Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 50

“Eblis Leionia?”

“Just call me Eblis. Haeltoon calls me that way too.”

“Aren’t you a subordinate of Haeltoon?”

“Yes, I am. I was forcibly kidnapped and turned into a chimera by Haeltoon.”

“Kidnapped?”

“Who would willingly end up like this?”

Eblis wore a melancholic expression.

Originally, she was the heiress of the noble family of Kurayan.

With her exceptional beauty and talent, she had been recognized as a talent that could revive the family. However, she was kidnapped by Haeltoon before she could fully blossom her talents.

Right after that, she came to Earth with Haeltoon. And she was transformed into a chimera.

When she regained consciousness, she saw her lower body turned into that of a spider and went insane. Haeltoon used mind-control magic on the distraught Eblis and made her his servant.

Thus, Eblis lived as Haeltoon’s servant for over a hundred years, carrying out Haeltoon’s orders, against her will.

There were two personalities in her mind.

One was the human Eblis Leionia’s personality, and the other was the chimera Eblis serving Haeltoon.

Among them, the personality of the chimera Eblis was stronger, forcing her to faithfully follow Haeltoon’s commands.

For Haeltoon, she fought against Dyoden without questioning.

Now, after the fusion with the spider was undone, she could finally find her complete self.

The self of human Eblis Leionia, not the chimera serving Haeltoon.

“The day has finally come. I thought I would be forever trapped by him. Don’t look at me with those eyes. I feel more liberated now than ever.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I’m actually grateful. Thanks to you, I found peace.”

“Hmm!”

“I have one request. Will you fulfill it? I’ll give you a gift in return.”

“What is it?”

“If by any chance any of my family members have come to Earth, please give them this necklace.”

Eblis handed Zeon the necklace hanging around her neck.

It had a red rose pattern engraved on it.

In the center of the rose pattern, a blue gem was embedded.

“It’s an item symbolizing the head of the Leaonia family. It might be meaningless to others, but it’s the most precious item to the Leaonia family. It can enhance the abilities inherited in the bloodline…”

“I can’t guarantee it. But if I ever meet them, I’ll pass it on.”

“Thank you. In return, I’ll give you this.”

Poof!

Eblis suddenly pierced her chest with her white hand.

Zeon furrowed his brow at the sight of her plunging deep into her chest, up to her wrist.

After a while, what she pulled out was a red, round gem that looked like blood.

“It is the red dragon’s eye that Haeltoon planted in place of my heart.”

“Dragon’s eyes?”

“Haeltoon hunted a young dragon of the Red Tribe in Kuryan. Later, it was for researching chimeras. All the dragon’s organs dissected by him are contained in the organization of this rare gem.”

“Hmm!”

“He processed the last remaining eye into a small size and made it replace my heart. Though a long time has passed, the mana inside remains intact. It will be useful to you.”

It was none other than the eye of a dragon.

Although not as large as a heart, it contained an incredible amount of mana, beyond the imagination of ordinary mages.

Zeon received the dragon’s eye.

In his hands, the intense heat characteristic of a Red Dragon’s eye could be felt.

“Well then, please….”

Perhaps having no strength left, Eblis closed her eyes.

That was Eblis’s final moment.

“Haah!”

Zeon let out a sigh.

He hadn’t harbored favorable feelings towards the humans who came over from Kuryan, but after hearing Eblis’s circumstances, he couldn’t help but feel a certain sympathy.

Zeon stored Eblis’s necklace and the Red Dragon’s eye in his subspace.

Just then.

Kwaaang!

With a deafening explosion that shook the massive underground cavern, Dyoden crashed near him.

“Argh!”

“Are you okay?”

Zeon hurriedly tried to help Dyoden up.

“Don’t touch my body.”

Rejecting Zeon’s touch, Dyoden stood up.

“Ah!”

An involuntary groan escaped Zeon’s mouth as he looked at Dyoden.

Dyoden’s left arm was not visible.

The shoulder area was crushed as if it had been burned.

He had been hit by Haeltoon’s breath.

Despite the undoubtedly excruciating pain, Dyoden showed no signs of it.

Instead, he seemed to fuel his determination with madness.

Using Kreion as a staff, Dyoden stood up and spoke to Zeon.

“You idiot!”

“Yes?”

“Heheh! I guess this is as far as it goes.”

This was the first time Zeon heard Dyoden speak so weakly, and he couldn’t say anything. Then Dyoden, while glaring at Haeltoon, continued.

“He’s insanely strong. If all other dragons were as strong as him, there would be no future for humans.”

Haeltoon was so strong that it made one’s skin shiver.

Having roamed the desert for over a hundred years, he had used every means to become stronger. Yet, he couldn’t secure a single advantage.

The guy’s magic existed in a distant realm beyond human reach, and his body was stronger than any monster Dyoden had faced before.

If it weren’t for Kreion, Haeltoon’s scales would not have allowed even a scratch.

Red flesh was visible all over Haeltoon’s body.

He had received quite a blow from Dyoden’s attack. However, he was still alive and well.

Dyoden, who had directly faced Haeltoon, instinctively realized.

The real battle was about to begin.

From now on, he had to stake his real life.

“You idiot!”

“Yes!”

“If you fall, you fall.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t think about what’s next. You think too much. You have too many calculations, and you’re overly cautious.”

“But…”

“Sometimes, you just have to hit it with all your might without any thoughts. Just like now….”

With Kreion tightly clenched, phantoms appeared on Dyoden’s either side.

One of them was someone Zeon knew.

‘Akaruk!’

A being forced into being an undeath by Haeltoon.

He appeared as a phantom.

On the opposite side, someone Zeon had never seen before appeared.

A man in his late twenties to early thirties.

A typical handsome Caucasian man with blond hair, blue eyes, and a tall stature.

“Kreion?”

At Zeon’s words, the Caucasian man smiled, nodding his head.

Dyoden made a surprised expression.

“Heheh! Can you see it with your eyes too? My friend…”

“It was real. I thought you were crazy, talking to yourself.”

“It’s been a short time, but I enjoyed our time together. You idiot!”

“I enjoyed it too.”

“This is the final lesson. From now on, watch closely as I hunt the dragon.”

“Yes!”

Zeon replied while gritting his teeth

Dyoden did not allow Zeon’s participation in the battle until the end.

He intended to hunt Haeltoon with his own hands.

Zeon respected his wish.

Dyoden said as he walked forward.

“If I fall, I fall. Throw away all the lingering attachments of life like sand slipping through your fingers and give it your all. That’s the only way to hunt dragons.”

“I will never forget.”

“Of course, that’s how it should be. Heheh!”

Dyoden laughed and quickened his pace.

Dyoden shouted loudly,

“Let’s go, my friend!”

The phantoms of Kreion and Akaruk ran alongside him, merging into one.

Thud!

A strike imbued with the power of death forcefully hit Haeltoon’s torso.

Haeltoon’s body shook greatly from the huge impact that even the Absolute Shield could not block.

However, Haeltoon didn’t just stand there and take it.

He unleashed numerous spells and fired his breath at Dyoden.

Boom! Kwaaang!

Their clash caused the magically reinforced lair to crumble.

Giant rocks collapsed, and the sands that covered them poured down.

At that moment, behind the crumbling rocks, dozens of men revealed themselves.

These individuals, with identical faces and attire, were the chimeras created by Haeltoon to act as his clones.

Empowered by Haeltoon’s will, the chimeras attacked Dyoden in unison.

“Is this all you’ve got, lizard?”

Dyoden shouted as he cut down the leading clone.

―Arrogant human! Be prepared to receive God’s punishment.

“Don’t make me laugh. Who said you’re a god? A lizard like you? I won’t tolerate that.”

―This body is the God of the new world. Foolish human.

Kwarung!

At that moment, a massive lightning bolt struck the ground from the sky.

The lightning pierced through the pierced underground lair’s ceiling, hitting Dyoden.

Struck by the lightning without a chance to dodge, Dyoden turned completely black, like charcoal. His flesh was fully cooked, and his hair vanished.

It was surprising that he was alive in such a state.

Dyoden took a small vial from his pouch, put it in his mouth, and crunched on it with vigor.

It was an elixir created by a mad alchemist.

An awakening potion that instantly lifted all abnormal conditions, restoring health and mana.

Without hesitation, Dyoden swallowed the potion along with the glass shards. Instantly, his burnt skin peeled away, revealing fresh, new skin.

It was truly a miraculous effect.

“Kraaaah!”

Dyoden roared as he swung Kreion.

At that moment, a tremendous gathering of light enveloped Kreion.

It was a Sword Aura, mana condensed into a sword.

With Kreion, Dyoden channeled the power of death and sent it flying towards Haeltoon.

Swoosh!

A large wound appeared on Haeltoon’s colossal body.

As a torrent of blood spurted out as Haeltoon roared in pain.

―Kraaaah!

Under Haeltoon’s struggle, the already crumbling lair collapsed completely.

Haeltoon flapped his enormous wings and soared into the sky.

Dyoden, using Kreion, ascended to the same height as Haeltoon.

Boom! Kwaaang! Kwarung!

Thunder after thunder echoed across the dry desert sky.

The aftermath of the battle between a human and a dragon was truly tremendous.

The lair fully sank into the sand and disappeared. Enormous amounts of sand shot up into the air, obscuring the sun, plunging the entire area into darkness.

Zeon’s body soared into the sky.

The sand on the floor rose up like a pillar and supported him.

Far above, Dyoden and Haeltoon fought, their figures visible to Zeon.

Zeon observed everything without missing a detail.

There was no turning back for Dyoden.

He had no intention of surviving.

“Hehe! If I fall, I fall.”

The last battle of his life.

Dyoden fought Haeltoon with everything he had.

Zeon saw the end of humanity in Dyoden.

How strong can humans become?

How far a venomous human could evolve.

He saw all those possibilities in Dyoden.

“Foolish old man. Seriously….”

As Zeon struggled to finish his sentence, a slight tremor ran through his shoulders.

Before he knew it, his eyes were bloodshot.

Boom! Kwaaang!

The battle between the dragon and the human was nearing its end.

The collapsing sandstorm, the continuously flashing lightning in the sky, and the heated air all testified to this fact.

In Zeon’s eyes, the final clash between Haeltoon and Dyoden, gathering their last bits of strength, unfolded.

Boom!

The entire desert shook as if the apocalypse had come, and the clouds in the sky were torn apart.

After a sandstorm swept across the area like a tsunami, the world became as quiet as a lie.