Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert Chapter 574
Previously on Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert...
Chapter 574
Out of the Awakened who rushed forth to block Behemoth, a staggering seventy percent had fallen dead or wounded.
For the first time in decades, such a massive toll of Awakened lives lost or injuries sustained happened all at once.
This was undeniably a monumental disaster.
The survivors gathered the corpses of their deceased allies and placed the injured into transport vehicles.
Having suffered heavy losses among their ranks, a heavy silence hung over them. Yet frustration or despair did not grip their hearts.
After all, they had successfully shielded Neo Seoul from the menace of a colossal super-giant magical beast.
Even though Zeon claimed the biggest portion of the credit, they took immense pride in standing firm without fleeing, clashing directly in battle.
For any Awakened, such battles and the pride they forged represented a priceless treasure.
“I… ranked up.”
“My God! Me too….”
One by one, Awakened across the area announced their rank advancements.
The battle against Behemoth had shattered the barriers holding back their pent-up experience and stats at their peaks.
As he observed the jubilant Awakened, Seong Hoyeon murmured,
“As expected, high risk, high return.”
“Only those who confront peril can glimpse the realms lying beyond.”
Old Man Go nodded in full agreement with Seong Hoyeon’s sentiment.
He himself had advanced through endless fierce combats.
Particularly, warriors who battled numerous mighty magical beasts saw their power surge dramatically.
Behemoth stood as a rare and formidable magical beast.
Facing it in such an intense clash naturally sparked tremendous growth.
Suddenly, Seong Hoyeon’s eyes shifted toward Zeon.
“How many magical beasts has he battled, exactly?”
“Far too many to tally easily. That fighting style screams endless real-world combat honing.”
“Thank goodness he fights for us. Without his aid, total wipeout might have been our fate.”
Seong Hoyeon heaved a deep sigh.
All his abilities excelled in human-versus-human fights.
Against humans or smaller magical beasts, he trusted himself to slaughter dozens upon dozens, no matter their strength.
However, a behemoth like Behemoth proved a poor matchup for his strikes.
Not due to any personal weakness.
Their styles simply clashed incompatibly.
Likely, Zeon remained the sole Awakened in Neo Seoul capable of unleashing such devastating force on a super-giant magical beast like Behemoth.
Patting Seong Hoyeon’s shoulder, Old Man Go declared,
“That’s precisely why the Mayor watches Zeon so closely. Preparations look ready, so let’s head back.”
“Yes!”
Together, the pair strode toward the armored bus.
Just then, Old Man Go spotted Zeon’s group veering off separately, skipping the vehicle.
“Oh? You’re not joining us?”
“We have a destination to reach.”
“A destination? Wait, you mean the Iron Fortress?”
“Correct.”
The Numbers already knew of the Iron Fortress.
Jin Geumho had briefed them beforehand.
Turning to Zeon, Seong Hoyeon asked,
“Mind if I tag along? I want to witness it myself.”
“Another time. The situation there is still too turbulent right now….”
“Turbulent?”
“It’s a messy affair. I’ll fill you in later.”
“Got it. See you soon then.”
Seong Hoyeon backed off without fuss.
His nature was straightforward and unyielding; persistent nagging wasn’t his way.
Leading the Awakened, Seong Hoyeon set off back to Neo Seoul.
Once they vanished from sight, Tesserina addressed Zeon,
“We head there immediately, right?”
“Yes.”
“Count me in.”
Levin positioned himself next to Zeon as if it went without saying.
“Hold on! First, let’s inspect the teleport gem.”
“Teleport gem?”
“It appears fully intact….”
From his subspace, Zeon retrieved the teleport gem plucked from Behemoth.
He had figured the gem would vanish alongside Behemoth’s disappearance, but it endured separately, unharmed.
Tesserina’s eyes sparkled at the grape-bunch-shaped teleport gem dangling from Zeon’s grasp.
“That came out of Behemoth’s body?”
“Seems like the key for its teleportation.”
“Can I examine it?”
“Sure.”
Zeon handed the teleport gem over without hesitation.
Teleportation ranked among powers even dragons couldn’t wield freely.
Short blinks or nearby jumps worked, but vast long-distance spatial leaps challenged them, even in true dragon form.
Yet Behemoth had warped space with a frame dwarfing a dragon’s.
No wonder Tesserina burned with curiosity.
Channeling mana into the teleport gem, Tesserina scrutinized it closely.
“Just as I suspected….”
“What is it?”
“He could do it by turning part of his own flesh into an item.”
“So it’s an actual item?”
“Precisely. Want to hear something even more fascinating?”
“Shoot.”
“See here. Seven teleport gems are linked together.”
“So what?”
“This setup functions as a portal too.”
“A portal?”
Zeon’s intrigue prompted Tesserina to elaborate with enthusiasm.
“The biggest central teleport gem serves as the core. The rest are supporters.”
“And?”
“No matter where the core sits, it lets you zip instantly to any spot with a supporter gem. And the reverse holds true.”
“Meaning one core and six supporters create portals linking freely to six different places?”
“Spot on! This alone bridges World Tree Village, Primordial Village, and the Iron Fortress effortlessly.”
“Distance and travel time become irrelevant.”
Zeon’s pulse raced wildly.
Neo Seoul’s core issue stemmed from its isolation.
Magic stone mines dotted the lands, sure, but accessing them demanded perilous journeys.
Ventures to distant spots like the Iron Fortress needed meticulous planning—and even then, safety wasn’t assured.
But this teleport gem erased those dangers entirely.
“Thus, six spots can link up. Can supporters connect directly to each other too?”
“No, sadly not. Travel routes solely through the core.”
“The core acts as the central hub.”
Gazing at the teleport gem, Tesserina remarked,
“Congratulations on acquiring this tremendous power. How Zeon wields it will shape the destinies of the villages and Neo Seoul alike.”
“Not exactly thrilling news. I can’t just hand it off to anyone….”
“Naturally not. Misuse by a delegate could choke the vital lifelines of every settlement with ease.”
“Mm.”
Zeon gave a nod.
“Zeon must claim ownership of this item. If direct handling proves cumbersome, bind it to yourself as owner and delegate operations to a trusted party.”
“That works?”
“Impossible while Behemoth lived, but feasible now. Your decision?”
“Bind it.”
“Smart move. I’ll handle it now.”
Tesserina swiftly extracted Zeon’s blood, merging it into the teleport gem, then cast spells to register him as its master.
Returning the gem to Zeon, she stated,
“Zeon now owns this item fully. Appoint any administrator to control it per your commands. Revoke access anytime if needed.”
“Thanks.”
“No trouble at all.”
A subtle smile graced Tesserina’s lips.
As a dragon, she managed it effortlessly. City Hall researchers would have toiled endlessly just to unlock its secrets.
Zeon tucked the teleport gem away in his subspace once more.
Time remained, so he’d set it up properly later at ease.
For now, the Iron Fortress’s security took priority.
“Let’s move.”
Zeon launched skyward atop a raging sandstorm, with Tesserina and Levin trailing close behind.
＊＊＊
“What now? We missed the World Tree—our real goal—and just lost Refo and Lamor.”
Taboaru grumbled, his face twisted like the world had crumbled around him.
Kelota, pulling back his forces alongside the Zella tribe, replied,
“This has spiraled way beyond our grasp.”
“So?”
“We head to El Harun and report everything.”
“Empty-handed?”
“Got a better idea?”
“Well….”
Taboaru faltered.
No clever fix came to his mind either.
Staring straight at Taboaru, Kelota pressed,
“Refo cooked up a insane scheme, true, and we backed it. But humans and elves stabbing us in the back isn’t forgivable. We tell Lord Del Roa—let him deliver justice.”
“What if humans and elves pull out of El Harun over it?”
“Hmph! Think they’ve got the guts? Sure, Liala’s humans might bail. But would the Iron Fortress swallow every last one? Even a massive stronghold can’t house that crowd. Food? Water? You think humans will gamble everything on Liala?”
Thus, Kelota figured only a fraction of humans would trail Liala.
After much deliberation, Taboaru conceded to Kelota’s logic.
“Fair enough.”
“Drop the World Tree hunt for now—back to El Harun first.”
“Agreed. Let’s go.”
With that, the Zella tribe and Giant Dwarves turned toward El Harun. Yet the journey home proved far from smooth.
—Kwaaa!
Magical beasts lunged in ambush.
Enormous centipedes lurking beneath the sands struck at the Zella tribe and Giant Dwarves.
“Damn it!”
“Urgh!”
Frontline warriors perished in the abrupt assault.
“Fuck! Snap to it—fight back!”
“Steady yourselves!”
Kelota and Taboaru bellowed orders while slashing at the giant centipedes.
Boom! Crunch!
Thunderous blasts shattered the invading giant centipedes.
But respite never came.
Fresh hordes of giant centipedes burrowed up from below.
Stretching five meters, armed with countless razor legs.
Their nightmarish forms churned stomachs at a glance.
Endless giant centipedes surged from the dunes.
“Hold that flank!”
“Blast them with magic!”
Giant Dwarves heaved battle axes to stem the tide, while Zella tribe mages unleashed spells in between.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!
Devastating magic hammered the giant centipedes’ hides repeatedly.
Luckily, their armor wasn’t tough; spells ripped their bodies asunder.
The trouble lay in their infinite reinforcements crawling from the depths.
—Kreee!
—Saa!
Death-defying giant centipedes barreled toward the Giant Dwarves and Zella tribe.
“Aaagh!”
“Ugh!”
Cries of agony rang out everywhere.
Giant centipedes snapped up Giant Dwarves and Zella members, yanking them into the earth.
Their gruesome fates needed no witnessing.
“Fall back—all of you!”
Finally, Kelota commanded retreat.
The Giant Dwarves and Zella tribe pulled back. But their nightmare had merely begun, not ended.