Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 267

Thanks to taming the Thunder Buffalo, the journey to the Steel Fortress became much easier.

While traversing the desert, encountering monsters was common.

It almost seemed like monsters inhabited the desert as abundantly as grains of sand.

No matter how powerful Lee Jung-ho was as an A-rank Awakened, his strength had its limits.

His abilities were specialized for single combat.

He was incredibly formidable in one-on-one duels, rather than in battles against many foes at once.

The reason he had been able to massacre the pack of Flame Wolves so easily was because they were only C-rank creatures.

However, facing a pack of B-rank or higher monsters would prove difficult for even him.

In other words, it wasn’t a good match for his skills.

Had he crossed the desert alone, he would have likely been worn out or severely injured by the time he faced the countless monsters along the way.

But riding on the Thunder Buffalo, they rarely had to engage the monsters directly.

Most smaller creatures simply fled at the sight of the Thunder Buffalo.

Its scales, harder than steel, were impervious to teeth.

There was no point in attacking it, as the creatures would only end up damaging their own teeth. As a result, the monsters gave up trying to attack it altogether.

Thanks to this, Zeon’s party could head toward the Steel Fortress without needing to fight off the monsters.

Things were so relaxed that even Duduyan, who was usually on high alert, lay down on the Thunder Buffalo’s back, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

“This is nice! If life could always be this easy, how great would that be?”

“No kidding.”

Aslan agreed with her.

Despite the trials they had gone through, these past few days heading toward the Steel Fortress had been some of the most peaceful moments of their lives.

At that moment, Zeon spoke.

“The sun will be setting soon. Let’s rest over there for the night.”

He pointed to a large sand dune.

It was shaped like a volcanic crater, sunken in such a way that it would serve as a good shelter from the wind.

“Let’s do that.”

Lee Jung-ho agreed with Zeon’s suggestion.

Throughout the entire journey, he had never once opposed Zeon’s decisions.

Zeon knew the desert best, so Lee Jung-ho trusted him fully.

The Thunder Buffalo stopped at the spot Zeon had indicated.

The group dismounted and began preparing to set up camp.

Preparing the meal was Aslan’s responsibility.

While they had been in the slums, he had diligently gathered ingredients and filled a large backpack with them.

Seeing Aslan sweating as he worked on dinner, Duduyan muttered under her breath.

“Even trash can be useful sometimes.”

She didn’t bother helping Aslan.

She had no talent for cooking, nor was she picky about food.

To a Dark Elf like her, food was nothing more than a source of energy to keep her moving.

As long as it gave her the strength to fight, that was all that mattered. There was no need to fuss over taste, so naturally, she had no interest in cooking.

Thus, the task of preparing the meal fell to Aslan, and he carried it out admirably.

“Dinner’s ready. Everyone, come eat.”

Though calling it a “meal” was a bit much, all he had done was toss various ingredients into a large pot and boil them into a stew. Still, he had used plenty of dried meat, giving the dish a decent amount of flavor.

The group finished their simple dinner of stew and then retired for the night.

Duduyan and Aslan, both accustomed to sleeping in the desert, fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the ground.

Zeon also burrowed under the sand and created a makeshift shelter to sleep in.

Seeing this, Claire grumbled.

“I’m so jealous. Some of us have to sleep out here in the sandstorm while others get to sleep comfortably underground…”

“You’d better get some rest instead of complaining.”

“Aren’t you envious?”

“I barely have enough time to hone my own abilities. Why would I waste time coveting someone else’s?”

“Honestly…”

Claire shook her head in disbelief.

This was a man who had blinded himself to gain his Mind’s Eye. A person like him would never be interested in other people’s abilities.

Cautiously, Claire asked him a question.

“What’s the world like through your Mind’s Eye? Is it as clear as seeing with your own eyes?”

“If it were the same as seeing with my eyes, there would’ve been no reason to blind myself.”

“So it’s different?”

“It is.”

“How so?”

“...”

“Oh! I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked something so private…”

“It’s not that it’s a secret. It’s just that I can’t explain it.”

The world seen through the Mind’s Eye was like a fragile sheet of glass.

A world teetering on the edge, as if it could shatter at any moment—a precariously held-together, incomplete reality.

Perhaps what he saw was the true form of the world.

And within it, humans were…

Lee Jung-ho shook his head, clearing away unnecessary thoughts.

Claire glanced at the silent Lee Jung-ho for a moment before turning her gaze to the sky.

By now, the sky had grown dark.

A pitch-black sky without even a trace of starlight.

Claire couldn’t help but shrink into herself.

“Haa!”

* * *

The next day, the group mounted the Thunder Buffalo again and continued toward the Steel Fortress.

As the scorching sun beat down on them, Claire was the first to grow weary.

“Haa! I really just want to take a cold shower right now.”

“Hang in there a bit longer. Once we reach the Steel Fortress, you’ll be able to bathe all you want.”

“Really? I can really use as much cold water as I want?”

Claire’s eyes widened at Duduyan’s words.

Even Lee Jung-ho was surprised.

“Water isn’t exactly abundant in the colonies. How is it possible to take long showers?”

“I don’t know about the other colonies, but we have a bit more water at our fortress. Thanks to Lord Zeon.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Just take it at face value.”

Duduyan clammed up after that.

The existence of a lake beneath the Steel Fortress was a closely guarded secret.

They couldn’t hide the fact that water was plentiful, but the lake itself had to remain a secret.

If word got out about the underground lake, not only scavengers but even Neo Seoul would covet it.

Lee Jung-ho accepted her explanation.

“So, you managed to tap into an underground water source.”

Most colonies secured water that way.

Even Neo Seoul, with its population of over twenty million, obtained its water this way, so it wasn’t unusual.

The prospect of taking a shower at the Steel Fortress put a smile on Claire’s face.

Lee Jung-ho then turned to Zeon and asked.

“Can you detect water as well?”

“Not from deep underground.”

“So you can sense groundwater near the surface?”

“I can sense when the sand is damp, but that’s about it.”

“That’s still impressive. A very useful ability.”

For the first time, Lee Jung-ho felt a twinge of envy toward Zeon’s power.

With such an ability, there would be no risk of dying from thirst in the desert.

Unlike his own abilities, which were solely geared toward killing, Zeon’s power could benefit others.

‘Why hasn’t the Mayor recruited Zeon yet? His abilities could be incredibly useful…’

Suddenly, he found himself wondering what Jin Geum-ho’s reasoning was.

If Lee Jung-ho had the Mind’s Eye to see the essence of things, Jin Geum-ho had the Clairvoyance to understand the principles of the world.

It was on Jin Geum-ho’s advice that Lee Jung-ho had blinded himself to gain the Mind’s Eye. Without him, Lee Jung-ho would never have obtained the skill.

Jin Geum-ho recruited anyone who could benefit Neo Seoul, using any means necessary. There was only one reason why he wouldn’t recruit someone with desirable abilities.

‘Does the Mayor see Zeon as a threat to Neo Seoul? If that’s the case, it makes sense why he hasn’t been recruited.’

There’s always more to a person than their abilities.

Even if two people had the same powers, the outcome would differ depending on how they used them.

In the end, the problem wasn’t Zeon’s abilities but Zeon himself.

It wasn’t about his skills or character—Zeon simply didn’t fit into Jin Geum-ho’s plans.

With this realization, Lee Jung-ho understood the Mayor’s decision.

‘No need to think about it any further. Focus on the mission. All I need is Moby Dick’s heart.’

At that moment—

“Wait! If we keep going this way, there’s a group of monsters two kilometers ahead. Steer the Thunder Buffalo to the right. We’ll take a wide detour.”

“Understood!”

Claire quickly relayed Zeon’s instructions to the Thunder Buffalo.

The creature followed her commands and turned to the right.

Neither Lee Jung-ho nor Claire questioned Zeon’s words.

He had already proven his abilities multiple times during their journey.

Whenever they followed his directions, they didn’t encounter any monsters.

This time was no different.

Just to be sure, Lee Jung-ho activated his "Perception" skill and sensed a multitude of lifeforms far ahead. As Zeon had said, there was indeed a group of monsters there.

‘He’s always spot on.’

Lee Jung-ho clicked his tongue in admiration.

Thanks to Zeon’s ability to sense the monsters, the group reached a sand dune where they could see the Steel Fortress in the distance.

When they climbed the dune, they saw a massive mountain made of red sandstone far off in the distance.

* * *

Claire let out a low whistle in awe.

“Wow!”

She hadn’t expected to see such a massive red mountain in the middle of the desert.

Duduyan, noticing Claire’s reaction, spoke.

“That’s our home, the Steel Fortress.”

“The Steel… Fortress.”

“That’s right! And over there, that’s Archelon.”

She pointed to a massive mound beside the red sandstone mountain.

“Huh? Oh my God!”

“Woah!”

Even Claire and Lee Jung-ho, who rarely showed surprise, couldn’t hide their astonishment.

What they had thought was just a sand dune was actually the shell of a giant turtle.

Its shell was large enough to fit an entire village inside.

Zeon knew for a fact that a village did indeed exist within it.

“The Mobile Fortress, Archelon. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it.”

Claire, hearing Zeon’s words, asked with wide eyes.

“Is that what you call a mobile fortress? My goodness! How did you tame something that huge? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Her face flushed red as if she had just fallen in love at first sight.

She was utterly captivated by Archelon.

“I want to see that child up close!”

Without waiting for anyone to stop her, Claire jumped off the Thunder Buffalo and sprinted toward Archelon.

Zeon tried to guide the Thunder Buffalo toward Archelon, but the monster refused to move, paralyzed with fear.

Even a C-rank monster like the Thunder Buffalo was terrified of the enormous Archelon.

With no other choice, Zeon and the others dismounted and began walking toward Archelon.

With each step closer, they were overwhelmed by its immense presence.

Even Zeon, seeing Archelon for the first time in years, couldn’t help but be amazed.

“It’s grown even bigger.”

In just eight years, Archelon had grown significantly.

Given enough time, it could one day be larger than Neo Seoul itself.

Claire was already gently stroking Archelon’s shell.

But her expression was troubled.

With a face on the verge of tears, she looked at Zeon.

“This child… it’s dying.”

Large tears rolled down her cheeks.

No one else could tell, but as a Tamer, she knew.

This enormous turtle was slowly dying.

As if sensing her emotions, Archelon poked its head out from under its shell.

Its eyes, larger than a human, were clouded with fatigue.

Zeon spoke to Archelon.

“It’s been a while, old friend.”

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]