Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 301

“Damn it!”

Hassim’s eyes widened in disbelief, his pupils trembling violently.

For someone who rarely showed emotions, his expression of shock was impossible to hide.

“Boss, what’s wrong?”

Alton asked with a puzzled look.

The explosives he had crafted had detonated perfectly.

Though they were improvised, the power of the explosion was undeniable.

No matter how strong an Awakened was, surviving that kind of blast should have been impossible.

Hassim handed the telescope to Alton, his voice heavy with unease.

“Damn it! Looks like we’re screwed.”

“What do you mean?”

Alton peered through the telescope at the explosion site and immediately froze.

“This… this can’t be real.”

Through the lens, he could see the man, the girl, and the floating, streamlined object—all completely unharmed.

Even though the distance made their figures slightly blurry, there was no mistaking it—they were perfectly fine.

“We pumped everything we had into that blast… and they’re still standing? What kind of monsters are they…?”

Alton’s voice trembled uncontrollably.

Hassim snatched the telescope back and tucked it into his coat, muttering bitterly.

“Looks like we’ve earned the wrath of some kind of monster.”

He had always known this day would come.

They had slaughtered countless people, stolen everything they had, and left only devastation in their wake.

It wasn’t far-fetched to imagine that someone they had killed was connected to a being like this.

The trap Alton had prepared with all his mana was powerful enough to kill even Hassim. But the figure beyond the lens hadn’t even been scratched.

That could only mean one thing: this man was stronger than him.

From far away, Hassim could feel the oppressive intensity of the man’s gaze. The chilling sensation crawling up his spine was all the confirmation he needed.

Throughout his years as a scavenger, Hassim had never encountered a presence like this.

The only thought in his mind was to run.

If they confronted someone like this head-on, the Helbrin Mercenaries would be wiped out without question.

Hassim turned to his subordinates.

“We’re switching to Plan S immediately.”

The Survival Plan.

A contingency strategy designed for emergencies—hence the name.

Hassim had meticulously prepared it for situations where survival was the only priority.

The mercenaries, already familiar with the plan, turned their sharp gazes to Hassim.

“Our rendezvous point is the Neo Seoul slums.”

“What?”

“Seriously?”

The mercenaries blinked in disbelief.

For scavengers, Neo Seoul was one of the most dangerous places.

The slums might offer some degree of freedom, but the risks were still immense.

But Hassim’s tone left no room for argument.

“With that monster tracking us, shaking them off completely is impossible. It’s better to hide somewhere crowded.”

“...”

The subordinates listened in tense silence.

“Besides, once we complete our deal with the Spider Queen, we’ll have a foothold in the slums—or even Neo Seoul itself.”

“But we haven’t gathered enough slaves for the deal.”

So far, they had only captured about forty slaves—far fewer than the Spider Queen Elai required. But Hassim’s response was resolute.

“We can make up the difference in the slums.”

“Ah!”

“Understood.”

The subordinates nodded, finally grasping Hassim’s reasoning.

Clapping his hands sharply, Hassim barked.

“We don’t have time to waste. That monster will be on us any minute now. Move out!”

“Yes, boss!”

“Let’s make it out alive.”

With those words, the mercenary group split into three separate units and scattered across the desert.

Each team took a different route to maximize their chances of survival.

Hassim, Akashi, and Alton moved with the captured slaves, while the other two teams headed in separate directions.

Long after they disappeared, Zeon, Brielle, and Gaia arrived at the scene.

“Smart bastards.”

Zeon couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.

The moment they found the survivor village that the Helbrin Mercenaries had raided, an explosion had gone off—as if the mercenaries had been waiting for them.

Zeon and Gaia’s abilities had saved them from harm.

Gaia’s protective barrier shielded Brielle, while Zeon had burrowed into the sand to escape the blast.

Though they had survived, the survivor village was utterly destroyed.

Zeon tracked the mercenaries to this point, but they had already fled.

Their quick thinking and decisive action were impressive.

He had to admit it:

“I underestimated them.”

These were men who knew the desert intimately.

They understood what to do when faced with an opponent they couldn’t defeat and had mastered the art of survival.

Unlike mindless A-rank beasts, these humans were much harder to deal with.

They were resourceful and cunning, knowing when to retreat and when to exploit opportunities.

Zeon studied the tracks left on the ground.

“They split into three groups here.”

Each group had taken a different direction.

There was no way to pursue all three.

He would have to choose.

Zeon examined the tracks carefully, but the shifting sands had already erased most of the evidence.

In the end, he had to rely on his instincts.

“I’ll follow the group that went east.”

“Why east?”

“The tracks are deeper in that direction.”

“And that means?”

“It likely means they’re carrying heavy cargo.”

“Could it be…?”

“They probably have the people they kidnapped from the survivor village.”

“Ah! That makes sense.”

“We don’t have time to waste. The longer we wait, the less likely we’ll catch them.”

“Got it!”

Brielle climbed onto Gaia once again, and the pursuit began.

For half a day, they raced through the desert, eventually picking up the trail again.

“Well, what do we have here?”

Zeon let out a bitter laugh.

The tracks showed that the group he was following had split again.

This wasn’t because they noticed his pursuit—it was clearly part of their original plan.

The three groups had now turned into six, further complicating Zeon’s task.

Zeon’s expression hardened.

“Damn it. The leader’s smart, too. This just keeps getting worse.”

Now, he had another reason to hunt them down.

But first, he had to make another choice.

Zeon decided to follow the tracks on the right—they were the deepest, indicating the heaviest load.

Even if it was a trap, he had no choice.

Racing through the desert, Zeon finally spotted a plume of dust in the distance.

He had caught up to Hassim’s group.

Zeon called out to Brielle.

“I’m going ahead. Catch up when you can.”

“Okay!”

With that, Zeon pushed off the sand with tremendous force.

A pillar of sand shot into the air, launching Zeon like a cannonball.

Boom!

The sound echoed as Zeon soared through the sky, his body tracing a high arc before descending.

But he never hit the ground.

The wind swirled beneath him, supporting his descent as he glided like a bird.

Shooo!

Within moments, Zeon closed in on the fleeing mercenaries.

“It’s him!”

“He’s caught up!”

Panic erupted among the mercenaries as they saw Zeon approaching like a demon borne on a sandstorm.

They realized there was no escape now.

“Damn it!”

“Attack him!”

The mercenaries abandoned their flight and turned to fight.

The frontline warriors stepped up to shield their comrades, while the magic users launched their spells.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A barrage of skills streaked toward Zeon at frightening speed.

Any ordinary Awakened would have been overwhelmed, but not Zeon.

“Sand Blaster!”

Booooom!

Zeon’s sandstorm intercepted the incoming attacks, scattering them harmlessly.

“Damn it!”

“What kind of skill is that?!”

The warriors tried to block Zeon with their shields, but the sand beneath their feet erupted violently.

Boom!

“Argh!”

“Ugh!”

The warriors were sent flying like bowling pins, screaming in agony.

Zeon’s Claymore had done its work.

Ignoring the fallen warriors, Zeon turned his attention to the magic users.

“Viper.”

Shhhh!

Dozens of sand serpents surged toward the magic users, striking them down one by one.

“Argh!”

“Gah!”

The mages were overwhelmed before they could mount a proper defense.

Their failure wasn’t due to incompetence—it was because Zeon’s skill execution was simply on another level.

Even the defeated mercenaries weren’t ordinary.

“Damn it!”

“You bastard…”

They grit their teeth, enduring the pain as they charged at Zeon like madmen.

But Zeon was even more ruthless and far stronger.

“Fire Rain.”

Whoosh!

As Zeon swung his blazing gauntlet, fiery rain descended from the sky.

The intense flames consumed the mercenaries, their screams echoing through the desert.

“Please! Have mercy!”

“It’s too hot!”

Burning alive, the mercenaries writhed in agony, rolling in the sand in a desperate attempt to extinguish the flames.

But Zeon’s fire wasn’t ordinary.

Like white phosphorus, it wouldn’t go out until it consumed everything in its path.

For those unable to summon aura shields, it was hell on earth.

Zeon finally stopped, exhaling deeply.

More than twenty men burned before him.

The sight of living humans engulfed in flames was horrifying, even in his nightmares.

Zeon rarely resorted to such cruelty, but he knew his prey too well.

Give them even the slightest opening, and they’d escape like rats.

And after what they had done, Zeon wanted them to feel the worst pain imaginable.

“Help me!”

“Aaargh!”

Zeon approached the leader, who was gritting his teeth despite his burning arm.

He was clearly stronger than the others, enduring the agony with sheer willpower.

Zeon spoke coldly.

“Tell me everything about your group, and I’ll grant you a painless death.”

“Screw you! You think this is enough to… Aaargh!”

The flames flared even brighter.

The man’s screams tore through the air as his body convulsed.

Zeon loomed over him.

“This is your last chance. Tell me everything.”

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]