Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 88

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 88

“Humm!”

Zeon, stretching as he got up, frowned as he noticed something.

His gaze landed on Brielle.

Her eyes were bloodshot, as if she had been up all night.

She was glaring at a silver pot.

Inside the silver pot, an unknown liquid was bubbling.

“Just a little more, just a little more…”

Brielle murmured, clutching her small fists tightly.

In her demeanor, there was a deep sense of madness.

Zeon shook his head.

“You’ve been up all night again.”

Brielle was nocturnal.

Though she seemed cloudy during the day, her mind became clear at night.

Her research began then.

Confined underground, her suppressed curiosity erupted manically.

It was as if she unleashed the energy accumulated during the day at night.

Even now, she was staring at the liquid she had created all night with a mad gleam in her eyes.

“It’s almost done. Just a little more….”

Boom!

At that moment, the liquid inside the pot exploded.

“Aah!”

Brielle was drenched in the liquid.

The liquid splattered not only on Brielle but throughout the house.

Zeon surveyed the mess around the house and clicked his tongue.

“Tsk!”

“What went wrong? The combination seemed perfect….”

Brielle murmured in dismay.

Zeon told her.

“Clean this up.”

“Ugh! Why did it fail? What went wrong?”

“Haah!”

It seemed like Zeon’s voice didn’t reach Brielle’s ears.

She began to analyze the failure factors while trying to figure out the liquid stuck to her body.

“Uwaaa! What the hell is the problem?”

Leaving the flustered Brielle behind, Zeon left the house.

Knowing that Brielle would be out of sorts for at least several hours if she had a seizure, it was better to spend time outside until she regained her senses.

Zeon walked down the street with his hands in his pockets.

“Huh?”

Zeon’s eyes fell on a shabby street stall.

It was a skewer stand, emitting a very tempting smell.

Besides Zeon, there were other customers at the stall.

However, most of the customers were men.

Zeon quickly realized the reason.

The owner of the stall was a woman.

And she was quite pretty.

Although not flashy, she had a modest beauty.

That alone was enough to attract the attention of men in the slums.

“I haven’t seen your face before.”

“Where do you live?”

The men were each holding a skewer and asking the woman questions.

All their questions were related to the woman’s appearance.

Even though the world had become like this, men’s deLordes for pretty women remained the same.

Despite the discomfort of the men’s flirting, the woman calmly responded without batting an eyelid.

“Of course, I live in Sinchon. It might look unfamiliar because it’s my first time doing business.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“When will the business end? Can’t you finish a little earlier? I know a good place. Let’s go together.”

“Oh my! Just hearing you say that is enough. But to make a living, I have to do business for a long time.”

“How much is the daily sales? I’ll pay for everything.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes!”

“Oh my! Thank you just for saying that. How can you be so reliable?”

“Hehe!”

The woman knew how to handle men.

With her compliments and sweet talk, the men’s expressions softened.

Zeon interjected among them.

“How much for one skewer?”

“Oh my! Handsome Oppa? Ten skewers for one Sol.”

“One Sol?”

“This is cultured meat made in Neo Seoul. The taste itself is different from other monster meat.”

“Is that so?”

Curious, Zeon showed interest, and the woman handed him a skewer.

“Try it once. Once you taste it, you won’t be able to eat other meats again.”

Zeon nodded and took a bite of the skewer.

As the woman assured, the skewer was incredibly delicious.

It was enough to boast about.

In the slums, finding someone with this level of skill was rare.

Zeon took another bite of the skewer.

It was still delicious.

With a smile, the woman asked.

“Delicious, right?”

“It’s delicious.”

“Right? I knew it would be. Handsome Oppa!”

“I think you’re much older than me?”

“Hehe! If you’re handsome, you’re an Oppa. You’re really handsome.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you live here too?”

“Yes!”

“Where?”

“In Ant Hill.”

“Oh my! You live in a rough place. Aren’t you scared?”

“Not really!”

Zeon responded dully to the woman’s chatter.

“But your clothes don’t look ordinary. Are they items?”

“Not a big deal.”

“Why not? It’s radiating such a glossy shine.”

The woman casually reached out and touched Zeon’s robe.

Instantly, a faint light emanated from her hand. But no one noticed this fact.

Her actions were so natural that anyone would mistake her for a lover.

The men who came to the stall first now had a jealous look on their faces.

“What? Why are you being so nice to that bastard?”

“Are you discriminating based on looks?”

Despite the men’s outburst, the woman calmly replied.

“Everyone calm down. Who said anything about discrimination?”

“Huh?”

“Isn’t it?”

Suddenly, the men’s expressions blanked out.

They had accepted the woman’s words as if they were enchanted.

It was a very strange sight.

Anyone who saw it couldn’t help but think it was strange.

However, among the men around the stall, no one realized this fact.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

The woman smiled slyly and looked at Zeon.

“Now we can talk quietly, right?”

“You have an interesting skill. A mind-manipulating skill.”

“Oh? You have a sharp eye too, Oppa. I’m liking you more and more.”

The woman clapped her hands and laughed.

It was a smile that couldn’t hide her joy.

Meanwhile, Zeon remained indifferent.

He had already realized that the woman was not ordinary.

The fact that there were no female street vendors in this area spoke volumes about how dangerous the world was.

The slums were a lawless land, where a little misstep could lead to kidnapping or assault, the value of women in modern times was just that.

Without awakening or a sturdy backer, one had to be careful even just wandering outside.

But who would believe that a pretty woman suddenly set up a stall? And in this area?

It was definitely not a normal situation.

Zeon asked.

“Are you targeting me by any chance?”

“I’m not targeting you, just casually meeting you.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“They’re definitely different. Can’t you tell from the vibe?”

“You make talking amusing.”

“Amusing? Then I’m glad.”

“What’s the reason for you approaching me so deliberately?”

“Because I like you.”

The woman replied without a hint of hesitation.

But Zeon wasn’t naive enough to believe a stranger’s words so easily.

“Who instructed you to come here?”

“Really, I came here because I liked you.”

The woman smiled slyly.

And then she looked even more beautiful.

It was as if there was a halo behind her head.

“Tsk!”

Zeon clicked his tongue and put down the skewer he was holding.

“Why? Don’t you like the skewer?”

“I’ve lost my appetite because you keep using your brainwashing skill on me.”

The smile that had filled the woman’s face disappeared instantly. But she quickly put on a calm expression again as if nothing was wrong.

“When did I use a brainwashing skill on you?”

“When? Were you perhaps sent from Dongdaemun?”

“….”

“Seems like it.”

“You’re really unlucky, Oppa. Why are you so quick-witted when you’re so handsome? Why is your mental barrier so strong?”

Even the woman couldn’t deny it anymore.

Her name was Kim Jae-kyung.

She was none other than Johan’s confidants.

Her specialty was mind manipulation skills similar to brainwashing.

After breaking down the guard of the opponent with her modest appearance, she would make contact and then unleash her skills. If she continued to use her skills, everyone, without exception, would harbor affection for her.

Then, by continuously using her skills, they would eventually be completely under her control.

In this way, she had made countless people join her side.

Especially men, they all fell for her without fail.

Naturally, Kim Jae-kyung thought the same would happen this time too.

It was no big deal for her to brainwash someone like Zeon, who seemed to be just a naive boy.

But Zeon’s mind was more resilient than she expected.

It was clear that his mental barrier was stronger than she had thought.

“Our Oppa turned out to be more amazing than I thought.”

“Was it Johan’s order?”

“Lord!”

“Huh?”

“Attach ‘Lord.’ He’s not someone you can address casually.”

When Johan’s name was mentioned, Kim Jae-kyung’s expression changed.

There was even madness in her eyes.

Zeon muttered to himself.

“Tsk! Just earlier, Brielle had that kind of look in her eyes, and now another woman is emitting madness.”

Despite thinking he had been unlucky since morning, Zeon’s expression remained unchanged.

“Right. Lord Johan. Were you sent by him?”

“That’s right! He told me to persuade you nicely.”

“Is brainwashing someone considered nice?”

“Hmph! How happy should you be to be brainwashed by a beautiful woman like me?”

“I know quite a few women who are prettier than you.”

“What?”

“By my standards, you’re not that pretty.”

“You little…”

“So, please understand the situation.”

“Damn it! I tried to be nice. Submit!”

At that moment, with a loud shout, intense light radiated from her entire body.

C-rank skill, Submission.

Although it consumed a tremendous amount of mana, the effect was certain.

Kim Jae-kyung touched Zeon’s body a few times earlier while injecting her mana.

She had already prepared in advance.

Therefore, she was confident that her skill would definitely work.

Then it happened.

“Hmph!”

Zeon’s snort could be heard.

Simultaneously, a huge shock hit her brain as if struck by a hammer.

Thud!

“Aaah!”

Kim Jae-kyung screamed and collapsed.

Blood was flowing from her nose and ears.

Zeon looked at her and said.

“Tsk! You should use mental skills cautiously, adjusting them to your opponent. If you use them recklessly, you might end up getting hurt, don’t you know that?”

“You, what have you done?”

“As you can see, I haven’t done anything.”

“Then…”

Kim Jae-kyung had an expression of disbelief.

There hadn’t been a single opponent whom her skills had not worked on until now.

No, there was one person.

It was Johan, whom she considered her god.

Johan’s mental barrier was too high and strong, making her skill ineffective against him.

‘Could it be that this man’s mind is as strong as Lord Johan’s?’

[Translator – Peptobismol]