Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 65

The interior of the house was quite spacious compared to what it appeared from the outside.

This was because Zeon’s house was built during the early formation of the slum area. Houses built in the early days were old but spacious.

Recent houses built were cramped, barely accommodating a few adults. Limited land for building houses left no choice.

Zeon didn’t know how many times the house had changed owners during his escape. It was unlikely that the changing owners had properly maintained the house.

The house was filled with a terrible smell.

The smell of drugs, the stench of blood, and various other odors mixed together, stimulating his senses.

The first priority was to remove the foul smell accumulated over the years.

Zeon opened the windows wide to ventilate the house. Yet, the smell didn’t easily dissipate.

Zeon took out the musk sac of a One-horned Moose from his subspace.

The musk sac came from a giant Moose with a height of over three meters. Near its reproductive organ was a gland that emitted a unique scent.

By cutting a little of the musk sac from the giant moose and putting it in water, invisible gas would be generated, which had a great effect in eliminating all kinds of odors.

Zeon filled a basin with water and put about a third of the musk sac in it. Then the water bubbled up, and gas began to form.

While the gas was forming, Zeon put all the household items into his subspace.

The worn-out and soiled furniture couldn’t be recycled. It was better to discard them and bring in new items.

Fortunately, Zeon had acquired quite a few miscellaneous items while wandering the desert.

One of them was a blood-sucking tree branch obtained near the lake where Leviathan was hunted.

The blood-sucking tree branch was both a tree and a monster.

If there was a living creature passing nearby, it would extend its branches, entangle it, and then suck its blood.

Once caught by the blood-sucking tree branch, one had to be drained of blood until death.

Zeon killed the blood-sucking tree and kept quite a few pieces of the main tree.

This is because wood itself was a valuable resource.

Using the blood-sucking tree branches as a frame and covering them with Sand Angler hide, he quickly made a decent bed and sofa.

With the remaining blood-sucking tree branches and Sand Angler hide, he repaired the broken doors.

Meanwhile, the air in the house was purified.

The dreadful smell that irritated the nose had disappeared, replaced by a refreshing scent filling the house.

“Nice!”

There was still much to be repaired, but for now, Zeon felt he could rest comfortably without any worries.

Zeon lay down on the bed he had made himself.

It was surprisingly soft, and sleep came easily.

Zeon didn’t know how long he slept.

When Zeon opened his eyes again, it was dark outside.

The slum, which had been quiet as a graveyard during the day, began to come alive as night fell.

The billboards on the walls of buildings across the street began to light up, illuminating the dim alleys.

A signboard with a cross between a gun and a knife meant there it was a weapons dealer, and a red signboard with an obscene picture meant it was a brothel.

The building that was particularly lit up was the casino.

People who hadn’t been seen during the day were now visible on the streets.

Drug dealers openly trading drugs, people lining up to enter cheap bars, prostitutes enticing passersby.

Bang!

From a few blocks away, the sound of a big fight echoed. Yet, no one’s face showed fear or apprehension.

In this place, such incidents were commonplace.

The slum was where people lived.

Where there were people, there were interests.

Moreover, this was an area with a population density of ten millions. Naturally, the stakes were high.

Organizations waged wars for control of territory multiple times a day.

Here, monsters were not the threat.

The most dangerous presence in the slum was humanity itself.

Then it happened.

Bang! Bang!

Someone pounded on Zeon’s door, shouting rudely.

“I know you’re in there! Come out! You bastard!”

Zeon easily recognized the owner of the voice.

It was the man he had thrown out earlier.

The man had come back, with a group of over a dozen people.

The man belonged to a criminal organization called Red Skulls.

Red Skulls was a small criminal organization based in Sinchon.

Though small in scale, the Red Skulls were not to be underestimated due to the tough individuals gathered within.

The leader of the Red Skulls was Jo Sang-hyuk.

He was a F-rank Martial Arts Awakened.

Jo Sang-hyuk looked at apartment 1820 with his arms crossed.

Despite the rough pounding, the door didn’t budge. It seemed like it would break at any moment, but it held steady.

Jo Sang-hyuk asked the man.

“Did you reinforce the door? Why is it like this?”

“Ah! Boss, do you think I have the money to do that? It’s just the original door.”

The man’s face was flushed red.

He had pounded on the door with the intention of breaking it, but the door remained intact, leaving him panting from exhaustion.

Then it happened.

The door, despite the pounding, opened silently. And Zeon revealed himself.

“What is it?”

“It’s this bastard. This bastard broke into my house and threw me out, claiming it’s his house.”

The man yelled at Zeon with bulging eyes.

Jo Sang-hyuk furrowed his brow.

He didn’t like the sight of the man whining like a child. But he was also his subordinate.

If a subordinate came back after being beaten up by someone and he left it alone, his reputation would suffer.

He had to make it clear that anyone crossing him or his subordinates would end up with broken limbs. That way, people wouldn’t take him lightly.

Jo Sang-hyuk stepped forward.

“Who are you? What gives you the right to mess with my guy?”

“I’m the landlord.”

“What?”

“He was illegally occupying the place where I used to live. So, I kicked him out.”

“Does that make sense?”

Jo Sang-hyuk made a bewildered expression. But Zeon was serious.

“Why doesn’t it make sense? If the original owner returns, the illegal occupants will naturally have to move out.”

“Do you have any proof that this is your house?”

“No.”

“Are you kidding me? It’s your house without any proof?”

“That’s right!”

“Is this bastard for real…?”

In the end, Jo Sang-hyuk’s anger exploded.

His younger brothers stepped forward first.

“You bastard, get down on your knees.”

“The damn bastard…”

Flexing their bulging muscles, they surrounded Zeon.

Just as they were puffing up their chests and about to attack Zeon…

Thud!

Suddenly, a series of strong impacts rang out.

Then, the men who surrounded Zeon collapsed one after another like a sand castle.

Their pupils were turned up, and foam was coming out of their mouths.

“You, you were an Awakened?”

Jo Sang-hyuk’s pupils trembled.

It was impossible for an ordinary human to subdue over a dozen sturdy men in one go.

Zeon shrugged his shoulders.

“As you can see….”

“Ha! You son of a bitch. You think you’re all that just because of some puny ability?”

“I never said I was all that.”

“What’s your rank? Where’s your rank insignia, you bastard?”

“If I show you my rank, you’ll die.”

“What?”

“You’ll die.”

“This bastard is just bluffing….”

“Does it sound like a bluff?”

Zeon laughed.

At that moment, Jo Sang-hyuk felt a shiver run down his spine.

It was a physiological response that occurred when sensing a threat to one’s life.

He hadn’t felt such a sensation since the recent war where he had risked his life against an opposing organization.

Instinctively, Jo Sang-hyuk realized that Zeon’s level was not to be trifled with. He wanted to retreat right away, but he couldn’t.

Because he had his pride.

“Damn it!”

Jo Sang-hyuk swung his large fist.

As a Martial Artist Awakened, his fist contained formidable power. However, it seemed feeble in Zeon’s eyes.

Dodging Jo Sang-hyuk’s fist, Zeon delivered a light blow to his chest. But the aftermath was anything but light.

Bang!

“Kraaagh!”

Sang-hyuk yelled in pain as he stumbled backward. His chest had deeply caved in.

If Zeon hadn’t held back, it could have been fatal.

He survived only because he was an Awakened.

Jo Sang-hyuk felt as if his body was disintegrating under Zeon’s fist.

His muscles loosened, and it felt like his organs were melting away.

He lost focus, unable to see anything.

It took a while for his senses to return.

“Cough!”

As he coughed up nearly a bowlful of blood, the paralysis in his body subsided.

That’s when he saw Zeon.

Zeon was squatting, meeting his gaze.

His deep black eyes stared intensely at him.

Just meeting Zeon’s eyes made Jo Sang-hyuk’s brain feel like it was melting.

It was a phenomenon that occurred due to differences in their rank.

Jo Sang-hyuk finally realized.

The fact that his opponent was a high-ranking Awakened who he would dare not even glance at.

‘D-rank? No, maybe even C-rank or higher.’

The highest rank he could imagine was C-rank.

With just an F-rank, he was able to establish a small organization, and E-rank Awakened individuals commanded several small organizations.

From D-rank onwards, one could be scouted and recruited into Neo Seoul.

Jo Sang-hyuk’s ultimate goal was to enter Neo Seoul.

Leaving this wretched place and entering the glamorous civilized world was the dream of every slum dweller.

Zeon was undoubtedly qualified to enter Neo Seoul. Although Jo Sang-hyuk didn’t understand why such a person would come to this wretched place, it was clear that he was an opponent he couldn’t contend with.

Zeon asked.

“Do you still have a problem with me living in this house?”

“N-none.”

“I thought so. Whatever you do, I don’t care. Just cooperate so I can live quietly. You can promise that, right?”

“Yes.”

“Alright then.”

Zeon smiled and stood up.

He could’ve killed Jo Sang-hyuk with just a flick of his finger. But the reason he didn’t was because he knew that if he killed Jo Sang-hyuk, others would appear like cockroaches and take his place.

It was easier to keep Jo Sang-hyuk, who would fear him, alive and let him manage the area.

After a while, Jo Sang-hyuk and his lackeys, regaining their composure, rose as well.

As they were about to leave, Zeon said to them.

“It would be best not to tell anyone about what happened today. When your mouth itches, just remember this.”

In an instant, a large fireball appeared around Zeon.

“Holy shit!”

Jo Sang-hyuk and his lackeys’ eyes widened as if they were about to burst.

‘A Magic Awakened, and a fire-based one at that.’

Even within the same rank, Magic Awakened were treated more highly than Martial Arts Awakened. Among them, fire-based Magic Awakened were among the most valued.

This was because fire-based magic, along with lightning-based magic, boasted the greatest destructive power.

Jo Sang-hyuk understood for the first time that Zeon was a formidable high-ranked Magic Awakened, even if he couldn’t determine his exact rank.

“W-we will keep our mouths shut. D-don’t worry.”

Jo Sang-hyuk answered, slurring his words. His tongue, paralyzed by the tremendous shock, had not yet been freed.

Only then did Zeon extinguish the fireball with a satisfied smile.

“I’m sure you’ll be busy, so why don’t you leave your address behind?”

“Address?”

“Don’t you want to leave one?”

“No.”

Hastily, Jo Sang-hyuk wrote down an address.

Checking the address, Zeon said.

“Alright then. You can go now.”

“Thank you.”

Jo Sang-hyuk and his lackeys bowed their heads to Zeon and quickly rushed down the stairs.

Once outside, Jo Sang-hyuk began to mercilessly beat one of his lackeys. It was the one who had brought them here.

“You bastard! What, you think you’re special? You think that’s nothing?”

“I’m sorry. Agh!”

“Because of you, we almost got killed. But what?”

“I was wrong. Spare me, please.”

Jo Sang-hyuk trampled the begging lackey with disgust.

All the humiliation he had received from Zeon today, he passed on to that lackey.

The lackey, who lived in Zeon’s house, was beaten up brutally.

Breathing heavily, Jo Sang-hyuk looked at all his other lackeys.

“Don’t you dare breathe a word about what happened today. If word gets out, you, me, we’ll all die.”

“Yes!”

“Understood.”

The lackeys hastily replied.

Jo Sang-hyuk glanced back at the building where Zeon lived with a distorted face.

‘Fuck! Why did such a monster have to come into my territory?’

A heavy sigh escaped him.