Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

The power of the Thunder God’s Hammer was indeed tremendous.

Despite the Leviathan hide robe’s strong resistance to most magical attacks, it couldn’t fully shield Zeon, who sustained severe injuries.

Yet, he could still move, thanks to his extensively trained body.

Zeon looked at his fallen companions.

Brielle and Eloy appeared to be on the verge of death. Only Levin, who also wielded lightning, seemed relatively unscathed, though he was still dazed, his eyes unfocused.

Zeon reached into his pocket.

He grasped a glass vial filled with a transparent liquid.

Zeon first took a sip himself, then administered the potion to Brielle, Eloy, and Levin.

Color returned to Brielle’s and Eloy’s faces, and Levin’s eyes regained focus.

Zeon felt his breathing ease.

It was a remedy he had made himself, mixing the blood of a monster with various herbs, effective in emergencies.

Levin, regaining his senses, asked Zeon.

“Hyung, what happened?”

“Lee Ji-ryeong attacked us.”

“Why would he do that?”

“That’s not important right now. What matters is getting out of here.”

“Oh!”

The portal had closed, and the dungeon was on the brink of collapse.

If they delayed any longer, they would perish along with the dungeon.

Zeon stood up and said.

“Carry Eloy. I’ll carry Brielle.”

“Yes, Hyung.”

Thanks to the potion Zeon gave them, Brielle and Eloy’s conditions improved, though they were still unconscious.

Zeon and Levin each lifted one of their companions.

Levin asked.

“What are we going to do now?”

“I’ll force open an exit. Stay close to me and be alert.”

“Is that possible?”

Instead of answering, Zeon pulled something from his subspace.

It was a blue orb, the size of a child’s fist.

‘Leviathan’s Core. This should be able to create a rift in the dungeon.’

The core contained all of Leviathan’s power, making it incredibly potent.

‘A dungeon’s power correlates with its boss. Leviathan was a monster more powerful than the Knight King. If I overcharge the core, it should definitely create a rift in the dungeon.’

In theory, it was possible.

But theory and reality don’t always align.

If things didn’t go as planned, death was the only outcome.

Calculating the odds, Zeon estimated a success rate of about ten percent. But he had no other choice.

Zeon injected mana into the Leviathan’s Core.

Boom! Boom!

Receiving the foreign mana, the Leviathan’s Core began to overload.

Immense power surged from the core, clashing with the dungeon’s energy.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions erupted throughout the dungeon.

It was a scene of apocalyptic destruction.

Levin looked at Zeon anxiously.

“Hyung?”

“Just a bit longer.”

Zeon kept his gaze fixed on the changes within the dungeon.

Then, about a hundred meters away, an abnormal rift appeared.

“There it is. Follow me.”

“Yes, Hyung.”

Without hesitation, they jumped into the rift.

The immense pressure within made Levin feel faint.

Zeon grabbed Levin’s hand and said.

“If you lose consciousness, it’s over. Stay alert.”

“Yes, sir!”

Levin barely managed to stay conscious, looking to Zeon for strength.

Inside the rift was pitch black.

The thick darkness seemed endless, filling Levin with fear. But Zeon, showing no fear, kept his eyes focused ahead. His resolve gave Levin courage.

Then Zeon saw something and shouted.

“There it is.”

A white light appeared in the distance, shrinking rapidly.

If they didn’t reach the light in time, they would be lost in the void forever.

Without a second’s hesitation, Zeon dashed towards the light, and Levin followed closely.

Whoosh!

They passed through the light just in time.

On the other side, they were greeted by red sand.

With a soft thud, they collapsed into the sand.

“Hah! Hah! Are we outside?”

Gasping for breath, Levin looked around.

It was the first time he had ever been so happy to see nothing but sand.

“Ha!”

Zeon sighed in relief, laying spread-eagle on the sand.

Overexerting his injured body made it feel like it was falling apart.

He closed his eyes, letting the sand support him.

Levin lay down next to Zeon, muttering.

“Hah! We made it.”

The dusty sandstorm felt welcome, and the hot sand provided comfort.

Even the pain felt enjoyable because they were alive.

* * *

“Damn it! We were taken out without a fight. Lee Ji-ryeong, that bastard! I won’t let him get away with this when I return to Neo Seoul.”

“I had a bad feeling about him from the start.”

Eloy and Brielle vented their anger.

They reacted this way after learning that Lee Ji-ryeong had ambushed them.

Eloy swung her Mad Gumiho in the air in a frenzy, and Brielle swore to make the deadliest poison to pour into Lee Ji-ryeong’s mouth.

Zeon and Levin waited patiently for them to calm down.

Fortunately, after about an hour, they settled down.

A somewhat calmed Eloy asked Zeon.

“But where are we? Shouldn’t we have exited through the dungeon entrance?”

“We created a rift to escape, so the exit formed randomly.”

“So, you don’t know where we are?”

“Correct.”

Zeon nodded.

Dungeons were remnants of Kurayan drifting through dimension.

Exiting through an abnormal entrance could easily make them lost in the dimension.

Returning safely to Earth was a miracle itself, even if they had no idea where they had landed.

Brielle asked cautiously.

“But we can still get back to Neo Seoul, right?”

“Of course. Do you know who this man is? He’s the best guide in the desert. No navigator can match his ability to find the way. I guarantee it.”

Eloy said, confidently vouching for Zeon’s skills.

Eloy knew better than anyone how well Zeon could navigate.

Getting back to Neo Seoul wasn’t an issue; the real question was how long it would take.

Zeon looked around and said.

“First, we need to figure out where we are. Once we know that, finding our way to Neo Seoul won’t be too difficult.”

Identifying their location based on the surroundings alone was impossible, even for Zeon.

Desert landscapes tend to look very similar.

“Let’s move if you’ve all recovered enough.”

Zeon led the way, with Brielle, Levin, and Eloy following behind.

They walked on the hot, sun-baked sand.

Initially, they chatted a bit, but as time went on, everyone fell silent.

Walking in the desert drained their stamina far more than walking on flat ground. Even Levin and Eloy, who had more endurance, couldn’t keep their mouths open due to the extreme exhaustion.

Brielle, who had the weakest stamina, was the most problematic.

“Huff! Huff!”

Her face was flushed red, and she was panting heavily.

Levin, seeing her about to collapse, offered his hand.

“Take my hand.”

“I can… manage on my own.”

“Don’t be stubborn.”

Levin grabbed Brielle’s hand and pulled her along.

“Thank you!”

“Just hang in there a bit longer.”

“Okay!”

Brielle leaned on Levin as they walked through the sand.

Even without looking back, Zeon knew Brielle was struggling. He didn’t offer help because he understood that such kindness could be detrimental.

The biggest enemies in the desert weren’t the hot sand or the blazing sun but one’s own patience and faith.

The desert constantly tests and pushes people to their limits.

Those who can’t endure or believe in themselves won’t survive, something Zeon knew all too well.

For Brielle and Levin, this was their first true journey in the desert.

They had to overcome this challenge on their own.

Zeon maintained a pace they could keep up with.

Fortunately, Brielle persisted and kept up with Zeon’s steady pace.

As they walked, the sun began to set.

Zeon finally stopped and said.

“Let’s rest here for tonight.”

“Hah!”

“We’re saved.”

Brielle and Levin collapsed to the ground simultaneously.

Eloy also sat down nearby, looking exhausted.

Though she didn’t say anything, it was clear she was also worn out from the long trek.

Among them, only Zeon seemed unaffected.

Rumble!

Zeon manipulated the sand to create a wall.

In an instant, a shelter to protect them from the sandstorm was formed.

“There don’t seem to be any monsters nearby, so we should be able to rest well tonight.”

“It’s lucky we have you, Hyung. I don’t know what we would have done if we were left behind alone…”

Levin shivered at the thought.

Zeon chuckled and said.

“With a bit more experience, you’ll manage fine on your own. But for now, get the food and water we packed from the subspace.”

“Yes!”

Levin retrieved the food and water from his backpack.

Fortunately, they had packed enough to last a few days.

“Great job bringing all this. Well done!”

“Hehe!”

Levin smiled sheepishly at Eloy’s praise.

The food they had packed was from street vendors in the slums, stored in the subspace where time didn’t pass, allowing them to use it now.

Thanks to this, they could have a full meal.

“Ah, I feel alive again.”

“Whew!”

“This feels more like a camping trip than being stranded.”

Brielle, Levin, and Eloy expressed their satisfaction.

They were all Awakeneds, after all.

Although they were currently exhausted, a good meal would help them recover quickly.

Levin handed out backpacks from the subspace to everyone.

“You even brought backpacks? You’re well-prepared.”

“Giving you the subspace backpack was worth it.”

Levin smiled wryly at their praise.

“I hoped we wouldn’t need to use this, but I didn’t expect Lee Ji-ryeong to betray us like that.”

“Yeah, I thought he at least kept his promises.”

Eloy gritted her teeth in frustration.

Lee Ji-ryeong had a fairly good reputation in Neo Seoul. Despite his cold and ruthless nature, he was seen as a competent leader who kept his word.

This reputation made many Awakeneds eager to join the Pegasus Raid Force.

Despite the heavy losses in the recent raid, the numerous spoils they obtained would help them recover quickly.

“When we get back to Neo Seoul, I’ll expose him. I’ll show that a supervisor from the City Hall isn’t someone to be taken lightly.”

Eloy vowed revenge, grinding her teeth.

They talked for a while longer about how to get their revenge on Lee Ji-ryeong before finally falling asleep.

Once everyone was asleep, Zeon quietly stood up.

The sky was so full of sand particles that stars were not visible.

One way to navigate in the desert was by using the stars to determine their position.

Zeon silently floated into the air.

The sand lifted him higher and higher.

Breaking through the sand-filled atmosphere, Zeon was greeted by a breathtaking view of the starry sky.

It was a fantastical sight that no one in Neo Seoul had ever seen.

It was a world only Zeon, the Sand Mage, could experience.

Zeon gazed at the view for a long time.