Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert Chapter 624

“Haah! Haah!”

Gasping for breath, Levin gazed down at the ground.

Sprawled beneath him was a lifeless, black shape resembling a beached jellyfish.

This shadowy figure was none other than Osolo.

Wisps of white smoke curled away from Osolo’s entire form.

Though his shadow form obscured the details, his body was thoroughly blackened, appearing as if scorched.

Levin had just endured a brutal, near-hour-long confrontation with Osolo.

Osolo’s strength surpassed any adversary Levin had encountered up to this point.

His shadow form rendered him nearly impervious to physical strikes, and the Shadow Blade he wielded, erupting with shadow constructs, was frightfully potent.

Even more daunting, Osolo possessed the ability to soar through the skies, mirroring Levin’s own aerial mobility.

Navigating the aerial battlefield against Osolo, who moved with such freedom, presented a considerable challenge.

Any offensive technique Levin deployed proved futile if it failed to connect with his evasive target.

It took Levin's utmost effort to simply keep pace with Osolo’s aerial maneuvers and avoid his assaults.

Yet, in the end, Levin managed to deliver a decisive strike.

This final blow came in the form of the Hammer of Thunderer.

Hammer of Thunderer stood as the most formidable skill Levin could currently command.

Even for Levin, unleashing this ability once completely depleted his mana reserves.

Consequently, its deployment demanded extreme caution and precision.

Much like a raptor seizing its prey at the opportune instant, Levin had to exercise patience and maintain unwavering concentration.

Ultimately, victory belonged to Levin.

At the critical juncture, both combatants risked everything, but the Hammer of Thunderer, imbued with immense destructive force, detonated across Osolo’s entire being.

“Hrrngh!”

Osolo emitted a guttural moan as he slowly raised his head. His face bore no semblance of life or spirit.

Levin peered down at the vanquished Osolo, remarking,

“Your persistence is remarkable.”

“You… would have done the same.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“If… the fate of your clan hung in the balance, you would have acted as I did.”

“It’s likely I would have.”

“Then grant me my freedom.”

“Should I allow you to leave, you would undoubtedly return to attack, wouldn't you?”

Levin regarded Osolo with a look of disbelief.

He genuinely comprehended Osolo’s predicament.

Having lost their ancestral lands after more than a century of habitation, their need for a new home was undeniable.

The crux of the issue lay in their coveting of Steel Fortress, and in their pursuit of it, they had attempted to sabotage Neo Seoul’s most vital infrastructure – the portal.

Furthermore, they had resorted to nefarious methods in an effort to coerce Serian, the queen of the Northern District, into alliance.

Even acknowledging their status as adversaries, Osolo’s actions had transgressed acceptable boundaries.

Most critically, allowing him to survive would undoubtedly precipitate endless future complications.

“If you kill me, you will face dire consequences. Lord Del Loa will never forgive this transgression.”

“After failing to achieve your aims through negotiation, you now resort to threats? It truly baffles me how your responses are invariably identical.”

“Do… not disrespect me. I am—”

“That is sufficient.”

Levin gestured dismissively, indicating he had no desire to hear further.

Kwarrrng!

At that precise moment, a brilliant bolt of pure white lightning descended upon Osolo.

Still in the process of issuing his threat to Levin, Osolo’s very bones were consumed by the searing lightning.

Psssh!

What remained of Osolo’s charred form disintegrated into ash, scattering like fine dust upon the wind.

“Ha! I am utterly spent.”

Only then did Levin surrender to gravity, collapsing onto the ground.

Not a shred of strength remained within his exhausted frame.

This was the first time since attaining S-rank that he had exerted himself to such an extreme degree.

Such was the formidable nature of his opponent, Osolo.

The consequence was his complete and utter exhaustion.

“Are you alright?”

Brielle hurried towards Levin at that moment.

“Ugh! I feel like I’m about to perish.”

“Here, drink this.”

Brielle extended a potion towards Levin.

Without a second thought or inquiry about its contents, Levin promptly consumed it.

Immediately upon ingestion, he felt his depleted mana and stamina begin their gradual restoration.

“Thank you. I feel revitalized now.”

“You endured considerable hardship.”

“Hardship? More like utter devastation.”

“You certainly have grown immensely powerful. The Shadow Tribe is notoriously difficult to contend with, and you have managed to defeat their leader. Does this not imply that no one within Neo Seoul now possesses the strength to match you?”

“Refrain from such pronouncements. With Hyung Zeon present, how could I possibly claim such a title?”

“Hehe! Still, you aren’t entirely dismissing the notion.”

Brielle let out a gentle laugh.

Levin responded with an awkward grimace.

Zeon was an individual beyond any comparison he could conceive. However, against the other S-ranks within Neo Seoul, he felt a solid confidence in his ability to hold his own.

At this juncture, Brielle’s attention was drawn to an unusual artifact where Osolo's remains had been.

It appeared to be a small scale.

Remarkably, despite Levin’s lightning attack, the scale remained unmarked by any scorching, and an unsettling aura emanated from it.

“A relic belonging to an evil god.”

Brielle’s brow furrowed in concern.

She opened a pocket dimension and carefully stored Bark’s Scale within.

“What do you intend to do with that item?”

“If I were to bring it back to the village, they would undoubtedly seal it away.”

“Seal it?”

“Precisely! If it remains in the world, it will inevitably fall into the wrong hands and be misused once more.”

A divine relic holds power vastly exceeding that of ordinary artifacts.

Its might is sufficient to potentially destabilize the entire world.

There exists a historical precedent for global upheaval whenever a divine relic emerges into prominence.

The relics specifically associated with the evil god Bark have been responsible for innumerable calamities throughout history.

Not a single one had ever been created with good intentions, so the harm they caused was enormous.

That was why the correct answer was to seal every one of Bark’s relics the moment they were found.

“Yeah! Sealing that thing really is the right move. You’ll make sure nobody else gets their hands on it, right?”

“Of course.”

“Then that’s fine.”

Just then—

A commotion broke out near the portal.

When the two approached, countless people were gathering around the portal area.

Awakeners from City Hall and every district were assembling.

Among them, the Northern District awakeners were especially numerous.

Serian, the queen of the Northern District, had been attacked right inside Neo Seoul itself.

Fortunately, thanks to the help of Zeon, Hera, and others, Serian had been rescued, but the fact that their queen had nearly been taken by enemies right in the heart of their own territory enraged them.

So the moment they heard news that the enemy assault on Steel Fortress was imminent, they were the first to rush out.

Burning with fighting spirit, they waited for their turn to cross over to Steel Fortress.

Levin let out a quiet sigh.

“Whew! So it really is war.”

A war that would decide the survival of both El Harun and Neo Seoul.

Neither side could retreat.

Brielle spoke to Levin.

“Let’s head to Steel Fortress too. We should help Zeon.”

“Yeah, we should.”

Fighting spirit filled Levin’s face as he answered.

---

Immediately after Zeon returned, Steel Fortress was thrown into emergency mode.

Urtian, Seong Hoyeon, Riala, Seo Taeran, and the representatives dispatched from each district all gathered in one place.

The countermeasures had already been prepared.

They had started preparing ever since El Harun collapsed.

This meeting was merely to review the defense plans once more and carry out the procedures for execution.

However, there was one thing they had never anticipated.

The enemy using demonic beasts.

No one had imagined they would mentally dominate countless demonic beasts and use them at the front.

Small and medium demonic beasts wouldn’t pose a major threat to Steel Fortress, but large demonic beasts were different.

Their massive bodies themselves were practically weapons.

They could also serve as footholds for the smaller demonic beasts.

In every way, they were dangerous existences.

Because of that, Steel Fortress’s leadership was searching for an efficient way to strike down the large demonic beasts.

Zeon stood at the entrance of Steel Fortress, staring toward the horizon.

Even from here, the dust cloud could now be seen clearly.

That meant the enemy had drawn very close.

At that moment, someone approached Zeon.

The man dressed neatly in a suit from head to toe was none other than Jin Geumho, the mayor of Neo Seoul.

Zeon asked with a puzzled expression,

“Weren’t you attending the meeting?”

“It’s enough that I sent Taeran. Why would I go too and make everyone uncomfortable? Work should be left to the professionals.”

“But Seo Taeran isn’t exactly a specialist in large-scale warfare.”

“That’s true! But she knows how to place experts where they’re needed. It’s far better to leave it to her than for me to interfere and create confusion in the chain of command.”

This was one of the reasons Zeon thought Jin Geumho was remarkable.

He never tried to lead everything personally.

If there was someone suitable for the matter at hand, he handed over full authority and stepped back to supervise.

It sounded easy, but not everyone could do it.

Giving power held in one’s own hands to someone else was difficult even between parent and child.

In contrast, Jin Geumho entrusted the work to the person most capable of doing it and stepped back, giving them room to breathe.

Just like now.

Zeon asked him,

“Wouldn’t it be better for your safety to return to Neo Seoul?”

“If my safety is ever truly in danger, that would mean we’ve already lost the battle. But that won’t happen.”

“You sound confident.”

“Even if I’m not, I have to be. If I leave, what do you think the people fighting here directly will think? A leader must remain in place, even if he does nothing.”

“So you’re like a kind of totem?”

“Well, something like that.”

Jin Geumho answered calmly without showing even the slightest displeasure.

He was neither a martial-type awakener nor an ordinary mage-type awakener.

His uniqueness stemmed from his powerful mental strength and the skill Heavenly Eye.

Neither had anything to do with physical strength.

Though he was stronger than an ordinary person, compared to S-rank or A-rank awakeners, he was endlessly fragile.

With a single gesture from them, Jin Geumho’s life could disappear instantly. Yet not once had he ever withdrawn from a battlefield.

In Neo Seoul’s early days, he entrusted his life to Deioden, and after Neo Seoul stabilized, he entrusted it to Seo Taeran, Numbers, and the awakeners he personally selected.

Not just anyone could possess such courage.

This time as well, he intended to remain here, trusting those defending Steel Fortress.

Jin Geumho smiled as he spoke.

“Well, if things really start looking bad, I’ll just hide behind you.”

“Behind me?”

“At least in the desert, there’s no one stronger than you, so wouldn’t that be the safest place? Surely you won’t refuse?”

“Hmm…”

Zeon playfully let his words linger.

Jin Geumho’s gaze then shifted towards a dust cloud emerging on the horizon.

It had drawn nearer, and the dust cloud was now discernible.

“Looks like they’ll arrive by tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

“A fierce battle will ensue. Many lives will be lost.”

Jin Geumho’s expression turned noticeably grim.

In this era, awakened individuals constituted the most valuable asset.

Without them, Neo Seoul’s continued existence would be impossible.

Regardless of the victor, a significant number of these awakened would perish.

For Neo Seoul, such a loss would be deeply felt.

Yet, even with this grim prospect, they could not yield Steel Fortress to the enemy.

Once a living being managed to seize one thing successfully, its avarice would undoubtedly grow, leading it to covet more.

Humanity had already forfeited Earth to demonic beasts due to the avarice of a few, forcing them to congregate on a small parcel of land.

Should they surrender Steel Fortress, the adversary’s covetous gaze would surely shift towards Neo Seoul as well.

This was the fundamental reason they could never retreat.

It was imperative to demonstrate an unwavering resolve, a determination to never relinquish what was rightfully theirs.

“We must demonstrate that humans are the true masters of this land. Thus, they will never even contemplate coveting it again.”

Naturally, absolutely no concessions or negotiations would be entertained.

Such was Jin Geumho’s resolute stance as he confronted this impending battle.