Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert Chapter 589

Chapter 589

Whooong!

A dazzling burst of light exploded as the portal ejected three figures.

“Oh? Lord Zeon.”

The portal guard's eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the arrivals.

Zeon, Levin, and Tesserina had emerged.

They traveled straight from the Primordial Forest to the Steel Fortress via the portal.

Such rapid transit had been unthinkable before.

Not only those three passed through; Jin Geum-ho and Seo Tae-ran followed closely behind.

Jin Geum-ho shook his head while murmuring,

“This is insane. Instant travel here like this.”

“Get accustomed to it. Soon it’ll be routine.”

“I know that already. Just marveling at it. Tae-ran, you can be so devoid of emotion sometimes. Tsk!”

Jin Geum-ho tsked at Seo Tae-ran’s straightforward reply.

Yet no real annoyance showed on his face.

The portal's spatial travel had opened up an entirely new realm for him.

What was once impossible now became reality via portals.

This marked a true revolution in transport and logistics.

They couldn't disclose the Primordial Forest yet, but verifying instant movement capability was already a massive advantage.

The Steel Fortress buzzed with intense construction activity.

Near the entrance, structures in a fresh, unfamiliar style rose up.

Materials hauled from Neo Seoul fueled the builds.

Technicians from Neo Seoul oversaw the efforts.

Guilds and districts now seriously erected buildings inside the Steel Fortress.

The eager ones had begun exploring nearby territories.

Though the portal opened just recently, crowds already filled the Steel Fortress.

“Good.”

Jin Geum-ho nodded approvingly.

He truly favored this location.

It evoked Neo Seoul's pioneering days.

The vibrant energy here rejuvenated him.

Beyond buildings, defensive magic circles and weapons got installed around the gateway.

The fortress transformed into a powerhouse befitting its Steel Fortress title.

As inflows from Neo Seoul surged, life pulsed through the fortress.

Meanwhile, numerous travelers headed from the Steel Fortress to Neo Seoul.

Vigorous exchanges occurred between the pair.

“Once the Primordial Forest opens up too, it’ll be pandemonium.”

“Nothing like the Steel Fortress. That forest’s scale is unprecedented.”

Seo Tae-ran nodded in agreement.

Her pulse still raced.

The Primordial Forest’s impact had stunned her deeply.

Her short visit felt purifying to her very blood.

She lamented leaving so soon, constrained by her duties.

Without Seo Tae-ran, city operations would falter.

Plus, she managed both the Steel Fortress and Primordial Forest now.

To keep all three areas running seamlessly, nonstop coordination fell to her.

Still, no grievances arose.

Finally, the world she and Jin Geum-ho envisioned started forming.

A realm where humans reigned supreme.

A domain of free movement and trade everywhere.

Currently confined to mana stone mines, Steel Fortress, and Primordial Forest, but Teleport Gem studies promised humanity’s own teleport tech someday.

City Hall had launched research on Teleport Gems and portals already.

Just then, Zeon declared,

“Time for us to head out.”

“Setting up another portal, right?”

“Correct.”

“Still keeping the location under wraps from me?”

“Yes.”

“Sounds crucial. More vital than even the Primordial Forest…”

“Yes.”

“Understood. I’ll wait for the right moment and not pry.”

“Appreciate it.”

“Off you go.”

“Until next time.”

Zeon bowed lightly and departed the Steel Fortress at once.

Levin and Tesserina trailed him unquestioningly.

As they vanished, Jin Geum-ho murmured,

“I’m envious.”

“What?”

“We’re stuck using portals, but he wanders the desert at will.”

“I feel a touch of envy too.”

Seo Tae-ran concurred.

In this age, only Zeon navigated the desert like his backyard.

Desert sands hindered others but served as his weapon.

Inside the desert, Zeon wielded godlike authority.

Curious, Seo Tae-ran wondered,

“What spot could it be, that he’s so hush-hush about for a portal?”

“He’ll reveal it in due time. Until then, let’s tackle our tasks.”

“You mean?”

“It’s nearly complete, yeah?”

“Yes. Launch into the skies imminent.”

Seo Tae-ran gazed at the hazy yellow heavens.

---

Once distanced from the Steel Fortress, Levin inquired,

“Straight to the World Tree Village, yeah?”

“Indeed.”

“Hehe!”

“That thrilled?”

After such a long time, we'll finally meet Briel again, right? Not that I'm unhappy about encountering the other elves as well.

I know.

Zeon flashed a smirk and nodded in agreement.

Even as they traversed a desert crawling with monsters, not a hint of anxiety appeared on their faces.

Having journeyed across the desert repeatedly, it felt just like their own territory now.

All three could endure anywhere within the desert's harsh expanse.

The trip brought them no difficulties whatsoever.

Furthermore, Zeon excelled as their guide.

With his lead, getting lost was out of the question.

Whoooo,

A ferocious yellow sandstorm surged toward them.

Its fury obscured vision to just a few meters ahead.

Common travelers would halt and endure until it subsided, but Zeon's group faced no such obstacle.

The storm divided apart, steering clear of them completely.

Zeon's power accomplished this feat.

With an admiring gaze, Tesserina commented,

Feels like your power is getting stronger. Or is it just me?

It’s not just you.

It’s stronger than before, right?

It is.

Zeon responded candidly, holding nothing back.

Since fusing with the second Exion, his abilities had surged dramatically.

Previously, manipulating the sand demanded focused effort.

These days, no such strain was required.

The sand obeyed instantly at his mere thought.

Exactly as in this moment.

He deemed the sand obstructive, and the storm effortlessly cleaved around their path.

This allowed him to proceed with ease.

That’s seriously a cheat ability.

Tesserina shook her head in disbelief while trailing after him.

Their steady march brought nightfall swiftly.

Let’s rest here for today.

Yes, hyung.

Sounds good.

Levin and Tesserina agreed without hesitation.

After ensuring no monsters lurked nearby, Zeon fashioned an underground haven.

Once prepared, Levin retrieved meals from his spatial backpack.

It’s a lunchbox made by Old Man Klexi.

Thanks for the meal.

Thank you.

Zeon and Tesserina gave thanks and dug in.

Klexi’s culinary skills remained top-notch.

This ensured the trio savored a hearty dinner.

Placing her chopsticks aside, Tesserina remarked,

Once we install the Teleport Gem in the World Tree Village, we’ll be able to travel freely, right?

I’ll grant you two access, so you can use it anytime.

Okay!

Zeon owned the Teleportation Gem.

Access could be bestowed or withdrawn by him whenever desired.

Not planning to expose the World Tree Village broadly yet, he intended to restrict usage to a select few.

Levin and Tesserina were obviously among them.

While stowing the refuse in his spatial backpack, Levin noted,

Feels like things are finally working properly.

Hm?

I mean, until now, Neo Seoul was just isolated on its own, like an island.

It was.

But now it’s connected to the outside. People can travel between Neo Seoul and the Steel Fortress. If I had to compare it to a human body… it’s like a blocked blood vessel has been cleared. I’m not great with words, but… it feels a bit more normal now. Like this is how the world is supposed to be.

It’ll get even better. We’ll make it that way.

Yes!

A radiant smile lit Levin's face as he replied.

He had started as a mere slum kid devoid of aspirations or optimism.

A murderer had slain his family, and despite awakening accidentally, sans Zeon, he'd still wander aimlessly in the slums.

By Zeon's side, he'd accumulated vast experiences.

These had expanded his horizons and ignited grander ambitions.

An ambition to aid the world in some meaningful way.

This drove him to operate the problem-solving office.

Through it, numerous slum children secured employment.

With full activation of the Steel Fortress and Primordial Forest, countless more would gain chances.

This markedly boosted their chances of thriving.

Realizing his role in forging such a world filled him with joy.

It positioned him as a valuable contributor to society.

Deep gratitude filled him toward Zeon for transforming him thus.

Hehe.

Hence, his grin persisted uncontrollably.

Tesserina chuckled softly at the sight.

Looks like Levin’s in a good mood.

I just feel good.

Honestly…

Hehe.

Even strained bonds deepen with shared time.

Zeon and Levin, after extensive travels, bonded tighter than blood brothers, while Tesserina's casual demeanor knit them into a family unit.

Reclining against the sandy barriers, they conversed softly until sleep claimed them.

Sunlight piercing the ventilation opening roused them.

The intense rays sharply prodded their eyes open.

Following a quick breakfast, they emerged outdoors.

Ugh, !

As Levin stretched, his eyes abruptly bulged wide.

The terrain changed again.

An enormous sand dune, absent the previous night, loomed massively before them.

The nocturnal sandstorm had piled it into existence.

Despite witnessing it repeatedly with Zeon, acclimation eluded him still.

Daily shifting landscapes explained why wanderers vanished in the desert.

Tesserina remarked,

It’s not like terrain changes are anything new, but I just can’t get used to it.

Same here.

“Thanks to our human navigation system, we’re doing fine, but others would get lost wandering endlessly. A landmark would really come in handy.”

“A landmark?”

“Yeah, something like a lighthouse. Though it wouldn’t survive long before being smashed.”

Monsters always went after man-made structures without mercy.

Any unnatural object that showed up got obliterated by them every time.

This made building artificial landmarks in the desert utterly impossible.

“How about we try creating one?”

“What?”

Tesserina’s eyes flew wide open at Zeon’s abrupt suggestion.

Silently, Zeon pictured the form in his thoughts.

Srrr…

Instantly, the sand nearby started shifting like some alive creature.

A huge mass of sand collected and shot up toward the heavens.

Sucking in every bit of sand around it, the structure ballooned larger.

He channeled scorching heat into it.

Whooosh!

Beneath crushing heat and force, the sand liquefied then solidified.

A colossal lighthouse emerged from the process.

Through a variation of Diamond Spear, Zeon had built a lighthouse smack in the desert’s center.