Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 313

"Are you deaf, you little shit? I just asked who the fuck you are!"

One of the scavengers stepped toward Zeon.

He swaggered forward like a low-life thug, his hand resting on the dagger at his waist. Ready to draw it at a moment’s notice.

His stance, his gaze, his tone—all screamed arrogance and aggression.

But unlike an ordinary street punk, his movements belonged to someone who actually knew how to fight.

"Kah! Ptoo!"

The scavenger spat a wad of phlegm onto Zeon’s shoe.

It was a classic scavenger intimidation tactic—an attempt to break their opponent’s composure.

CRACK!

A deafening impact echoed through the hideout as the scavenger’s body was sent flying.

The very instant his spit touched Zeon’s shoe, Zeon had kicked him square in the jaw.

The scavenger’s head snapped back at a grotesque angle, almost as if his neck had broken.

Pain surged through his skull, his vision dimming in an instant.

One fleeting thought crossed his mind—’What… just happened?’

That was his last thought.

His shattered jawbone had been driven straight into his brain.

THUD!

By the time his limp body hit the floor, he was already dead.

Zeon casually wiped his shoe against the dead scavenger’s clothes.

"Filthy…"

His indifferent tone sent shivers down the spines of the remaining scavengers.

Just moments ago, they had been joking and laughing with that man. Now, he was nothing more than a corpse on the ground.

And he hadn’t been just any scavenger.

The man Zeon had just killed was a D-rank Awakened.

Not the strongest, but far from weak. A seasoned veteran, cruel and proficient in killing.

He was no pushover, no fool who would die from a simple kick.

And yet, he had perished in an instant.

Without a chance to resist.

The problem wasn’t that the scavenger had been weak.

The problem was that Zeon was too strong.

SLLIK!

The scavengers immediately drew their weapons.

The oldest among them put on a friendly smile and spoke.

"Well, well. Looks like we’ve got quite the bigshot in our midst. I don’t know where you came from, but if you’re in our nest, you’d best follow our rules."

"Rules?"

"Yeah. Rule number one—scavengers don’t kill other scavengers inside the nest."

"Then I suppose that rule doesn’t apply to me. I’m not a scavenger."

"Then how the hell did you find this place?"

His eyes turned red with killing intent.

The other scavengers followed suit, surrounding Zeon and radiating bloodlust.

To scavengers, their nests were their lifeline.

One of the few safe havens where they could rest without fear.

A sanctuary that must never be exposed under any circumstances.

Yet now, a stranger stood inside.

For the scavengers, this was a matter of survival.

Zeon glanced around the hideout and spoke.

"I’m looking for someone. But it seems they’re not here. Do you have a hidden space, perhaps?"

"A hidden space?"

"Yeah. Just in case they’re hiding."

"…You’ve got to be fucking kidding me."

"Doesn’t seem like they’re here, but I should probably check."

"Who the fuck said we’d let you do that?"

"You should."

"Fuck off!"

The scavengers lunged at him all at once.

Blades, axes, and kukris sliced through the air, aimed at Zeon’s vital points.

Weapons designed for maximum lethality.

Even a grazing hit would leave a severe wound. A direct hit meant instant death.

That is… if they could land a hit at all.

CRACK!

Zeon grabbed the wrist of a scavenger swinging a kukri and twisted.

"AAARGH!"

The man’s forearm snapped, his broken limb dangling uselessly.

He screamed in agony—only for Zeon’s fist to smash into his mouth.

BANG!

His head snapped back violently, blood and shattered teeth spraying everywhere.

He collapsed in a heap, unconscious.

Zeon didn’t stop there.

He deflected a battle axe flying toward him with his Inferno Gauntlet.

CLANG! SHATTER!

The axe shattered like glass.

The scavenger wielding it had no time to react before Zeon’s elbow slammed into his temple.

"Guh!"

With a final gasp, he crumpled to the ground.

Zeon kicked his limp body, sending it flying.

The man—who was well over two meters tall—became a human projectile, crashing into the other scavengers.

"UGH!"

"KUHH!"

Like bowling pins, the scavengers were sent tumbling in every direction, groaning in pain.

The older scavenger’s face hardened.

Zeon hadn’t used a single skill.

No flashy techniques.

Just raw strength and effortless movement—yet he had crushed them.

"Even those guys… they’re trained martial artists, and yet…"

He had seen enough.

CLANG!

The old scavenger dropped his sword and raised his hands.

"I surrender."

"Oh? Why not fight to the end?"

"I must’ve lost my damn mind for a second, boss."

"…Boss?"

Zeon raised an eyebrow.

The man was twice his age, yet he was calling him boss?

The scavenger remained unfazed.

"The strongest one is the boss. That’s how it works! Haha!"

"Quick thinker, aren’t you?"

"You have to be, if you wanna survive in this world. I’ve got a good sense for these things."

"Then I assume you know why I’m here?"

"You’re looking for someone."

"And?"

"There’s a high chance they’re in one of our nests."

"Correct. And you know what you need to do now, don’t you?"

"I’ll put the word out to the other nests right away."

"I hope you’re quick about it. As you can see, I’m not the most patient man."

"Of course! Just give me ten minutes, and I’ll have the information you need!"

The scavenger bowed at a full ninety-degree angle.

He had tossed his pride aside without hesitation.

Because pride didn’t mean shit when you were dead.

What mattered was surviving without a scratch.

And if he could get through this, he planned to pick off the wounded scavengers once Zeon was gone.

Zeon saw right through him.

It was almost amusing.

So he asked.

"What’s your name?"

"David."

"David? Is that your real name?"

"Of course! Why would I lie? Haha!"

He spoke smoothly, without a single twitch.

But Zeon knew.

The name was fake—something he had come up with on the spot.

Not that it mattered.

Zeon didn’t care about a scavenger’s real name.

"Alright, David. You have ten minutes. If you don’t find what I need by then, you’ll end up just like them."

"Oh, that won’t be necessary! Just tell me everything you know about the target!"

"Helbrin Mercenaries."

"…What?"

"They operated under that name in the desert."

"Ah."

David’s eyes flickered with recognition.

"They’re not hard to find."

"There aren’t many left."

"What?"

"Hassim, one subordinate, and two others who entered Neo Seoul before them. That makes four."

"Only four…?"

David's expression twisted in disbelief.

And for good reason—he knew exactly how strong the Helbrin Mercenaries were.

Most scavenger crews wouldn’t even dare to challenge them.

Yet now, only four of them remained—and Zeon knew this as a fact.

David wasn’t stupid.

He understood what that meant.

‘This man… he must have wiped out the entire Helbrin Mercenary Corps.’

A cold shiver ran down his spine.

Without hesitation, he pulled out a black gemstone from his pocket.

It was identical to the one Zeon had.

Its official name was Moss.

Like Zeon, David could use it to locate scavenger nests—or as a basic communication device through Morse code-like signals.

Of course, to use it for communication, both parties had to be attuned to the same mana frequency.

As an experienced scavenger, David had many such connections.

TAP. TAP-TAP. TAP.

His fingers moved swiftly, tapping out a coded message.

Zeon observed his movements carefully.

‘So that’s how it works.’

Urtian had given him a general explanation, but seeing it in action was something else entirely.

After a moment, David’s face lit up.

"I sent the message to everyone. We should hear back soon."

"Good work."

David hesitated before speaking.

"Can I… ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Your name… could I know what it is?"

"Why? Planning revenge?"

"N-No! Never! Just… curious, that’s all."

"It’s not hard to tell you. The problem is, once you know it… you’ll have to die."

"H-HOLY SHIT! Never mind! I’m not curious at all!"

David frantically shook his hands in refusal.

Zeon chuckled.

"Relax. I was joking. Why are you so jumpy?"

"H-Haha… Right, of course… A joke…"

"My name is Zeon."

"…Wait. The Zeon? The Sand Mage?!"

David slapped his hands over his mouth, his eyes wide with terror.

Every scavenger knew Zeon’s name.

To them, he was nothing less than a walking disaster.

Few had ever seen him in person—because those who had rarely lived to tell the tale.

Zeon simply smiled.

A smile that felt as cold and sharp as a reaper’s scythe.

Sweat poured down David’s back.

‘Shit… The Sand Mage. If I had messed up, I would’ve been buried alive in sand.’

For the first time, he felt proud of himself for choosing not to attack Zeon.

David anxiously waited for a response from his contacts.

‘Why the hell is it taking so long? They’re not ignoring me, are they?’

A single minute stretched into what felt like ten.

Zeon, silently watching him, felt like an unbearable weight pressing down on his nerves.

TAP-TAP.

Suddenly, the Moss stone vibrated.

"It’s here!"

David quickly deciphered the incoming message.

Moments later, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke.

"Hassim and his men are in Nest Five."

Zeon’s eyes narrowed.

"Are you certain?"

"Those bastards caused a huge commotion there. The guy who sent the message got his ass kicked by them, so I doubt he's lying."

"Where is Nest Five?"

David hesitated.

Zeon’s voice turned cold.

"Where is it?"

David shut his eyes tight and spoke quickly.

"…Near City Hall."

Zeon blinked in disbelief.

Even he hadn’t expected that.

Scavengers were bold, but this was outright reckless.

"You’ve got some real nerve… setting up a nest that close to City Hall."

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]