Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 77

Thud! Thud!

The sound of knocking on the door woke Zeon up in the morning.

Zeon put on his robe and walked towards the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Hyung!”

He thought it might be one of the rough gang members, but to his surprise, it was Levin’s voice.

When Zeon opened the door, Levin was standing there.

Levin looked at Zeon intently and said.

“Are you still safe?”

“Why do you ask?”

“I heard that there was a clash with Goran’s men, so I came to check on you.”

“To help?”

“To inform you.”

“About what?”

“Can I come in?”

As Zeon stepped aside, Levin smoothly entered.

“As expected, this place is the best. It feels like a hideout.”

“What about your revenge?”

“I’m trying to find the killers, but it’s not easy. They’ve hidden themselves well ever since they killed my family.”

“Is that so?”

“It seems like the bastard caught wind of something.”

Levin’s voice trailed off.

Since that day, he had been wandering the streets in search of the murderer.

His friends had offered to help, and he had his eyes and ears set on the slum streets. Yet, the killer remained elusive.

As if it were a lie, the murder spree had stopped abruptly and vanished.

“Still, I’ll definitely find them. Dogs don’t stop barking; they can’t stay silent forever while continuing their killings.”

“That’s true. But why did you come all the way here this early to tell me?”

“It’s about Goran.”

“Why Goran?”

“Hyung, you don’t know anything.”

“So what?”

“It’s about Goran’s abilities.”

“What do you know?”

“I don’t know the details myself, but I’ve heard some things.”

Finally, Zeon’s expression showed interest.

“What is it?”

“They say that when Goran became the ruler of Sinchon, there were unusually frequent explosion accidents.”

“Explosions?”

“I’m not sure, but apparently, many buildings almost collapsed because of it.”

It had been twenty years since Goran seized control of Sinchon.

It wasn’t clear how he had taken over Sinchon. Most of the people present at the scene had died, leaving the details uncertain.

However, the legend remained etched in people’s minds as terrifying as ever.

“I don’t know exactly what ability it is, but it’s definitely related to explosions. So, be careful.”

“Thanks. This will be helpful.”

“Hyung, I’m sorry I couldn’t help more.”

Levin didn’t want to get involved with Goran.

Although he had awakened a special ability, he was still just a kid.

His rank was low, and he couldn’t fully utilize his abilities yet.

Moreover, he had a duty to avenge his family.

Until he repaid that debt, he couldn’t do anything else.

Zeon chuckled.

“That’s good enough.”

“I sincerely hope you survive.”

“I hope you will get your revenge as well.”

“Yes! Let’s stay strong. I’ll take my leave now.”

Levin discreetly left Zeon’s house, making sure no one saw him.

Zeon muttered to himself as he was left alone.

“An ability related to explosions…”

Usually, people think there are only four categories when it comes to Awakeneds: Magic, Martial Arts, Sorcery, and combining with machines. However, occasionally, some people awaken to different categories, like Zeon and Levin.

Perhaps Goran was one of those individuals.

“I’m curious.”

Regardless, it was something he would only learn by confronting it himself.

He didn’t want to go into a frenzy preparing for it already.

Zeon quickly prepared a simple meal and boiled water.

What he took out from his subspace was a leaf from a plant.

It wasn’t just any leaf; it was a leaf from a plant-type monster.

This creature took the form of a cactus and lured other monsters passing by to devour them.

On its body, there were peculiar leaves, and when brewed, the tea made from these leaves tasted exceptionally good.

At first, Zeon approached the creature without knowing and almost got devoured. After a great struggle, he managed to defeat it and saved his life.

Through studying the dead monster, he discovered that brewing its leaves made a tea with excellent effects. So he picked all the leaves from the plant and put them in his subspace.

Zeon poured boiling water into a cup and steeped the creature’s leaves. Then the strong scent of tea filled the room.

Zeon approached the window with the cup in hand.

Sipping the tea, he gazed down at the street below.

The tea made from the leaves of the monster plant had a calming effect on the mind and enhanced mana.

Whenever he had time, Zeon brewed tea from the leaves of that monster and drank it.

Now, there wasn’t much left, which was just regrettable.

Then, a man standing in the middle of the street caught Zeon’s eye.

He had a gorilla-like physique and a bald head.

Zeon instinctively realized that the bald man had come for him.

The bald man aimed his fist towards Zeon.

The man’s fist was strangely made of metal.

‘A machine?’

And then it happened.

Boom!

A shockwave erupted from the bald man’s fist aimed at Zeon. The entire building shook as if it had been bombed.

Krrrrgh!

Zeon frowned.

“Shockwave.”

What the man launched with his mechanical prosthetic arm was a shockwave.

Whether the shockwave was a natural skill of the man or the power of the mechanical prosthetic arm, it was clear that it was aimed at Zeon.

However, what the man didn’t know was that Zeon’s house was protected by a barrier.

The barrier created by the Watching Eye completely protected Zeon’s house from external shocks.

Boom!

The man unleashed another shockwave, but his attack was once again blocked by the Watching Eye.

Perhaps even if he launched the attack several more times, the result would be the same.

The man’s shockwaves couldn’t penetrate the Watching Eye’s protection. The man must have realized that fact.

Nevertheless, he continued to unleash shockwaves one after another.

Boom!

The entire building shook as if an earthquake had struck.

Zeon made a bewildered expression.

He had discerned the man’s strategy.

“That baldie’s pretty cunning.”

While Zeon’s house was protected by the Watching Eye, the neighboring houses were not.

The houses above, below, and adjacent to Zeon’s were in chaos.

Walls crumbled, pillars cracked.

People inside screamed in surprise at the sudden attack.

If the shockwaves continued to strike a few more times, the entire building where Zeon’s house was located could collapse.

Even with the protective barrier, Zeon’s house wouldn’t withstand the collapse of the building itself.

So, it was clear that the bald man had changed his tactics as soon as he realized Zeon’s house was protected by a barrier.

“Tsk! What a hassle…”

Zeon opened the window.

His house was on the eighteenth floor. It was a dizzying height for ordinary people. But Zeon leaped without any hesitation.

His body plummeted at an alarming speed.

Just before reaching the ground, Zeon’s descent slowed rapidly.

It was because tiny particles of sand, invisible to the naked eye, were supporting Zeon’s body.

But the bald man couldn’t know that.

Since before Zeon even touched the ground, he hid his presence completely.

Safely landing on the ground, Zeon immediately tracked the bald man.

Tracking the bald man wasn’t difficult at all.

He had left his traces everywhere, as if boasting.

Zeon soon found the bald man.

He was standing in front of a building resembling the Colosseum.

He gestured as if inviting Zeon to follow him before entering the building.

Zeon glanced at the Colosseum for a moment.

Although it was his first time seeing it, Zeon knew well what the Colosseum was.

It was the arena operated by Goran, the ruler of Sinchon.

“As expected, he’s one of Goran’s men.”

Zeon had expected it from the beginning.

Without any hesitation, Zeon entered the arena.

“Waaaah!”

“Kill him!”

As soon as he entered the arena, he was met with intense heat and screams.

Numerous people were shouting with fire in their eyes, and in the middle of the arena, two people were fighting for their lives.

Even at a glance, they were ordinary people with no abilities.

One person wielded a sickle, while the other wielded an axe, both swinging at each other.

Their bodies were already covered in blood, their faces contorted with pain.

Yet, they continued to attack each other as if possessed.

The sense of desperation at the brink of death was palpable.

Zeon knew well what had driven them to this cliff edge.

His gaze turned towards the highest point of the arena.

There, the bald man was looking down at him.

Zeon walked straight towards where the bald man was.

“There you are.”

As soon as he reached where the bald man was, a deep, low voice greeted him.

Zeon looked at the owner of the voice.

He was a black man wearing a baseball cap and a leather jacket.

Behind him stood the bald man who had lured Zeon here.

“Finally, we meet. And your name is…”

“Zeon!”

“Okay! Zeon. Our first meeting, huh?”

“I suppose so.”

“You know who I am?”

“Aren’t you Goran?”

“You got it right.”

A satisfied smile played on the lips of the black man.

He was none other than Goran, the ruler of Sinchon.

Goran introduced the bald man standing behind him.

“This is my friend, Dolkan.”

“No need for separate introductions. Thanks to him, my house almost collapsed.”

“It didn’t collapse?”

“Fortunately.”

“Seems like it’s quite sturdy.”

“Are you disappointed?”

“Actually, yes. Originally, I told them to tear it down.”

Goran chuckled, showing his white teeth.

As if making excuses, Dolkan spoke.

“There was a barrier around the house. Despite my repeated shockwaves, it remained intact.”

“Is that so? You’re quite capable, my friend. I like skilled friends.”

Goran’s intense gaze could be felt even through his sunglasses.

Zeon smirked.

“I’m glad to be acknowledged.”

“Please take a seat for now.”

When Goran gestured, one of his subordinates brought a chair.

Zeon didn’t refuse and sat down on the chair.

Goran pointed with his finger towards the two people fighting in the arena.

“Do you see them?”

“Yes.”

“They are people who have been driven to the edge. Can you feel the fear and desperation they emit?”

“Yes, I can.”

“I enjoy the scent of fear they exude. It excites me.”

“It’s a peculiar taste.”

“Peculiar taste? It could be. But once you get used to it, you might not be able to break free.”

“Well, I’m not interested in that kind of thing.”

“It’s better not to be so sure. Human values ​​can change easily.”

Goran chuckled as he tapped his own head with his finger.

Zeon silently stared at Goran. Goran shrugged and spoke again.

“The atmosphere here is stiff. Let’s eat first.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the people waiting brought out the food.

In no time, the table was filled with delicious-looking dishes.

Goran raised his fork and knife.

“It’s steak. Not cultured meat, but real steak made from real beef. It’ll be worth eating.”

Still, Zeon didn’t pick up his fork. Goran glanced beyond the window, looking at the walls of Neo Seoul.

“People in Neo Seoul eat this. If you follow me, you too will be able to eat things like this every day.”