Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

HELHEIM SCANS

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 198

"What is this?"

Urtian's eyes widened in shock.

Behind Zeon, the sand started to take on human shapes.

In an instant, dozens of Sand Soldiers were formed.

"Incredible. Creating soldiers out of sand."

As if responding to Urtian's voice, the Sand Soldiers stepped forward to stand in front of Zeon.

"Could it be... the Sand Mage from Neo Seoul?"

His voice trembled involuntarily.

It was recent, unbelievable information.

News that a Sand Mage, capable of freely manipulating sand, had appeared in Neo Seoul.

Although the Red Storm wandered aimlessly in the desert, they never neglected gathering information about Neo Seoul.

It was always possible that Neo Seoul might dispatch a subjugation force. Therefore, they maintained contact with the scavengers of Neo Seoul.

At that time, the scavengers mentioned that a Sand Mage had appeared in Neo Seoul, drawing intense interest.

It was an appearance of a class that had never been seen before. However, it was something unrelated to them, and the existence of a Sand Mage was so unbelievable that they had just dismissed it.

"A Sand Mage. You've awakened a power even Kurayan didn't possess."

"It seems you know a lot about Kurayan."

"I came from there, so how could I not?"

"You came directly? Then your age must be..."

"In human terms, well over 150."

"That's... more than I expected."

"Is it strange that an old man over 150 looks young? Our aging process is different from humans."

"I know that. I've already seen the Queen of Elves. She also came from Kurayan and has maintained her youth."

"Queen?"

"Serian Oliana. The otherworldly races in Neo Seoul call her Queen."

"Heh! Acting all noble, yet she ends up being called a queen. While some of us do all sorts of dirty things to survive in the desert."

Urtian's tone was harsh.

It was clear that he did not hold Serian in high regard.

"If you're that envious, why didn't you join Neo Seoul?"

"I'm not livestock. I can't live receiving handouts in a human-made fortress."

"So you chose plundering?"

"Why, does it look bad? Don't humans live the same way? So I live like that too."

Urtian was an elf who had adapted to the human world.

When he first came to Earth, he was called righteous. But after being abandoned by his comrades and living among humans, he realized the truth.

The simple proposition that you either kill or get killed.

The pure elf gradually became a fiend, and he turned a ragtag band of scavengers into a large group of over a hundred.

He became more vicious than humans.

There was nothing he wouldn't do to survive.

"We have to kill you to live."

Urtian and his subordinates closed in on Zeon.

Most elves would be ashamed to bully the few with the many, but he was different.

As long as he won, the process didn't matter.

In the end, only the victor is remembered, and the survivor takes everything.

Urtian was prepared to do anything to survive and win.

He spoke to his subordinates.

"Our opponent is a Sand Mage. Don't give him time to use his sand."

"Yes!"

"Fuck! Even a mage dies if they get stabbed."

Urtian's subordinates were as ruthless as he was.

As they carefully tightened their encirclement, they suddenly rushed forward in unison.

"Die!"

"Hiyaaa!"

Various weapons and skills were aimed at Zeon.

But their attacks never reached Zeon.

The Sand Soldiers blocked them.

Boom!

The Sand Soldiers took the attacks of the Red Storm with their bodies.

Some Sand Soldiers remained intact, while others crumbled under the powerful skills.

The soldiers made of sand were inherently weak. But there was plenty of sand, and Zeon still had a lot of mana left.

As long as he had mana, he could repair the broken Sand Soldiers.

And indeed, he did.

Swoosh!

The Sand Soldiers revived as if they had never been broken and attacked the Awakeneds of the Red Storm.

"Fuck! These damned things..."

"Just die already!"

"Haaa!"

The Awakeneds and the Sand Soldiers fought fiercely.

Urtian bypassed them and charged at Zeon.

'If I eliminate the Sand Mage who summoned these soldiers, everything will be solved.'

He launched a Wind Cutter at Zeon.

Whoosh!

Dozens of Wind Cutters spun furiously towards Zeon's neck.

At that moment, Zeon unleashed a Sand Blaster.

Boom!

With a burst of noise, all the Wind Cutters were intercepted. But Urtian wasn't surprised.

He had anticipated this level of counterattack.

His real target was something else.

"Die! Sand Mage!"

Shing!

Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from his shamshir.

It wasn't just overlaid with aura as before.

The light formed a blade in the shape of a shamshir.

An Aura Blade, a technique that only a handful of Martial Arts Awakeneds could use.

A blade made of aura could easily cut through even items excavated from dungeons.

A human body was no match.

Sand rose around Zeon like a snake.

It was one of his skills, Viper.

The snake made of sand struck Urtian's body at a terrifying speed.

"Ugh!"

The immense impact made his mind go blank.

Urtian quickly became covered in blood. Yet, he endured the pain and continued forward.

These wounds were nothing to him.

He had once killed an enemy with even worse injuries.

Failing to stop his advance, Zeon used another skill.

"Claymore!"

Boom!

The sand around Urtian exploded in a chain reaction.

Urtian was engulfed in the massive explosion.

He was about to be torn to pieces.

Suddenly, black light burst from the tattoos on his face and body.

The black light formed a shield that protected him from the explosion.

His tattoos were an item called the Guardian.

A cheat item that protected its owner from all attacks once a day.

In the form of a tattoo, once equipped, it couldn't be removed until death.

Urtian had counted on the Guardian and launched his all-out attack.

As expected, the Guardian perfectly protected him from the Claymore.

Emerging unscathed from the explosion, Urtian thrust his Aura Blade into Zeon's heart.

"It's over, Sand Mage!"

Thud!

HELHEIM SCANS

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

His Aura Blade pierced Zeon's heart without resistance.

Feeling the soft sensation in his hand, Urtian smiled victoriously. But his smile vanished faster than it had appeared.

"This can't be!"

Zeon's body, impaled by the Aura Blade, crumbled like sand.

When Urtian activated the Guardian, Zeon had summoned a Sand Soldier to take his place.

It happened so quickly that Urtian didn't notice.

The Aura Blade that pierced the Sand Soldier disappeared.

He was too shocked, and his mana flow broke.

Zeon didn't miss the opportunity.

"Sand Mixer."

Whoosh!

The scattered sand enveloped Urtian and spun at high speed.

Urtian swung his shamshir to escape the Sand Mixer, but the immense pressure crushed him.

His armor and skin were ground away by the high-speed rotating sand particles.

Unable to endure the extreme pain, Urtian screamed.

"Arrgghhhh!"

His scream was so harrowing that even the Awakeneds fighting nearby stopped and looked.

"Leader!"

"No!"

The Awakeneds of the Red Storm tried to rush to save him. But they were blocked by the Sand Soldiers.

In the meantime, Zeon detonated the ferociously spinning Sand Mixer.

Boom!

The underground cave shook as if it would collapse.

It was a massive explosion.

Urtian was thrown through the sand.

His body crashed into the wall, in a grotesque state.

All his skin had been scraped off, revealing muscles and bones. It was a wonder he was still breathing.

"You... bastard!"

Urtian struggled to rise.

Despite his severe injuries, the venom and murderous intent in his eyes didn't fade.

He looked more like a demon than an elf.

Seeing Urtian like this would intimidate anyone. But not Zeon.

Zeon had faced many stronger and more vicious beings than Urtian.

Urtian's menace had no effect on him.

It was time to end it.

Zeon raised his fist.

The dragon's eye embedded in the Inferno Gauntlet glowed red.

Zeon mercilessly swung his fist, unleashing Fire Rain.

Just as the red rain of fire was about to hit Urtian.

"No!"

With a sharp cry, someone stood between Zeon and Urtian.

A woman, just as large as Urtian.

She fearlessly blocked the red fire rain with her bare body.

"Tsk!"

Zeon clicked his tongue and altered the Fire Rain's trajectory.

The fire rain narrowly missed her and Urtian, exploding on the ground.

Boom!

Despite the explosion and rising dust, the woman didn't flinch as she stood in front of Urtian.

She spoke.

"Thank you."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Deborah, the wife of the man you were about to kill."

The woman proudly revealed her identity.

"So you stepped in to save your husband?"

"I can't let the father of my three children die before my eyes."

"Three children?"

Zeon then noticed the children watching them.

They looked just like Urtian and Deborah.

They clenched their tiny fists and glared at Zeon.

"Ha!"

Zeon sighed.

He was in a tight spot.

Zeon wasn't a cold-blooded killer who would slay a father in front of his children.

"Impressive. Bringing children to a battlefield."

"They need to understand how hard we struggle to survive."

"You call it a struggle when you're plundering others..."

"Mock us all you want, but we're fighting for our survival too."

Deborah stood firm.

As Urtian's wife and the matriarch of the Red Storm, she had been with them for over ten years.

It was largely thanks to her that the Red Storm had grown despite all the hardships and adversities.

Everyone in the Red Storm liked and relied on her.

Urtian was the leader, but Deborah was their backbone.

Deborah spoke up.

"We need this fortress."

"So you're asking me to back off?"

"I'm not that shameless. We'll retreat. Just let us go."

"And if I refuse?"

"We might be annihilated, but the people living here won't be safe either."

Deborah's threat was bold.

It was so outrageous that Zeon couldn't help but laugh.

In fact, a cold smile spread across his lips.

Deborah's expression, on the other hand, was as hard as stone.

She pretended to be calm, but she was more tense than anyone.

Her opponent was a monster with unfathomable power.

The only Sand Mage in this desertified world.

An enemy who, if made, would bring endless troubles.

If they had known he was here, the Red Storm wouldn't have attacked Steel Fortress without a plan.

But what's done was done, and she had to clean up the mess.

Boom! Bang!

Just then, there were explosions, and Duduyan and Komac were sent flying.

Like Urtian, they had been defeated by Eloy and Levin.

With the top leaders all defeated, the fight came to a standstill.

Everyone was now watching Deborah and Zeon.

Zeon shrugged and said.

"Alright. Then quietly retreat."

"No."

At that moment, Gawen intervened.

Foaming at the mouth, Gawen yelled at Zeon.

"My men all died because of them. And you want to let them go? No way. Kill them all. Not a single one should be left alive to protect the secret of Steel Fortress."

Gawen glared at Zeon with bloodshot eyes.

His eyes were filled with madness.

Zeon clicked his tongue and stepped back.

"Then you kill them."

HELHEIM SCANS

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]