Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert Chapter 591

Chapter 591

“Whew! This is nice.”

Levin inhaled deeply while muttering to himself.

His current position was far up in the heavens.

To boost his powers, he frequently ascended to such heights in his ghostified form.

For humans, the skies remained a forbidden and mysterious realm. Yet this rule didn't bind Levin.

He had the freedom to shift into a ghost and soar through the air at will.

Even flying beasts, perilous to Awakeners, posed minimal danger to him.

Physical strikes barely affected his ethereal body.

No matter how swiftly a blade warship bird monster charged and collided with him, it inflicted zero harm.

This allowed him to glide through the sky without fear of monstrous assaults.

Even during travels alongside Zeon, he would rise into the air for reconnaissance.

Obviously, greater heights meant broader visibility.

From his present elevation, Levin could spot details dozens of kilometers distant.

“No large monsters in sight.”

Smaller or mid-sized beasts weren't threats to Zeon's team regardless.

Zeon and Tesserina had no reason to exert themselves over them.

Levin by himself could eradicate the majority of such creatures.

Thus, he concentrated solely on detecting massive monsters.

Luckily, no dangerous giant beasts lurked in the vicinity.

Deeming it a stroke of luck, Levin dropped down to join Zeon and Tesserina.

“There aren’t any big monsters nearby. I think we can just keep going.”

“Really? Good work.”

“Hehe! It was nothing.”

With an awkward chuckle, Levin fell into step next to Zeon.

In reality, everyone in their group could achieve flight.

Zeon manipulated sand to lift himself, while Tesserina cast flight spells effortlessly. Still, they avoided the skies unless necessary.

The trio traversed the dunes, engaging in casual conversation.

Such leisurely walks filled with chatter naturally fostered deeper understanding and stronger ties.

Tesserina, true to her draconic heritage, possessed vast knowledge, much like Zeon.

Through her, Levin gained insights into countless subjects previously unknown to him.

Lost in discussion and strides across the sand, time slipped away unnoticed until they neared World Tree Village.

Kwaaa!

Suddenly, an immense surge of mana crashed over them like a colossal wave.

Shocked by the overwhelming mana tide, Zeon and his companions tilted their heads skyward.

Far above, a colossal entity twisted and hurtled toward their position.

“Hyung, that is…?”

“It’s Lord Arisedon.”

This behemoth, clad in crimson scales with elongated whiskers dangling from its face and serrated spines along its spine, was Arisedon, protector of World Tree Village.

Since their last encounter, Arisedon had swelled to even greater proportions.

His sheer magnitude and aura now rivaled that of a true dragon, making his imugi nature hard to doubt.

The sole shortfall remained his slender, legless form.

The absence of a dragon's four limbs confirmed he hadn't transcended into full dragonhood despite his guardianship role. Then, a surprising voice rang out from Arisedon's crown.

“Zeon! Levin! Tesserina unni!”

Upon closer inspection, a petite girl perched atop Arisedon's head.

It was Brielle.

“Whoa! Riding on Lord Arisedon’s head? That’s insane!”

Levin's jaw dropped in astonishment.

Brielle waved cheerfully from the summit of the fearsome beast that instilled terror in all who faced it.

A shimmering spirit danced and swirled around her.

That was her companion, Liri.

Arisedon swiftly closed the distance and settled before Zeon.

Watching his interminable bulk touch down soundlessly on the sands felt profoundly surreal.

Arisedon projected his thoughts directly to Zeon.

—You have come?

“How did you know?”

—Brielle told me.

“Brielle?”

—She kept urging me to come out and meet you.

“So you brought her along?”

—She rides me and wanders around this area often.

“Wow. Using an imugi as a mount. Are you okay with that?”

—I am fine. Brielle is a chosen child.

“Chosen?”

—She is a child chosen by the World Tree. Communing with her is also beneficial to me.

“Well, if you say so…”

Zeon nodded, turning his gaze to Brielle.

Brielle chattered animatedly with Levin, Liri flitting about her ceaselessly, amplifying the lively chaos.

Tesserina appeared overwhelmed, shaking her head in bewilderment.

After an extended exchange with Levin, Brielle finally noticed Zeon and Tesserina.

“Hehe! It’s nice to see you again like this.”

“Have you been well?”

“Yeah! As you can see.”

“Nothing happened?”

“Nope! Everyone’s doing well.”

“That’s good.”

“Let’s go. Everyone will be happy to see you.”

Brielle seized Zeon and Tesserina's hands, tugging them forward.

At that instant, Arisedon interjected.

—Get on my back. I will carry you.

“Hehe! You’ve become kind. Thank you!”

A smile lit Tesserina's face as she mounted Arisedon's back.

Arisedon accepted bearing her and the rest without protest.

Because of this, Brielle and the other three rode Arisedon smoothly right into the World Tree Village.

—We have arrived.

“Thank you!”

—It was nothing. Then I will return to my place.

Once he set the four down, Arisedon shot straight back up into the heavens.

As they watched him fade into the distance, Tesserina whispered,

“Looks like he’s soaked up plenty of spiritual energy by now…”

“What do you mean?”

“His body feels completely filled with spiritual energy.”

“Really?”

Zeon’s eyes sparkled with interest.

Arisedon’s very name signified the protector of the World Tree.

True to that title, he guarded the World Tree, receiving its spiritual energy in return.

The larger the World Tree grew, the more spiritual energy flowed into Arisedon.

Even while Zeon was away, the World Tree kept expanding every day, now over twice as big as before.

In turn, the spiritual energy within it had become overwhelmingly vast.

With such plentiful spiritual energy, new spirits kept emerging without end.

By now, it seemed the spirits, not the High Elves, truly ruled this forest.

—Kyaaah!

—Zeon!

—Lady Tesserina!

The spirits swarmed around them instantly upon entering the forest, blocking their view of one another.

Having taken in so much spiritual energy, Arisedon was now fully saturated.

With this level of power, one might expect him to fulfill his dream of turning into a dragon, but no such change appeared, which puzzled everyone.

“What’s holding him back?”

“Likely, he still lacks enlightenment.”

“Enlightenment?”

Tesserina wore a confused look at Zeon’s explanation.

As a born dragon, this idea was foreign to her.

Dragons like her grew stronger simply with the passage of time.

Magic worked the same way for them.

Age brought natural understanding, letting them wield it effortlessly like breathing—that defined a dragon.

Thus, Zeon’s concept escaped her grasp.

Zeon knew her limitations well, and he understood Arisedon too.

Back in Neo Seoul, Zeon had consulted old folks about imugis.

Most knew nothing, but a handful of elders recalled the ancient tales.

Through them, Zeon learned the traits of imugis from those legends.

This knowledge let him figure out how an imugi transforms into a dragon.

“In the legends, an imugi must acquire a Yeouiju to ascend to dragonhood.”

“Yeouiju?”

“Think of it like a Dragon Heart for dragons. They channel their strength through the Yeouiju alone.”

“Is that so?”

“Yet gaining that Yeouiju demands enlightenment first.”

“Enlightenment of what sort?”

“Truth is, even I don’t know the details.”

No one but a dragon could grasp how to claim the Yeouiju or harness its might.

Not even dragons could offer guidance there.

After all, dragons and imugis looked alike but were utterly distinct creatures.

Tesserina shook her head, sighing,

“Sigh! Better I just root for him without meddling. No point in muddling his path.”

“Wise choice.”

Zeon grinned and pressed onward.

“Lord Zeon!”

Latricia, leader of the World Tree Village and Brielle’s mother, was the first to welcome him.

“Lady Latricia!”

“Welcome back.”

“Sorry to barge in and cause you trouble.”

“Nonsense. Lord Zeon, you’re always welcome. Everyone here thinks so.”

“There are even more spirits around now.”

“All because of the World Tree’s blessings.”

Latricia gazed fondly at the World Tree.

Its vast canopy shaded both the village and nearby woods, yet no darkness lingered.

Instead, it softened the fierce sun, bathing the earth in mild warmth—just as it appeared.

Because of this, lush trees thrived even beneath its shadow.

Whoooong!

Suddenly, the World Tree emitted a sorrowful hum, like muffled sobs.

“Ah!”

Latricia gasped upon hearing the World Tree’s cry.

“What’s wrong?”

“The World Tree mourns.”

“What?”

“A sibling World Tree, rooted here long before it, has returned to the earth.”

“So another World Tree perished?”

“Yes.”

“….”

Zeon’s brow furrowed.

To his knowledge, Earth held just two World Trees.

One stood before him now; the other lay in El Harun.

With this one unharmed, El Harun’s must have fallen.

“So that’s how it went down.”

“Excuse me? What are you saying?”

“Can you check on the other World Tree’s location?”

“One moment.”

Latricia shut her eyes, linking with the World Tree.

Soon, she reopened them and shared its message.

“A volcano exploded, swallowing everything in flames.”

“Pankrena Volcano. El Harun got buried under lava.”

“Ah!”

Realization dawned on Latricia, draining color from her face.

She’d never visited El Harun herself but knew it existed.

She was aware too that a World Tree transported from Kurayan existed there.

However, since her focus had been on the World Tree in her village, she hadn't remembered it.

“Could everyone in El Harun have perished?”

“I doubt it. They were already getting ready, so they surely escaped to some place. Still, countless casualties must have occurred.”

“How tragic. Sigh…”

A sigh escaped Latricia's lips.

Even with their differing races and situations, they had journeyed from Kurayan as one, leaving her worried for those left homeless from El Harun, now doomed to roam the world.

At that moment, Zeon pondered a different matter.

“We must gear up for war.”

“War?”

Caught off guard by the sudden declaration, Latricia's eyes flew wide open.

Zeon spoke steadily on,

“What path do those who lose their homes in a flash choose? Is it simpler to seek a secure spot and erect a fresh settlement? Or seize one that's already standing?”

Zeon was certain it was clearly the second option.

In this vast desert, scant locations existed for El Harun's survivors to aim at.

El Harun's survivors were survivors no more—they had become invaders.