Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 103

The hotel where Zeon stayed allowed room service.

In other words, it was possible to have a meal anytime, even in the room.

Ding dong!

A hotel staff member pressed Zeon’s room bell.

Soon, the door opened, and Zeon, wearing a robe, came out.

‘What a strange individual.’

The staff member clicked his tongue upon seeing Zeon.

It was because Zeon, despite being inside the room, had the robe’s hood pulled down deeply, which the staff member found odd.

There were always guests like this.

Despite coming to a hotel, they couldn’t just relax comfortably; they always had to be fully dressed.

The security of this hotel was perfect.

Protected by barriers, and with Awakeneds on guard, external intrusion was almost impossible.

Yet, the fact that one couldn’t even stay comfortably inside the rooms hinted at the possibility of being a criminal or having some suspicious background.

Zeon simply snapped his fingers without saying a word.

The staff member pushed the stretcher cart with the food into the room and then entered. After placing the food on the table, he greeted Zeon.

“Please enjoy your meal.”

After the staff member closed the door and left, Zeon, who had been expressionless until then, lifted his head.

Under the hood, Zeon’s face was entirely made of sand.

It wasn’t Zeon; it was a Sand Soldier.

In an instant, the Sand Soldier collapsed, returning to sand.

All that remained in the room after the staff member left were the cooling dishes and a pile of sand.

***

The monsters were a threat to humanity.

Once having dominated the entire Earth, humanity’s territory had now shrunk drastically, with most of the remaining land becoming monster territory.

Even in Neo Seoul, efforts were being made to expand territory somehow, but so far, there hadn’t been any significant success.

The influence of Neo Seoul was limited to the Mana Stone mine area.

They hadn’t been able to establish any significant foothold beyond that in the distant desert.

It was common knowledge that stronger monsters existed as one ventured further into the distant desert. No one could predict which monsters lurked beneath the sands.

Thus, while the monsters posed a threatening presence, paradoxically, they were also valuable resources.

The stronger the physique of a monster, the more excellent a resource it became.

From hide to scales, bones, blood, internal organs, there was nothing to discard.

If by chance a Mana Stone were to emerge, it would be nothing short of a jackpot.

In terms of cost-effectiveness, the Mana Stones mined from the mine were much better, but the Mana Stones harvested from monsters had a different level of performance.

Some monster bosses even contained skills within their Mana Stones. While the skills were random, luck could bring about tremendous increases in power.

Therefore, in Neo Seoul, numerous parties and raid teams were mobilized for monster hunting and dungeon clearing.

The monsters hunted by Awakeneds would be brought into Neo Seoul and dismantled.

Gaaang!

A massive gear rotated fiercely, cutting through the monster’s corpse. The magically treated gear had tremendous strength. However, just cutting off one leg of the giant monsters made the gear all jagged and useless in no time.

“Dammit! It’s all worn out.”

“Quick, replace it.”

With no choice, they replaced the blade and dismantled again.

After countless blade replacements, the colossal monster was finally dismantled.

The workers carefully moved every bit of flesh and drop of blood.

With his arms crossed, Tajik carefully observed the process.

The company he valued most was undoubtedly SSC. After all, all his power was based on SSC.

However, he couldn’t neglect other companies.

His master, Xiao Lun, was a terrifying person.

At first glance, it seemed like he left everything to his subordinates and just watched, but in reality, he was meticulously observing.

He gave great authority, but if one couldn’t handle the authority, he would mercilessly dispose of them.

Knowing this fact, Tajik always tried to examine the companies he was in charge of to identify any problems.

The next stop after the monster processing company was the chemical dye company.

Although one might wonder what’s so great about a chemical dye company, the dyes produced here were very special.

They had capabilities like stealth, concealment, and energy shielding.

When applied to Awakeneds’ armor, it increased their chances of survival.

That’s why various researches were conducted here to upgrade chemical dyes.

Tajik looked at the bubbling dye in a large vat.

It was a dye based on the blood extracted from a B-rank monster, the Mane Lizard.

The Mane Lizard had acidic blood.

Even a drop or two on a metal plate would cause it to corrode instantly.

Not to mention what would happen if it touched human skin.

Melting a person down would be instantaneous.

Hunting them was not easy either.

They were adept at stealth and deceit, requiring extensive preparation to hunt them down.

That’s why there were rarely any Mane Lizards entering the factory.

This time, luck was on their side, and they managed to find one.

Tajik glanced at the work process for a moment before heading outside.

Leaving the factory, he headed towards his residence.

His residence was in a high-rise building not far from the factory.

This, too, was a privilege he could enjoy as one of Xiao Lun’s subordinates.

“Hmm?”

Walking down the alley, Xiao Lun suddenly raised his head.

He felt a strange unease.

It was the usual alley he walked through. But something felt different today.

It felt unusually dark and gloomy.

“I can’t see the streetlights.”

Even in the most desolate alleys of Neo Seoul, there were streetlights. The same was true for this place that Tajik passed through every day.

But today, there were no streetlights to be seen.

“A barrier?”

“Not a barrier, it’s a sand curtain to block off the outside.”

At that moment, a familiar voice came from one side of the alley.

“Who’s there?”

Tajik looked in the direction of the voice.

A figure emerged from the dim alley.

As Tajik confirmed his appearance, a deep furrow formed on his forehead.

“You are, Zeon?”

“Nice to see you again like this.”

The one who greeted with a smile was none other than Zeon.

Tajik wore an expression of disbelief.

He never expected to meet Zeon within Neo Seoul.

“How did you manage to enter Neo Seoul?”

“I was lucky to get a temporary pass.”

“A temporary pass?”

“Yes! A friend gave it to me not too long ago, and it seems to have come in handy.”

“If they issued you a temporary pass, they must hold quite a high position. Impressive. Having such connections.”

“I was lucky.”

Tajik seemed to converse with Zeon as if they were long-time friends. However, he was constantly probing and surveying his surroundings.

“An unusual ability, a sand barrier. Is that your skill?”

“Yes!”

“It must be quite useful.”

Tajik’s eyes gleamed.

He instantly saw the usefulness of Zeon’s skill.

“What’s the rank? And how about the range? How long can it be sustained?”

“……”

“Are you not going to answer?”

“Would you spill your secrets so easily if you were in my shoes?”

“That’s true. You wouldn’t just divulge everything so willingly.”

Tajik scratched his head.

Suddenly, his expression changed.

His eyes glinted coldly like a snake.

“Let me make one last offer. Come under Xiao Lun’s wing. I’ll give you the best treatment.”

“If I was going to do that, I wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of entering Neo Seoul like this.”

“Indeed, those who prefer to take action with their bodies rather than through ordinary conversation. Ironically, I am of that kind too.”

“That’s good.”

Zeon smiled.

The sand barrier perfectly blocked off the inside from the outside. From the outside, no one could tell what was happening inside. However, its duration wasn’t long. It couldn’t be prolonged for too long.

If someone happened to pass by, they would surely find it suspicious.

At that moment, a sinister red aura emanated from Tajik’s whole body. It was evidence that he was an Awakened Martial Artist.

Tajik was a B-rank Martial Artist.

Sriiing!

He drew a small dagger from his waist.

The length of the curved dagger was barely thirty centimeters. However, from its blade, curved like a crescent moon, an immense threat could be felt.

“That seems like an item from a dungeon.”

“I call her Elena of Blood. Once she’s drawn, she must taste blood and take the opponent’s life.”

Tajik had bestowed a feminine persona and name upon the dagger.

That’s how much he was enthralled by the power of the dagger.

Elena of Blood had an effect called ‘Amplification’.

Using Elena of Blood would amplify one’s own abilities by about thirty percent.

On the surface, thirty percent might sound insignificant, but it was a tremendous increase in power.

Tajik licked Elena of Blood with his tongue and said.

“I won’t kill you. You’re a very special existence.”

As long as he didn’t cut off his windpipe, there were many ways Tajik could use Zeon.

He could amputate his limbs, leaving only the body, and then preserve them in a specially treated container to keep him alive while obeying only his commands.

In the past, it would have been an inhumane method beyond imagination, but under Xiao Lun’s command, anything was acceptable.

Zeon sighed softly.

“This is why it’s a dangerous ability.”

“No! It’s a useful ability. You will greatly contribute to the development of Neo Seoul, whether you want to or not.”

Boom!

As soon as the conversation ended, Tajik lunged at Zeon.

Closing the distance in an instant, leaving only an illusion behind, Tajik attacked.

Zeon snapped his fingers.

Instantly, about a dozen strands of sand shot out from the sand barrier surrounding them.

It was Sand Blaster.

“No way.”

With a swift motion, Tajik swung Elena of Blood to counter the Sand Blaster.

There was no existence that the crimson aura imbued in Elena of Blood couldn’t sever.

“Starting with your legs.”

Crouching low, Tajik aimed for Zeon’s legs.

But just before the Elena of Blood could make contact, Zeon’s body slid backward as if being pulled by an invisible thread.

Retreating, Zeon snapped his fingers again.

Countless strands of sand shot towards Tajik.

Tajik swung Elena of Blood again and again.

The Sand Blaster was smashed and cut, but no matter how much he fought it, the Sand Blaster seemed endless.

“Damn it! How much mana do you have?”

Tajik widened his eyes.

Zeon seemed like an illusion.

Clearly visible and right in front of him, yet unattainable.

If he was caught, it would be a downpour of Sand Blasters.

Sand particles cut by his dagger flew into his eyes and mouth.

Unable to bear it any longer, Tajik cursed and unleashed his ultimate skill.

“Damn it! Elena Blade!”

Swoosh!

Dozens of crimson blade-shaped auras flew towards Zeon.

Once unleashed, it was a sure-kill skill.

In Tajik’s mind, thoughts of capturing Zeon had long disappeared.

All that remained was the thought of killing that annoying presence.

The blades made of crimson aura flew towards Zeon, blocking any escape route.

“It’s over.”

Tajik was convinced of Zeon’s death.

Suddenly, dozens of soldiers appeared and surrounded Zeon.

The Sand Soldiers blocked Tajik’s skill with their fist bullets.

Bang! Boom! Boom!

With a deafening explosion, the blades made of sand soldiers and aura shattered.

“What is this?”

Tajik was surprised, his eyes wide open.

He was so surprised that he didn’t even feel Zeon approaching him from behind in an instant.

Zeon reached out and grabbed Tajik’s neck. With that, Tajik’s body lost all its strength, and he collapsed.

“Ugh!”

Zeon carefully lifted the collapsing Tajik.

It would be troublesome if his precious body got injured.

He had spent so much time meticulously subduing him without a scratch.

“What did you do to my body? Hurry up and undo it.”

“What I did is just about to begin.”

“What?”

Instead of answering, Zeon retrieved a glass bottle from his subspace.

What Zeon retrieved from the glass bottle was something like a piece of wire.

“What is that?”

“Don’t you want to have a drink?”

Zeon smiled.