Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 7

Zeon couldn’t dare to look at the old man.

Everything about the old man was frightening.

It wasn’t merely his size or fierce gaze that caused fear.

From the old man, there emanated a presence that made people dread.

It felt like standing naked in front of a massive desert storm.

The terrifying force of nature one couldn’t oppose was what the old man portrayed.

Unable to respond, trembling, Zeon was asked again by the old man.

“Can’t speak, you fool? If you don’t say your name, I’ll turn you into a roasted crocodile.”

“I-I’m Zeon.”

“Zeon? That’s a stupid name.”

Even at the old man’s mockery, Zeon had no rebuttal.

He feared that hastily opposing might bring upon himself the wrath of the old man, much like a crocodile snapping with its jaws.

The old man asked again.

“So! Fool! How did you enter this dungeon? You shouldn’t be able to enter through the entrance I came from.”

“Th-That’s….”

“If you stutter again I’ll blow your head off.”

“I entered through an underground tunnel”

“Tunnel?”

“Yes! I was working in the Magic Stone Mine when the entrance to a dungeon appeared behind a collapsed wall and dragged me in.”

“Heheh! Seems like the trap was triggered.”

“Trap?”

“Occasionally, there are dungeons on the brink of mana oversaturation. To protect themselves, they create another entrance to release mana outward. That’s the trap. It lures in living monsters while releasing mana.”

“Such…”

“Kehehe! Unfortunate luck follows you. Normally, people never encounter the trap until they die.”

The old man openly ridiculed Zeon’s misfortune.

Zeon couldn’t retort.

He was haunted by the relentless misfortune as the old man said.

Summoning courage, Zeon asked the old man.

“Who are you? Where are we?”

“I am Dyoden.”

“Dyoden?”

“And from now on, this place will be my hunting ground.”

“Hunting ground?”

“Yes, a hunting ground.”

At Dyoden’s ominous words, Zeon shivered.

It felt like more than mere bragging or empty talk.

The old man’s fierce gaze and the storm-like madness emanating from him spoke nothing but truth.

And then it happened.

Fhwahhahk!

Suddenly, giant crocodiles emerged through the lava.

They were monsters called Flame Crocodiles.

The Flame Crocodiles charged with their huge jaws wide open.

Even witnessing the terrifying sight, Dyoden chuckled.

“Kekeke! Kreion.”

As soon as his words ended, a massive sword, that was embedded in the ground, floated into the air.

Dyoden grabbed the sword he called Kreion.

Hwoong!

Instantly, a burst of light erupted from Kreion.

The sword’s resonance sent ripples throughout the dungeon.

Zeon’s face contorted.

His heart pounded violently.

Not out of excitement, but rather discomfort.

The sword’s cry uncomfortably scratched at his nerves.

Zeon wasn’t the only one feeling such emotions.

Stimulated by the sword’s resonance, the Flame Crocodiles convulsed.

Kwaaah!

Not only the Flame Crocodiles, but beasts from various corners of the volcanic zone emerged.

From flying monsters darkening the sky to massive monsters larger than Flame Crocodiles, all charged toward Dyoden.

Kreion’s resonance had agitated every monster in the dungeon.

Unable to believe what was happening, Zeon couldn’t close his agape mouth.

“This is insane!”

The real madness happened next.

Dyoden, wielding Kreion, dashed toward the monsters.

Swoosh!

The massive bodies of the Flame Crocodiles were torn asunder.

The tough, resilient flesh of the monsters was sliced like parchment.

It wasn’t just the Flame Crocodiles.

Various unknown monsters were ruthlessly cut down.

Kwagagak!

Dyoden was like a storm.

Swept away by the massive storm, the monsters were sent flying.

The force of the flowing lava on the ground, the volcanic debris filling the air, all were swept away by the storm called Dyoden.

“What on earth is that rank?”

It was a staggering display of power, seemingly without the use of any specific skills.

He relied on nothing but the inherent strength of a human and a greatsword named Kreion to slaughter the monsters.

Before long, Dyoden was surrounded by piles of dead monsters.

“Hahaha!”

Dyoden’s maniacal laughter echoed within the dungeon.

Swinging Kreion, soaked in the monsters’ blood and flesh, he appeared nothing like a human anymore.

He was something only disguised as a human.

Zeon was overwhelmed by Dyoden’s madness.

He couldn’t move a finger or even take a deep breath.

Thud!

The rhinoceros-like monster was the last one standing.

No monster remained on the ground.

Dyoden had single-handedly decimated the horde of monsters. Yet, he showed no signs of fatigue.

Gulp!

Unknowingly, Zeon swallowed dry saliva.

And then it happened.

Kwaaaaa!

Suddenly, a roar erupted from the volcano’s peak.

At the sound of the roar, Zeon’s mind went blank.

Struggling to hold onto his senses, he saw a colossal monster emerging from the volcano’s summit.

The majesty of the gigantic monster, reminiscent of a dragon from legends, left Zeon frozen in awe.

Dyoden smiled as he looked at the monster.

“You’re finally here. Crimson Drake!”

Wrapped in crimson scales from head to tail, its body stretched thirty meters long, with wings even longer when fully extended.

‘That’s not a dragon?’

Zeon trembled at the presence of the Drake, something he had never seen before in his life.

The crimson aura surrounding the Crimson Drake’s body contrasted starkly against its emergence from the lava.

Monsters of B-rank and above also possessed unique traits akin to humans.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Red indicates prowess in physical combat, while blue signifies mastery in magical abilities. So, a B-rank or above monster with a blue aura implies proficiency in magic within its domain.

The Crimson Drake that appeared now was a monstrous entity of B-rank or higher with a mastery in magic.

Dyoden, tightening his grip on Kreion, spoke.

“That bastard is the final boss of this dungeon.”

Even facing the dungeon’s ultimate boss, Dyoden showed no hint of intimidation. Instead, he seemed rather delighted, flashing a maniacal smile.

Zeon couldn’t fathom Dyoden’s demeanor.

He wondered whether everyone who became a high-ranking Awakened would become crazy like that, or whether only crazy individuals could become a high-ranking awakened.

Kwaaaaah!

The Crimson Drake flapped its wings, soaring into the sky.

Its target: Dyoden.

The Crimson Drake flew towards Dyoden at a terrifying speed.

Even before the Drake arrived, a sharp wind swept through the air.

Bending his knees slightly, Dyoden spoke.

“Fool!”

“Yes?”

“Survive on your own.”

“That’s…”

In that moment, Dyoden propelled himself off the ground.

Swoosh!

It’s surprising enough for a person to fly, but there was even a sonic boom.

Dyoden broke through the sound barrier, instantly appearing in front of the Crimson Drake.

Kwaaaaaang!

The collision between the colossal monster and the diminutive human reverberated through the air.

The aftermath shook the dungeon to its core.

The previously serene lava surged like a tidal wave, spewing in all directions, and the volcano belched out more intense black smoke.

The corpses of the monsters Dyoden had slain melted into the lava. The protective aura from the volcano’s heat vanished upon their deaths.

Lava surged toward Zeon.

“Damn it!”

He hastily maneuvered to evade the lava, but it followed him relentlessly.

Continuing on this path, he’d dissolve into the lava just like the other monsters.

Kaboom! Kwaaaang!

Amidst this chaos, Dyoden and the Crimson Drake fiercely battled in the air.

The problem arose when Dyoden’s deflection of the Drake’s breath landed dangerously close to Zeon.

Kwaaaang!

Accompanied by a deafening sound, lava splashed, and Zeon had to bear the brunt of it.

“Ugh!”

Zeon darted around frantically, resembling a madman. With the lava’s unpredictable surges and the urgency of the situation, he couldn’t even begin to think about how to use his abilities.

To survive, he needed to distance himself from the area where Dyoden and the Crimson Drake fought.

Zeon leaped across the lava, running across black volcanic rocks.

Suddenly, the rock he stepped on crumbled, revealing molten lava underneath.

If he fell, it would be the end.

“Haah!”

Instinctively, Zeon gathered the surrounding sand.

Just as he had evaded the onslaught of the Flame Crocodiles, he created a sand platform.

Continuing to create these sand platforms quickly depleted his mana. Nevertheless, he managed to land on solid volcanic rock just before his mana ran out entirely.

Huff! Huff!

Kneeling on the volcanic rock, Zeon gasped for breath.

His heart felt like it might burst, and a metallic taste rose in his lungs.

It was the aftermath of expanding everything in a single moment.

Then it happened.

Rumble!

The entire dungeon shook violently.

Looking towards the origin, Zeon saw that Dyoden and the Crimson Drake’s fight was reaching its peak.

“It’s over.”

Amidst Dyoden’s manic exclamation, an enormous force gathered within Kreion.

In Zeon’s eyes, Kreion seemed to have doubled in size for a moment.

Dyoden hurled Kreion towards the Crimson Drake.

Swoosh!

Kreion flew like a meteor, piercing straight through the Crimson Drake’s chest.

Kwaaah!

The Crimson Drake let out a pitiful scream as it plummeted.

Thud!

The colossal monster, over thirty meters long, crashed onto the lava terrain.

Devoid of strength, the Drake’s body sprawled across the ground.

Dyoden descended upon the motionless Drake.

Though the Crimson Drake was still gasping, its breaths labored, as it looked up at Dyoden.

Glancing down at the Crimson Drake, Dyoden spoke.

“I scoured the desert for a year to catch you. To imbue Kreion with your heart… so, die gracefully.”

Dyoden lifted Kreion high into the air and plunged it into the Crimson Drake’s heart.

Fwoosh!

Kwaaar!

The pain from Kreion piercing its heart caused the Crimson Drake to convulse. However, its last convulsions were feeble.

Kreion, embedded in the Crimson Drake’s heart, glowed red, filled with an enormous amount of fiery mana, typical of a final boss of a dungeon.

Kreion absorbed the fiery mana of the Crimson Drake, heating up intensely, almost as if it might melt away.

At the peak of the heat, Kreion suddenly underwent a transformation.

Clank! Clank!

“Heh!”

Dyoden expressed satisfaction at Kreion’s transformation.

Kreion, now reassembled, grew larger and took on a sharper form.

“It’s about time.”

The dungeon’s origin was the final boss.

Without its core, the dungeon couldn’t maintain its form and faced annihilation.

A crimson portal appeared before the Crimson Drake’s remains.

It was the exit from the dungeon.

Just before stepping into the portal, Dyoden turned to look at Zeon.

“Aren’t you leaving? You fool!”

[Translator – Peptobismol]

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