Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert-Chapter 314

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 314

The central district, home to City Hall, operated on an entirely different level of order and security compared to the other districts.

It wasn’t just by chance that so many Awakened units, guilds, and research facilities had established themselves here.

Causing trouble in this district was tantamount to challenging the authority of City Hall itself—and City Hall never tolerated defiance.

The sheer military power it possessed was something no other district could hope to match.

Even the most powerful Awakened from other districts had no choice but to tread carefully when stepping into the central district.

This was not a place where scavengers could freely operate.

And yet, the scavengers had used City Hall’s absolute authority to their advantage.

They had hidden their nest right under City Hall’s nose, using its very presence to avoid suspicion.

The Nest Five that David had revealed to Zeon was located two blocks away from City Hall, in the basement of an unassuming building.

A hidden seventh basement level—a floor that didn’t exist on any blueprints—served as Nest Five.

"Interesting."

"You find this fun?"

David, standing beside Zeon, wore a grim expression.

Zeon smirked.

"Aren’t you curious what the officials at City Hall will look like when they realize there’s a scavenger nest right under their noses?"

"Not even a little."

"That’s a shame. You should stick around to see their faces."

"Fuck my life…"

Sweat poured down David’s face.

Nest Five was the most critical of all scavenger hideouts.

It was the only safe place for scavengers to rest within the central district—making it irreplaceable.

If Nest Five were to fall, it would send shockwaves through the entire scavenger underworld.

If the others learned that David had led Zeon straight to it, they would never let him live.

He had already decided—as soon as he dropped Zeon off, he would flee to the slums.

He had a private hideout there, prepared for situations exactly like this.

Zeon spoke.

"Lead the way. I’d like to see them now."

"Haa… Fine."

Like a lamb being led to slaughter, David hung his head and walked ahead.

He led Zeon to the back entrance of the building.

It was perfectly hidden from sight, and further concealed by stealth magic.

Most people didn’t even realize this entrance existed.

Zeon asked.

"How do we open it?"

"Haa…"

David let out a deep sigh.

He was about to give away every secret he had.

Silently, he pulled out his black gemstone and pressed it against a panel next to the door.

CLANK!

The door unlocked immediately.

"Ah, so the gemstone is the key."

"Each gemstone is encoded with its owner’s information."

"So when the other scavengers check the logs, they’ll know it was you who unlocked the door and led me here."

"…Fucking hell!"

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"You’d better start running soon."

"You’ll let me go?"

"Of course not. First, I need to confirm if you’re telling the truth."

"Goddamn it…"

David gritted his teeth and stepped inside.

Beyond the back door was a small elevator room.

A direct passage to the hidden seventh basement level.

Both men stepped inside, the elevator descending toward Nest Five.

David, looking increasingly anxious, muttered.

"I’ll leave as soon as we arrive."

"Be my guest."

"Really?"

"Yes. As long as it’s an actual scavenger nest, I’ll have no more business with you."

"Thank you…"

"No need to thank me."

Zeon chuckled.

DING!

The elevator reached the seventh basement level.

As the doors slid open, David gestured beyond them.

"This is Nest Fiv—"

RATATATATATA!

A hail of bullets ripped through the elevator.

Specially designed rounds meant to kill Awakened targets.

More than enough firepower to instantly kill an Awakened caught off guard.

David was shredded in an instant.

He didn’t even have time to scream.

The attack was so sudden, so swift, that he died before he could react.

Bullets also pounded into Zeon’s body.

But unlike David…

CLINK! CLINK! CLINK!

The rounds bounced off and clattered to the ground.

Zeon was wearing a robe crafted from Leviathan hide—a material impervious to bullets.

He muttered to himself.

"They were waiting for me."

"Tch! I had a feeling… Fucking Sand Mage!"

A voice cursed from within the nest.

Inside Nest Five, a large group of Awakened scavengers had their weapons trained on Zeon.

At the center of them all stood Hassim.

Surrounding him were Akashi, Buckshire, and Etly.

The core of the Helbrin Mercenaries—all gathered in one place.

Hassim looked at Zeon with a frustrated expression.

"What the fuck is your problem? Why are you hunting us down like this?"

"Did you attack those survivor villages because you had a personal grudge against them?"

"…Shit. Can’t argue with that."

"I have my reasons, but I don’t see why I need to explain them to you."

"Your arrogance is out of control."

"I have the skills to back it up."

"That much, I know. That’s why we ran all the way here."

"Hiding near City Hall was a good choice. If it weren’t for David, I wouldn’t have found you."

"Heh… That little shit. I knew something was off when he contacted us."

Hassim grinned, flashing his yellowed teeth.

By the time David had started asking about Nest Five, Hassim had already seized control of the place.

That made it immediately obvious that someone was looking for them.

Hassim had trusted his gut instinct—and he had been right.

Zeon asked.

"Where are the people you kidnapped from the survivor village?"

"You really came all this way for some useless nobodies? That’s hilarious."

"Just answer the question."

"Already handed them over to the Spider Queen. We were too busy running from your crazy ass to keep them."

"She has them already?"

"What, feeling bad now? If you hadn’t come after me, they would’ve lived a little longer. Now they’re all dead."

"So you knew. You knew she was breeding Gu."

"Heh. Of course I knew. I’m the one who introduced her to the guy who controls them."

"So you were the link between Eli and the Five Venoms Clan."

Zeon nodded.

He had been wondering how Eli and the Five Venoms Clan had connected.

Now he had his answer—Hassim.

SHING!

Hassim drew his kukri and smirked.

"Not that it matters. You’re gonna die here."

"You seem confident. Got a plan?"

"Yeah. The elevator you’re standing in."

"Hmm?"

"I rigged it with ‘Sun-Eating Hound’."

CRACK!

At that moment, a blinding light erupted from within the elevator.

The radiant energy expanded outward in thin, precise lines, before solidifying into an impenetrable crystalline barrier.

In the blink of an eye, the entire interior of the elevator transformed into a solid block of crystal—much like the Moss stones used by scavengers.

Zeon remained frozen mid-conversation, his posture unchanged.

Like a mosquito trapped in amber, perfectly preserved for millions of years.

TAP. TAP.

Hassim knocked on the crystal with his knuckles, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.

"As expected of the ‘Sun-Eating Hound.’"

"You actually used that thing… Damn. That was a one-of-a-kind artifact, too."

Etly, standing nearby, clicked his tongue in disappointment.

The Sun-Eating Hound was the core of a dungeon they had once stumbled upon.

If Zeon's Watching Eye was an artifact that rejected intruders, the Sun-Eating Hound was far more terrifying—sealing them away for eternity in crystal.

No one trapped inside could ever break free.

The crystal tightened around its prey, rendering them completely motionless, while also disrupting all mana flow, ensuring that even Awakened individuals were powerless.

The only known way to shatter the crystal was through an external force powerful enough to break it—something only an S-rank Awakened could accomplish.

And there were no S-ranks here.

Even if there were, none of them would willingly free Zeon.

"Tch. A shame."

Buckshire wiped his nose with the back of his hand, grumbling.

"If he were still standing, I would've shown him what a true lycanthrope can do."

"Heh. Don’t make me laugh. If that bastard was still free, you’d be tucking your tail between your legs and running."

"The hell did you just say, dwarf?!"

"You heard me. Use your damn brain for once. Do you think our boss would’ve used his trump card if we could handle him normally?"

Buckshire hesitated, momentarily at a loss for words.

"...Is he really that bad?"

"You're an idiot, you know that?"

Etly let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head.

Hassim, ignoring their exchange, turned back to the crystal.

"Enough. Just make sure this thing is well preserved. It'll make for a great trophy later."

"Heh… a captured Sand Mage in crystal? That’ll sell for a fortune."

Etly grinned wickedly.

Hassim nodded in agreement.

"Polish it up nicely. It’s been a while since we’ve seen real dwarven craftsmanship."

"Of course. Leave it to me—"

CRACK.

A sharp, unmistakable noise echoed through the room.

The sound of shattering glass.

"...What was that?"

"No way…"

Their eyes snapped toward the crystal prison.

CRACK. CRACKLE.

Before their very eyes, fine cracks had begun spreading across the crystal's surface.

The cracks webbed out like a spider’s web, splintering the once-impenetrable crystal.

Hassim clenched his jaw.

"Even the ‘Sun-Eating Hound’… is useless against him?"

"This is insane."

Even Etly, usually calm, couldn't hide his shock.

Buckshire's fur bristled, his form shifting as he fully transformed into a werewolf.

"Enough talking! Prepare for battle! That bastard’s getting out!"

"Everyone, battle stations!"

At Hassim’s command, the scavengers hurriedly took up arms, forming a defensive line.

CRACK. CRACKLE.

Even as they readied themselves, the crystal prison continued to fracture.

The sound of breaking crystal rang in their ears, like the tolling of a death knell.

"Fuck!"

"This is bullshit…"

The scavengers gritted their teeth, sweat dripping down their foreheads.

Their tension reached its absolute peak.

BOOOOM!

With an earsplitting shatter, the crystal exploded into fragments.

Zeon stood in the wreckage, his body unscathed.

Hassim’s eyes widened in horror.

"ATTACK!!"

"DIE!"

The scavengers launched a full-scale assault, unleashing every skill they had toward the now-freed Zeon.

They believed that—while they might not be able to kill him outright—they could at least injure him.

But—

FWOOSH.

A single ember flickered from the elevator and landed among them.

"……"

For a brief moment, the scavengers simply stared at the fire, mesmerized.

It burned beautifully, swaying like a flower blooming in the desert.

Its strange, hypnotic movement captivated their attention.

Then—

BOOOOM!

The ember erupted into a blazing inferno.

Scorching embers rained down, igniting everything they touched.

Hell had begun.

"AAAAAHHH!"

"IT BURNS! FUCK, IT WON’T GO OUT!"

"HELP ME!"

The scavengers screamed in agony, flailing wildly, rolling across the ground in a desperate attempt to smother the flames.

But no matter how much they struggled, the fire refused to die.

Once it clung to something, it would only vanish when it had burned it completely to ash.

Zeon stepped forward, his expression unreadable.

"White Phosphorus Fire."

His calm words cut through the chaos, as he watched them burn.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]