Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert Chapter 618

Chapter 618

Zeon was seated on the sofa within his residence, his gaze directed towards City Hall.

The imposing structure of City Hall, visible above the wall, maintained its formidable presence.

“As expected of Seo Taeran,” Zeon murmured, an expression of sincere admiration on his face.

In a mere day, she had pinpointed and eradicated the pervasive Illusion that had taken deep root within Neo Seoul, leaving no trace behind.

Her decisive actions left him in awe, as not a single remnant remained.

Consequently, Zeon hadn't even found an opportunity to intervene.

“Hoo!”

A deep sigh escaped Zeon as he relaxed back onto the sofa.

His sole desire for the day was to unwind without any pressing thoughts.

Zeon found solace in the tea placed on the table.

This exquisite tea was a gift prepared by the High Elves.

Each sip brought a sense of mental clarity, washing away all worries and troubles, a truly wonderful sensation.

“Excellent!”

He could only wish for such peaceful days to stretch endlessly. However, Zeon understood better than anyone the immense difficulty of such a dream.

Rather than anticipating tomorrow to mirror today's tranquility, he resolved to savor the present moment of leisure to its fullest.

After finishing his tea, Zeon's attention was suddenly drawn to the disarray within his home.

He realized that since Brielle’s return, not a single cleaning had been done.

While the ambient dust was managed by the various items in the house, the clothes scattered about still required human intervention for organization.

Zeon rose from the sofa and began tidying up.

He gathered the clothes strewn across the floor, placing them into a large tub.

After filling it with water, Zeon stepped into the tub and began stomping on the clothes with his feet.

A smile played on Zeon's lips.

He found a certain satisfaction in washing laundry in this manner.

He changed the murky water multiple times as he rinsed the garments.

Once the laundry was hung by the window to dry, he picked up a broom.

He meticulously swept the house and proceeded to mop the floors.

By the time he concluded all his cleaning duties, the sun was already beginning to set.

Zeon prepared another cup of the High Elves' tea.

“Wonderful!”

An immense sense of peace settled over his heart.

Just as Zeon settled back onto the sofa, the door abruptly swung open.

“Zeon!”

The energetic voice belonged to Brielle, who called out to him.

“You’re going to break the door.”

“So you were home. Were you taking a break?”

“Yes! I even cleaned up while I was at it.”

“You really did. The house is spotless now.”

“I put in a genuine effort.”

“Well done. I was thinking it was about time for a cleaning anyway, so I’m glad you took care of it first.”

Brielle’s face lit up with a bright smile.

Floating above Brielle’s head was a translucent spirit.

—Good job, Zeon.

The spirit offering praise was none other than Lili.

“Did you enjoy your sightseeing?”

—Yes! Brielle showed me so many fascinating places.

“And what did you think?”

—Humans are truly remarkable. To have constructed such an incredible city!

“Oh, really?”

—However, it simply cannot compare to the World Tree Village. I find the World Tree far more appealing than any human-made structure.

“Then you must miss the World Tree Village dearly.”

—I do, but more importantly, Brielle is here, so I am happy here too. Hehe!

Lili affectionately embraced Brielle's head.

Brielle smiled, gently stroking Lili.

“I’m happy because Lili is here too.”

—Hehe!

At that very moment, the door opened once more, and Levin entered the room.

“So everyone was home? I hadn’t realized and went all the way to the Underground City.”

“Silly Levin!”

—Heehee! Silly Levin!

Despite the teasing from Brielle and Lili, Levin remained unfazed.

“Well, I was checking on the children’s condition while I was there, so I’m not entirely silly.”

“How are the children doing?”

“Thanks to Lemura, they are all perfectly fine.”

“Are there any lingering effects?”

“None whatsoever. Lemura managed to cure them completely, leaving no trace of withdrawal symptoms.”

“That is a great relief.”

“Indeed! I cannot express how fortunate it is that she is allied with us. Thus, I plan to present her with a gift later.”

“A wise decision.”

Zeon nodded in agreement.

Without Lemura's intervention, the severity of the aftereffects the trio might have endured was unimaginable.

Typically, the more potent the hallucinogenic properties of a substance, the more severe the associated addiction symptoms.

Achieving such a full recovery without any residual effects was extraordinarily rare.

In essence, it was nothing short of miraculous.

“Oh, that’s right. Please try this.”

Levin suddenly produced a piece of fruit from his subspace.

It was a brilliantly red apple.

“An apple?”

“Yes! Serian mentioned it was harvested from the Primal Forest and shared some with us.”

“They are already harvesting from the Primal Forest?”

“That is what I was told.”

“It feels like only yesterday I provided them with the apple tree seeds, and now they are already bearing fruit?”

“They were quite surprised themselves. Even without the World Tree's direct influence, the growth rate is astonishingly rapid.”

At this point, Lili interjected into Zeon and Levin's conversation.

—It can be attributed to Yuri.

“Yuri? Harp’s spirit?”

—Correct! Yuri is a spirit of water.

“So the water that Yuri disperses possesses a special quality?”

—As anticipated, Zeon possesses great insight.

Lili beamed, her expression one of genuine delight.

Brielle nodded in agreement, adding,

“I had a feeling.”

“You suspected this?”

“Yes! Sister Harp is extraordinary, so I naturally assumed the spirit contracted with her would possess similar special qualities.”

“Haha!”

Levin chuckled, a hint of bewildered amusement in his voice, yet he found no grounds for rebuttal.

As Zeon spoke, he sliced an apple with a small fruit knife.

“We can talk more later. For now, let's enjoy this apple.”

“Okay!”

“Yes!”

Zeon divided the apple into pieces, making them easy for the three of them to consume.

Crunch!

As Brielle took a bite, her eyes flew open.

“This is delicious!”

“Wow! It’s unbelievably sweet.”

“It truly is exquisite.”

The trio vocalized their shared delight simultaneously.

Though they all considered themselves connoisseurs of fine foods, this particular apple surpassed all their previous experiences.

Even from the first bite, it was as if their mouths were instantly flooded with liquid honey.

“If this apple were to be sold, it would undoubtedly create massive demand.”

“No doubt about it.”

Levin’s sentiment was echoed by Zeon.

Even after consuming the fruit, its intense flavor and aroma lingered powerfully in Zeon’s mouth.

Were this apple to enter the public market, its price would surely be astronomical.

“Ultimately, those without wealth might never have the chance to taste something like this in their entire lives.”

“Don’t be silly! Then just cultivate many of them.”

“Is that really feasible?”

Levin expressed his doubt at Brielle’s suggestion.

Thwack!

Brielle delivered a swift kick to Levin’s shin.

“Ouch! Why did you do that?”

“To snap you out of your foolishness.”

“What foolishness?”

“How long do you imagine the Primal Forest will remain confined to its current size? The forest continues to expand, birthing countless new life forms within its bounds. As the forest grows, so too will the yield of crops and fruits harvested. While it might still be costly, it will eventually become accessible to more people than just the wealthy.”

“Are you serious?”

“Absolutely. As the World Tree flourishes, its influence will inevitably spread. Presently, only World Tree Village and the Primal Forest exhibit lush greenery, but more verdant areas will certainly emerge. Consequently, not only elves but ordinary humans will also be able to engage in farming.”

“Just hearing that fills me with optimism.”

“You truly are simple-minded.”

Brielle clicked her tongue as she observed Levin’s beatific smile.

However, Levin remained unfazed, his happy expression unwavering.

Suddenly, Brielle’s gaze shifted to Zeon.

“Oh, right, Zeon!”

“Yes?”

“Is it appropriate for us to simply remain here idly?”

“What do you imply?”

“Shouldn't we also be making preparations for war?”

Brielle’s eyes flickered slightly as the word ‘war’ escaped her lips.

It was a term that evoked such fear in her.

“You are referring to hostilities with El Harun?”

“Yes!”

“Their primary objective will likely be the Steel Fortress.”

“Not Neo Seoul?”

“The disparity in military strength is far too great for them to directly confront Neo Seoul.”

Even if El Harun’s remaining forces numbered in the hundreds of thousands, Neo Seoul’s population surpassed twenty million.

Regardless of the prowess of El Harun’s awakened individuals, they could not hope to contend with an army dozens of times their size.

Furthermore, Neo Seoul’s awakened were by no means inferior.

The awakened of Neo Seoul had endured countless conflicts.

They had conquered dungeons to expand humanity’s dominion and regularly hunted magical beasts to hone their combat skills.

Neo Seoul was a brutal environment where stagnation meant elimination.

The moment war erupted with El Harun, every awakened individual in Neo Seoul would be mobilized.

El Harun’s survivors stood no chance of emerging victorious.

Brielle appeared perplexed.

“Wouldn’t the same logic apply to Steel Fortress? They can dispatch forces endlessly through the portal.”

“However, they are unaware of the portal’s existence here.”

“Ah!”

“Even if they were aware, they would not anticipate the capacity for mass transportation. And in truth, they would be correct…”

“Indeed!”

Brielle nodded in agreement.

While portals drastically reduced travel time and distance, there was a finite limit to the number of individuals they could transport simultaneously.

A few dozen at a time represented the absolute maximum.

Attempting to send more would result in overloading the portal.

Additionally, following each use, the portal required a brief cooldown period.

Under normal circumstances, this was insignificant, but during an urgent wartime situation, it could prove to be a critical vulnerability.

“Levin!”

“Yes! Hyung.”

“If conflict breaks out, you must secure the portal.”

“You fear enemy infiltration?”

“No, my concern is that they might attempt to destroy the portal.”

“Understood. They might seek to obliterate it and sever all avenues of support. I shall deploy the children to surround the portal and ensure its complete security. I will also remain in close proximity.”

“Excellent. I am relying on you.”

“Rest assured. I will safeguard the portal.”

Levin confidently thumped his chest.

For once, Brielle refrained from making a sarcastic remark.

She was fully aware of his genuine capabilities.

‘S-rank…’

The first time she heard Levin described with that term, she was so astonished she nearly lost consciousness.

Attaining S-rank was an extraordinary feat, virtually impossible for an ordinary awakened individual.

Even for those who manifested unique abilities, reaching the S-rank was a challenge of an entirely different magnitude.

The majority of Neo Seoul’s current S-rank awakened cultivated their strength under the substantial backing of City Hall or their respective districts.

Levin’s achievement of S-rank status entirely through his own efforts, without the support of any major power, was unprecedented.

‘Ah, no, that’s not entirely accurate. There’s Zeon.’

Zeon, who had reached S-rank even before Levin, was standing right before her.

While Levin had at least benefited from Zeon’s assistance, Zeon had ascended to his current level without even that minimal form of support.

Despite enduring Daio’s rigorous initial cultivation, that phase was remarkably brief.

All subsequent advancements were solely the product of Zeon’s personal striving.

Not even Brielle was privy to the full scope of Zeon’s innate power.

However, one fact remained incontestable: the entirety of this desolate desert served as Zeon’s ultimate armament.

To put it another way, the planet Earth itself was Zeon’s formidable weapon.

She found it inconceivable that any entity could possibly prevail against him.

“Zeon!”

“What is it?”

“I merely wished to hear you speak my name.”

“You are quite absurd.”

“Hehe!”

A smile graced Brielle’s lips.

Simply hearing Zeon’s voice instilled a profound sense of security within her.

“Zeon!”

“Yes, what is it now?”

“Should you find yourself in need of anything, do not hesitate to inform me. I shall craft whatever you require.”

“Understood.”

“Zeon!”

“Yes?”

“If conflict erupts, I pledge to contribute my utmost to the cause as well.”

“Excellent.”