Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert Chapter 3

[Translator – Peptobismol]

The party's Leader went by Jang Yong-beom.

Jang Yong-beom ranked as a Martial Arts type Awakened.

He wielded a gigantic claymore as his weapon.

His fighting method involved ripping foes apart using the aura-infused claymore.

The female Awakened who briefly chilled the blazing sand went by Giselle.

She specialized in Ice Magic as her Awakened type.

Aiden was the one who unleashed the Vibration strike; he served as the party's second-in-command, boasting sharp senses and a brilliant mind.

Finally, Mountain was the hulking figure who crushed the Sandworm’s skull.

Behind his gentle-looking facade lurked a savagely cruel essence.

His savage habit of dismantling desert beasts had earned him fame even across Neo Seoul.

Under Jang Yong-beom's command, the group was now departing Neo Seoul en route to the Magic Stone Mines.

His stare at Zeon cut like a knife as he demanded.

“How did you survive?”

“What?”

“While everyone else became food for the Sandworm, how did you manage to survive alone?”

“I-I don’t know. When I regained consciousness, I was on top of the sand.”

Zeon’s answer made Jang Yong-beom’s glare turn icy.

“Did you awaken, perhaps? Giselle, check the insignia on that bastard’s wrist.”

“Okay, Leader!”

Giselle, the blue-haired woman, responded and seized Zeon’s wrist.

“Ugh!”

Zeon groaned involuntarily from the twist of pain in his wrist.

Giselle inspected Zeon’s wrist intently.

“Huh, no insignia?”

“Really?”

“Look! It’s not there.”

Giselle displayed Zeon’s wrist to Jang Yong-beom.

True to her words, Zeon’s wrist bore no mark.

Jang Yong-beom murmured.

“Did you just get lucky, not awaken?”

Upon awakening, seven slender lines emerge on the wrist, resembling a tattoo.

These resembled ancient military rank insignias, hence the name awakening insignias.

Illumination on the lowest line signals F-rank; reaching the second line marks E-rank.

Up to the third means D-rank, and the fourth brings C-rank.

Moreover, insignia hues differ by Awakened category.

Blue denotes Magic users.

Red signifies Martial Artists.

Gray identifies Sorcerers.

Black marks those merged with machines.

Rarely, unique categories emerge, though they're exceedingly uncommon.

Such outliers, dubbed irregulars, still display wrist insignias.

The insignia confirms awakening status while acting as a binding restraint.

Nothing proves Awakened identity more definitively than the insignia.

Jang Yong-beom’s wrist showed a glowing red light, confirming his Martial Arts affiliation.

Giselle, Aiden, and Mountain each bore visible wrist insignias.

Conversely, Zeon’s wrist remained pristine.

No awakening insignia appeared, nor any hint of power.

Giselle commented.

“He’s just a guy with insanely good luck.”

“Everyone else died, he’s the only one that survived, that isn’t just luck.”

“What should we do, Leader?”

“Anyway, we have to stop by the Magic Stone Mines. Put him in the car.”

“Hoho! A lucky man, indeed.”

Giselle laughed heartily at Jang Yong-beom’s remark, yet Zeon found no humor in it.

‘Can they really not see this?’

Zeon clearly saw the insignia on his own wrist.

Though merely the base line for F-rank, it was undeniably an awakening insignia.

Yet to others, it remained completely invisible.

‘What? Why can’t they see my rank insignia? Now that I think about it, the light is a little different.’

A profound orange glow, akin to sand bathed in a blood-red dusk.

No tales existed of Awakened with such colored insignias.

Besides, Zeon’s awakened power controlled sand.

In dire straits, nearby sand obeyed his command.

Unpotent as F-rank, it still let him manipulate sand in a limited range.

Zeon abruptly scanned his surroundings.

The vista consisted wholly of a sand-formed desert.

Following the prior five cataclysms—late Ordovician, late Devonian, end-Permian, end-Triassic, end-Cretaceous—a sixth extinction struck abruptly.

This sixth event marked the ultimate doomsday in many eyes.

Ninety percent of species vanished, transforming most of Earth into desert.

Oceans and rivers vanished, blanketing the planet in sand.

Nature strived for revival, but lush revival remained uncertain.

In this harsh reality, sand manipulation ability shone supremely.

The vast desert became his personal domain.

Only now did Zeon grasp his power’s extraordinary nature.

Slum life had taught him that anomalous abilities spelled catastrophe.

‘If my ability gets exposed, I don’t know what might happen. I could be dragged to a lab and dissected.’

Luckily, his F-rank awakening kept him unremarkable among Awakened.

Like a mere peasant in their realm.

To endure, he must strengthen his powers.

That alone would marginally boost survival odds.

‘It’s one challenge after another. Damn it!’

Zeon gnawed his lip in irritation.

Awakening brought relief over powerlessness, despite hiding it feeling oppressive.

Zeon opted for optimism.

Mountain addressed Zeon.

“Hey, kid! Get on the cargo carrier.”

“The cargo carrier?”

“Why, don’t like it?”

“No way! I-I like the cargo carrier.”

“Then hop on.”

“Yes!”

Zeon scrambled aboard the cargo carrier after his response. Moments later, the others boarded the vehicle.

The Magic Stone-powered vehicle roared across the desert sands.

Huddled on the cargo carrier, Zeon watched the desert scenery unfold.

Sunset loomed near the western sky before long.

Dusk in the desert amplified its ferocity tenfold beyond daytime.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Even elite Awakened parties couldn't assure survival through desert nights.

Thus, Jang Yong-beom raced toward the Magic Stone Mines.

They reached the mines right as the sun dipped low.

“Is this the Magic Stone Mines?”

Zeon rose on the cargo carrier, eyeing the Magic Stone Mines.

A towering rocky mound dominated the desert center.

The Magic Stone Mines hid deep inside it. A sturdy fortress wall guarded the entrance, blocking Sandworms.

Awakened sentries patrolled the wall tops.

Entry demanded passing through the main gate into the hill's core.

As Jang Yong-beom’s group neared, the gatekeepers swung it open.

The vehicle glided through into the enclosed space.

A modest city thrived within the walls.

As Neo Seoul's prime Magic Stone supplier, the hill housed numerous facilities and residents.

Smaller than Neo Seoul, it offered essential conveniences.

Once Jang Yong-beom’s vehicle halted, an Awakened approached.

Spotting Jang Yong-beom, the guard's expression twisted.

His reputation preceded him instantly.

‘Why is this human trash here?’

Jang Yong-beom earned the moniker Butcher.

His infamy echoed from Neo Seoul to the Magic Stone Mines.

“Long time no see. What business do you have here?”

“Mind your own business.”

“What?”

“I said, mind your own business. What will you do by knowing why I came here?”

Jang Yong-beom’s scorn flushed the Awakened’s face red.

Mountain loomed before the guard’s balled fist.

“Why, you want to try something?”

“Ugh!”

Overwhelmed by Mountain’s massive aura, the guard uncurled his fist helplessly.

Mountain lived up to his name with immense size and power.

No low-rank Awakened could challenge him.

The guard retreated, warning.

“I hope you don’t cause any trouble during your stay.”

“I’m not really interested in the mines, so don’t worry.”

Jang Yong-beom smirked.

Though dubbed Butcher for his prowess, he avoided stirring chaos in Neo Seoul-managed Magic Stone Mines.

His true aim lay in the desert beyond.

The mines served only as a desert expedition waypoint.

“Oh, by the way, take that guy.”

Jang Yong-beom indicated Zeon.

“Who’s that?”

“The bus that was heading here got attacked by a Sandworm. He’s the sole survivor.”

“You mean the bus carrying the miners?”

“Exactly! By the time we arrived, everyone else had been devoured by the Sandworm, and this one survived.”

Jang Yong-beom nodded toward Zeon on the cargo carrier.

The guard frowned deeply.

“Hah! The manpower shortage is already chaotic…”

Manpower scarcity plagued the Magic Stone Mines endlessly. Applicants abounded, yet deaths mounted.

Underground toil required superhuman stamina, weeding out the ordinary.

Thus, they recruited relentlessly, ignoring backgrounds.

The Awakened neared Zeon and called.

“Hey, kid!”

“Yes?”

“You volunteered as a miner, right?”

“Yes!”

“Then follow me. I’ll guide you to your quarters.”

“Understood.”

Zeon hopped down from the vehicle.

“Thanks for saving me.”

He bowed courteously to Jang Yong-beom before trailing the Awakened.

Sharp-eyed, Jang Yong-beom tracked Zeon’s departure.

“What’s the matter? Leader!”

Giselle inquired, baffled.

She wondered why Jang Yong-beom fixated so on an average-looking guy like Zeon.

“Something feels off.”

“What?”

“Isn’t it strange? Everyone else died, but he’s the only one who survived.”

“But we confirmed he’s not Awakened, right?”

“The Sandworm is not a monster that can be escaped with luck alone.”

“Mmm!”

Giselle sighed thoughtfully.

As Jang Yong-beom departed while eyeing Zeon, she whispered.

“If it weren’t for that crazy old man, Butcher, I would’ve surely recognized what’s going on. What a shame.”

* * *

The Awakened led Zeon to the miners’ quarters.

Gesturing at the barren, empty room, he declared.

“This is your lodging.”

“It’s spacious. How many people sleep here?”

“Twenty.”

“What? Twenty… people?”

Though ample, the room struck Zeon as tight for twenty occupants.

The mine-sweat stench was overpowering already.

Imagining twenty sweaty men crammed in horrified him.

Amused by Zeon’s grimace, the Awakened chuckled.

“I said twenty people, but not all of them sleep together in one room.”

“Why not?”

“Because a few folks might not return today, given how many accidents occur here daily.”

“Is mining work that dangerous?”

“That’s why they’re sending people like you, who have no abilities.”

Zeon nearly swung at the Awakened’s face momentarily. Such action promised instant death or banishment.

For now, submission was key.

The Awakened warned.

“Keep quiet. If you cause trouble, I’ll cut you into pieces and throw them out as food for the monsters.”

“Are there many monsters around here?”

“They’re abundant. If this place weren’t a rocky hill, it’d be a paradise for them.”

His words aimed to intimidate genuinely.

Giant Sandworms were rare, but lesser monsters prowled often.

Desert corpses drew spectral visitors via scent, devouring all traces.

Mine fatalities fed Giant Horn Hyenas entirely, erasing them utterly.

The Awakened flashed a chilling grin.

“I guess you must have a reason why you chose to work in this place and live as a refuge. But you’ll soon realize how foolish that choice was.”

With that, the Awakened departed.

Alone, Zeon glared at the door.

“It could be true, right? Only if I hadn’t Awakened.”

Zeon snapped his fingers.

Sand on the floor danced to his motion.

[Translator – Peptobismol]