Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 91

“So your abilities were completely useless?”

“I’m sorry.”

Kim Jae-kyung knelt before Johan as if she were a sinner.

Johan’s gaze upon her was chilling.

The kind of people Johan disliked the most were the incompetent ones.

Knowing that those who fell out of favor with him would quickly fade away in Dongdaemun, Kim Jae-kyung trembled.

“What was it like?”

“His mental barrier was strong.”

“Strong?”

“I couldn’t see any opening to break through. When I attempted to make him submit, I was met with tremendous backlash.”

“Hmm.”

“I’m sorry.”

Kim Jae-kyung bowed her head once again.

After observing her for a moment, Johan turned away and spoke.

“Leave.”

“Yes!”

Kim Jae-kyung cautiously exited with her response.

Alone now, Johan gazed at the scene of Dongdaemun with cold eyes.

“He was more formidable than I thought. It wasn’t that Jae-kyung was lacking, rather he was remarkable himself. After all, he’s the one who eliminated Goran without a trace…”

The reason Dongdaemun could not expand into Sinchon was because Goran was firmly blocking it.

Despite wanting to evangelize, his followers couldn’t enter Sinchon due to the barrier of Goran.

Thus, he saw this as a perfect opportunity to evangelize now that the Goran had disappeared.

Before others could covet Sinchon, he sought to seize it, hastily sending Kim Jae-kyung, which ultimately failed.

This would make Zeon even more wary.

“Perhaps I should have persuaded him further?”

“You were indeed hasty this time. Johan!”

At that moment, a voice came from behind Johan.

Johan’s expression turned cold.

He hadn’t noticed until the voice came from behind.

When Johan turned his head to look behind, he saw a man in a suit.

The man had neatly combed hair without a strand out of place.

Johan immediately recognized the man’s identity.

“Tajik?”

“Long time no see, Johan!”

“What’s Xiao Lun’s dog doing here? Did he send you?”

“Of course not! Xiao Lun is too busy dealing with internal affairs of Neo Seoul. He doesn’t have time to take an interest in these slums.”

“Do you expect me to believe that?”

Johan’s eyes gleamed fiercely.

While others might be intimidated by Johan’s gaze, Tajik was not.

He shrugged and said.

“I understand if you don’t believe me. But what I say is true.”

“Why are you here then? If, as you say, Xiao Lun isn’t interested in these slums, then why would his lackey, you, come here?”

“I have personal business.”

“You?”

“Yes!”

“Is it perhaps related to Zeon?”

“As expected of you, Johan. You understood right away with just a word.”

Tajik’s answer made Johan’s brow furrow involuntarily.

“Why?”

“It’s just a personal interest.”

“So why do you have a personal interest?”

“Isn’t it for the same reason as you, Johan?”

Tajik flashed his white teeth in a smile.

Meanwhile, Johan’s face hardened even more.

“And?”

“I’d like to request a bit of time before you go ahead with taking over Sinchon.”

“Is that also Xiao Lun’s intention?”

“It’s primarily my intention, but you could also consider it Xiao Lun’s intention.”

“What if I refuse?”

“I’ve heard that you have many followers scattered throughout Neo Seoul. Among them, there are those under Sedun Fryce’s command in the Eastern District…”

“Stop!”

Johan interrupted Tajik’s words.

His face was full of anger.

Sedun Fryce, the ruler of the Eastern District.

A mage who uses dark attribute power.

Dark attribute powers are extremely rare, and they are said to be most effective at night.

Among them, Sedun boasted the strongest.

Johan had put his followers under Sedun’s command, and he was receiving a lot of internal information from him.

‘How on earth did he find out?’

Johan’s cheeks trembled.

Though both were rulers in Neo Seoul, Sedun had a completely different nature from Xiao Lun.

If Xiao Lun was an old fox, Sedun was a ruthless strategist.

Both were difficult to deal with, but from Johan’s perspective, Sedun felt more burdensome.

It was probably because of the elemental difference.

The Eastern District led by Sedun was mainly composed of whites and blacks.

It was made up of descendants of American soldiers stationed in Korea and students studying abroad.

They were all combat specialists, using both magic and tactical weapons harmoniously.

All of Sedun’s subordinates could be considered soldiers.

Although Dongdaemun’s power was strong, it could not compare to the Eastern District led by Sedun.

That’s why Xiao Lun had also planted his followers in the Eastern District to monitor their movements.

Tajik said.

“I’m not asking you to completely back off from pursuing Zeon.”

“Then?”

“Just give me a little time.”

“How long?”

“About a fortnight?”

“Alright. If that’s all…”

“Thank you, Johan! I knew you would understand.”

Tajik smiled brightly at Johan.

Johan also smiled at Tajik.

‘Someday, I’ll throw you in the jaws of monsters.’

***

South of the slums, there was a fairly large vacant lot.

This wide area, nicknamed Hunter’s Square, didn’t have much to offer.

It was simply a spacious area with shabby awnings to block the sun.

However, this vacant lot was one of the most important facilities in the slums.

Because when the Awakened residents of the slums go out hunting, they all gather here to check their equipment or exchange information.

There were several factions in the slums, including Dongdaemun and Sinchon, among others. These factions fiercely fought both openly and covertly.

They never left anything unattended, not even something in someone else’s hands.

The moment they coveted this place, they became public enemies and would face retaliation.

That’s why Hunter’s Square was a kind of neutral zone.

No faction would sit idly by while another faction managed this place.

The moment they become greedy here, they’d become a public enemy and would be punished accordingly.

Except for when Awakened residents gathered here to go out hunting, the square was almost empty.

Since early morning, quite a few people had gathered at Hunter’s Square.

They were Awakeneds gathered today to conquer the dungeon.

There was a raid team summoned by Tajik, there was also a raid team formed by Yoo Se-hee, and Awakeneds who participated voluntarily.

The Awakeneds who participated voluntarily looked at Tajik’s summoned raid team with respectful eyes.

“Inazuma.”

“My goodness! It’s Inazuma.”

The identity of Tajik’s summoned raid team was Inazuma.

Among the abundant raid teams in Neo Seoul, they were quite well-known figures.

The leader of Inazuma was Kouji.

As a descendant of Japanese heritage, he awakened as a Martial Artist, specializing particularly in swordsmanship.

Although his rank was not disclosed, judging by his past achievements, it was generally believed to be at least C or B rank.

Under Kouji, there were four other members, including Yuri, Byrun, Shuhan, and Comein.

They were all outstanding Awakeneds known to follow Kouji’s orders without hesitation.

They were all excellent Awakeneds, and were known to jump in at any cost if Kouji ordered them to do so.

Kouji stood with a katana, a symbol of himself, in his arms, and the four people around him emitted a powerful presence.

Some individuals’ fighting spirit was aroused upon seeing Inazuma.

They were the Awakeneds dispatched from the Goblin Market.

Their leader was a man named Jack.

Around Jack were Dosuyul, Declan and Connor, also known as the Explosive Brothers.

They were all dispatched as Awakeneds with deep experience from the Goblin Market.

Dosuyul, with a stern expression, said to Jack.

“I heard the Inazuma kids are pretty good at conquering dungeons?”

“They’re a well-organized raid team. Among them, the key figures are Kouji and Shuhan.”

“I understand Kouji, but Shuhan? Isn’t he an old man? He doesn’t seem to have much to offer at first glance.”

The old man named Shuhan, pointed out by Jack, was dressed shabbily and leaned on a cane.

Judging solely by appearance, he did not seem like an Awakened at all. However, Jack’s eyes, gazing at him, were very cautious.

“He’s an exceptionally skilled guide. I’ve heard he can detect dangerous scents remarkably well.”

“Detecting danger by scent? Isn’t that almost like a dog or a wolf?”

Dosuyul’s gaze also changed.

Being able to detect danger in advance would make dungeon conquest much easier.

Dosuyul was an archer in the Martial Arts category.

Originally, he was supposed to support from a distance, but there were many cases where he took charge of the vanguard due to the circumstances of the raid team.

This was because one of the archer’s skills was tracking.

Using the tracking skill to find paths and collect information was one of his tasks.

But even he couldn’t detect danger in advance.

Then, the dwarf Connor interjected into the conversation between the two.

“No need to be afraid already. Those guys are just like potted plants in a greenhouse. Without Xiao Lun’s support, they wouldn’t have been able to conquer dungeons so easily. If it comes to it, us brothers will sweep them away, so don’t worry.”

“That’s right. We’ll sweep them away.”

His younger brother, Declan, echoed Connor’s words by beating on his chest.

Declan was a giant almost three meters tall, while Connor, his older brother, was a dwarf, barely reaching one hundred and twenty centimeters.

Normally, Declan would carry Connor on his shoulders.

Jack said.

“I know their abilities well. But never let your guard down. They are recognized talents even in Neo Seoul.”

“Humph! What’s there to fear about those guys living inside their castle walls?”

Connor never acknowledged Inazuma until the end.

Jack looked at Connor with a worried expression.

‘I hope he doesn’t cause trouble.’

Connor was an excellent Awakened and an indispensable member of the team. However, due to his hasty temperament, he occasionally caused problems.

It was Jack’s job to solve the problems he caused.

As if Connor suddenly remembered something, he asked.

“Who is the Awakened that the leader is sending to join us? Did she think we were not enough by ourselves?”

His face was full of dissatisfaction.

The others felt the same way.

Yoo Se-hee, the leader of the Goblin Market, said that another Awakened would join them in this raid.

Everyone’s mood was very upset because Yoo Se-hee’s words seemed to imply that she didn’t trust them.

As much as they wanted to refuse the support, they couldn’t.

Yoo Se-hee’s words were absolute in the Goblin Market.

Moreover, this mission was very important, so not even a slight mistake was allowed.

Therefore, they could not refuse Yoo Se-hee’s order.

Dosuyul asked Jack.

“Do you know who the leader is sending to join us?”

“I know.”

“Who is it?”

“It’d be better to be cautious when he joins. Don’t underestimate him as you have been, or you might end up dead too.”

“What? Really?”

“He’s the one who eliminated Goran.”

Dosuyul, Connor and Declan’s faces hardened at Jack’s words.

“Goran? Was the rumor true?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

Dosuyul murmured and let out a sigh.

Those who were involved in Sinchon and the Goblin Market all knew.

The fact that someone had eliminated Goran, a terrifying figure that even Yoo Se-hee and Johan were wary of.

The disappearance of such a figure without a trace shocked them all.

Then.

“He’s here.”

“It’s him.”

Inazuma murmured as someone approached.

Naturally, Dosuyeol and the Explosive Brothers turned their gaze to where they were fixed.

A man was walking toward them.

The man walking with his hands in his pockets, wearing a robe with a deeply pulled-down hat, was none other than Zeon.

At Zeon’s appearance, the expressions of Inazuma and Jack’s group changed.

‘That’s… Zeon?’