ultimately controls the battle.”

Not all Awakeneds were equal.

Those who truly knew how to fight understood the importance of seizing the high ground.

The NSSC prison was structured with cells lining a long, narrow corridor.

The corridor was so tight that if two or three adult men walked shoulder to shoulder, they would barely fit.

No matter how many hundreds of them there were, only the two or three at the front could engage at a time.

If they had remained in the last cell, they would have been overwhelmed by the continuous flood of enemies, but by moving to the entrance, they could push the attackers back.

That was why Zeon had unlocked the door and moved after Lee Ji-ryeong left.

The Pegasus Raid Force didn’t know how bewildered Eloy had been when Zeon suddenly opened the door and decided to change cells.

“You bastards! Let’s have some fun.”

Eloy, despite not being able to use mana, leaped at the Awakeneds with her bare fists.

She didn’t hesitate to throw herself into the fray.

The space was limited, and so were the skills they could use.

The magic-type Awakeneds couldn’t attack freely without risking their comrades.

In the end, the martial-type Awakeneds had to lead the charge.

Even without weapons or mana, Eloy was formidable.

Born a half-elf, she had trained her body more rigorously than others.

Her entire body was a weapon.

Crunch!

“Ugh!”

Eloy’s elbow shattered the nose of the lead Awakened who had charged at her.

The Awakened collapsed with a groan.

He had underestimated Eloy, thinking she was weak without her mana, and paid the price.

Eloy grabbed the fallen Awakened’s wrist and twisted it.

Crack!

“Aaagh!”

With a sickening snap, the Awakened’s arm broke.

It was easy to strip the mana control bracelet from his dangling arm.

Click!

“Nice!”

A satisfied smile spread across Eloy’s face.

The mana that had been as rigid as stone now flowed freely throughout her body.

Her sealed power had returned.

She had nothing left to fear.

“Araaaah!”

Eloy let out a battle cry and attacked the Awakeneds.

Crack!

Thud!

The sound of violent impacts echoed.

With her powerful punches, Eloy knocked the martial-type Awakeneds to the ground, blood spraying from their bodies. But she didn’t escape unscathed.

Bang!

Thud!

Countless punches and skills slammed into her body. Yet, she remained standing, refusing to fall.

Eloy was tenacious.

She could endure most pain with a smile.

Her will had only grown stronger after traversing the desert with Zeon.

She dodged blades and spears but took unempowered punches head-on, returning each blow with interest.

“Argh!”

“Damn it! Don’t let them push us back. There are only two of them!”

“Push forward!”

Hundreds of Awakeneds seethed with anger, but the corridor was too narrow, allowing only two or three to attack at a time.

And those who did attack fell like dominos under Eloy’s assault. But Eloy couldn’t hold them off forever.

Some of the Awakeneds broke through Eloy’s defense and closed in on Zeon.

“You bastard!”

“If we kill you, it’s over!”

“Yaaah!”

They rushed at Zeon like wild beasts.

Thud!

The lead Awakened was sent flying without even a chance to scream.

Zeon’s right fist had struck his abdomen.

Even without using mana, Zeon was powerful.

His body, hardened by training under Dyoden, was stronger than that of most martial-type Awakeneds, even without mana.

In the brutal clash between Zeon and the Awakeneds, blood splattered and flesh was torn.

Muscles ruptured and bones shattered as one after another, they fell.

It had been a while since Zeon had experienced such a raw, visceral fight.

Zeon didn’t bother to strip the mana control bracelets from the fallen Awakened.

It didn’t matter.

Zeon, as if possessed by the thrill of battle, fought off the attackers with pure strength alone.

“Aaagh!”

“Die, you bastard!”

He grabbed one Awakened by the collar and slammed him into the ground.

Boom!

With a resounding crash, the Awakened’s head struck the floor, burying into it with a sickening thud. His legs twitched momentarily before going still.

He was dead.

Zeon’s martial arts were terrifyingly efficient.

He had already taken down dozens of Awakeneds, yet his breathing remained steady and calm.

Boom!

A massive fireball suddenly exploded against Zeon’s body.

“Ugh!”

“Aaagh!”

The martial-type Awakened who had been attacking Zeon were engulfed in flames, screaming in agony.

The fireball had been aimed at Zeon by a magic-type Awakened, but it also hit the others around him.

The flames on their bodies refused to die down, instead burning even more fiercely.

The Awakened who had been set ablaze writhed on the ground, shrieking in pain. However, when the flames dissipated, Zeon emerged completely unharmed.

“How…?”

The Awakened who had cast the fireball stood gaping, his mouth hanging open.

Zeon’s entire body was unscathed—there wasn’t even a single burn mark.

“You shouldn’t be able to use mana, right?”

“Who said I couldn’t use mana?”

“Y-You’re wearing mana shackles…”

The Awakened responded, still in shock.

Zeon casually shook the mana shackle on his wrist, laughing.

“Oh, this? Is that why you thought I couldn’t use mana?”

It was understandable why the Awakened thought that. After all, with the mana shackle on, it made sense to assume he was unable to use his abilities.

Fwoosh!

In that instant, the mana shackle that had been restraining Zeon crumbled into dust.

The primary material of the mana shackle was dragon bone.

Controlling the Inferno Gauntlet, which had a dragon’s eye embedded in it, with a mere trace of dragon bone was an impossibility.

From a distance, Bronson watched Zeon, his expression twisting with anger.

“You tricked us!”

“Yeah, and so what?”

“Coward…”

Zeon smirked.

In battle, being called a coward was the highest compliment one could receive.

——–