Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 269

“Impressive!”

Lee Jung-ho couldn’t help but mutter in admiration as he looked around the inside of the Steel Fortress.

The interior was much larger than it appeared from the outside, naturally drawing expressions of awe.

“With a space like this, more than tens of thousands of people could live here—provided there’s enough water.”

The more he saw, the more desirable this place became.

If they could make this a satellite city, it would mean Neo Seoul’s territory would expand that much further.

The problem was Zeon.

Zeon clearly wasn’t keen on allowing this place to become a satellite city of Neo Seoul.

Without his cooperation, turning this fortress into a satellite city would be next to impossible.

‘We either get his cooperation, or we remove him.’

Neither option would be easy.

Zeon was just that much of a formidable presence.

Lee Jung-ho decided to set these thoughts aside for now.

What mattered most at the moment was obtaining Moby Dick’s heart.

A resident of the fortress led Lee Jung-ho and Claire to a vacant room.

“You can rest here. Urtian will call for you when it’s time for the meal.”

“Is it alright if we look around while we wait for the meal?”

“I’m sorry, but this is the only area you are allowed to access.”

The resident politely declined Lee Jung-ho’s request.

Lee Jung-ho frowned, clearly displeased, but as a guest, he had no choice but to respect the host’s wishes.

“Then please, rest well.”

The resident bowed and left the room.

Once alone, Claire turned to Lee Jung-ho.

“I’m going to take a shower first.”

The thought of being able to shower to her heart’s content after so long made Claire’s face light up with joy.

“Do as you like.”

“Thanks!”

Claire quickly disappeared into the bathroom.

Left alone, Lee Jung-ho glanced out the window.

He could sense residents loitering outside.

It seemed they were keeping watch on the house where the two of them were staying.

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

If he wanted to, he could easily slip past their watchful eyes, but if he were caught, it would only earn Zeon’s distrust.

In order to obtain Moby Dick’s heart, he needed Zeon’s cooperation. Until then, it was best to avoid any actions that might jeopardize that.

* * *

“There was something unsettling about his gaze. Do you think he’ll cause any trouble?”

“I doubt it. He still needs me.”

“Well, that’s a relief…”

Pavirsa let out a sigh of relief at Zeon’s answer.

The moment he had seen Lee Jung-ho, Pavirsa had felt an eerie sensation, as if a blade were pressed against his neck.

Pavirsa had spent his entire life wandering the desert, encountering countless Awakened individuals, yet he had never met someone as intense as Lee Jung-ho.

The strongest person he had ever encountered was Dyoden.

Lee Jung-ho couldn’t quite compare to Dyoden.

Dyoden had the overwhelming presence of a mighty storm that could destroy everything in its path. Lee Jung-ho, on the other hand, exuded a dangerous aura, like he could slice through anything in his way without hesitation.

While Dyoden’s raw power and presence were far greater, Pavirsa had never felt personally threatened by him. But with Lee Jung-ho, there was an ever-present danger, like he could draw his sword at any moment and cut off Pavirsa’s head.

That made him all the more threatening.

‘But, of course, if we’re talking about danger, this one takes the cake.’

Pavirsa glanced at Zeon with a slightly surprised expression.

At that moment, Kailey, who was standing nearby, pointed to Zeon’s right arm.

“That gauntlet—didn’t I make that for you?”

“You did.”

“But it looks different now. Mind if I take a closer look?”

Kailey couldn’t take her eyes off the Inferno Gauntlet that Zeon was wearing.

The gauntlet, which had been fitted with the eye of a dragon, now radiated a different kind of energy compared to before.

Since she had crafted the gauntlet herself, Kailey was naturally curious about the changes.

“I fitted it with a dragon’s eye.”

“Seriously? That’s a dragon’s eye?”

“Yes, take a look for yourself.”

Zeon removed the Inferno Gauntlet and handed it to Kailey.

As soon as she held it, Kailey was surprised by the intense heat radiating from the gauntlet.

“This heat… Is this from a Red Dragon?”

“That’s right.”

“Unbelievable.”

Kailey couldn’t help but let out an exclamation of awe.

To her, dragons were the stuff of legends.

She had never seen one in person, let alone gotten her hands on something like a dragon’s eye.

Her curiosity was piqued, naturally.

“Who attached this?”

“I met an Enchanter by chance who did it for me.”

“Must have been a high-level Enchanter?”

“Yes.”

“But since the gauntlet wasn’t something they made themselves, they didn’t manage to unlock its full potential.”

“Are you saying it’s incomplete?”

“Yeah, there’s room for improvement.”

Kailey’s nostrils flared—a habit of hers whenever she got excited.

The Inferno Gauntlet had evolved significantly since she had originally crafted it. While it was already impressive, there was still potential to make it even better.

Kailey wasn’t the same as she had been before.

Since parting ways with Zeon, she had crafted countless items, and she too had grown.

Now, she was an S-rank Enchanter.

She had reached the pinnacle of an Enchanter.

Though she lacked combat abilities, when it came to crafting items and imbuing them with special properties, there was no one better than her.

Only Pavirsa knew that she had reached S-rank. She had kept it a closely guarded secret.

“Why don’t you leave it with me tonight? I’ll get it into top shape.”

“I’d actually appreciate that.”

“Then it’s settled?”

“Yes.”

“Great!”

Kailey beamed like a child as she held the Inferno Gauntlet.

Pavirsa clicked his tongue at the sight.

“That rascal! She’s way too happy.”

Despite his words, there was a fond smile on his face.

When presented with the finest materials, a master artisan would always get fired up. An Enchanter was no different.

The best material had been added to her masterpiece.

It would be strange if she wasn’t excited.

Kailey took the Inferno Gauntlet and headed to her room.

Zeon flexed his right hand.

After wearing the gauntlet constantly for the past eight years, he felt a sudden emptiness without it.

It felt like a part of his body had been taken away.

Was this what loss felt like?

Still, he had to bear it. It was all part of the process of becoming stronger.

Pavirsa spoke.

“You must be tired. Get some rest.”

“Yes. You should rest too.”

“I’ll see you again at dinner.”

Pavirsa left, and Zeon was alone.

He let out a quiet sigh.

“Feels empty.”

* * *

Back in her room, Kailey gazed at the Inferno Gauntlet with a look of awe.

It was one of her greatest creations.

Even though a dragon’s eye had been added later to enhance it further, the base was still her original work.

“Whoever did this must have been a truly great Enchanter.”

Modifying an item someone else had made was never easy.

Each Enchanter had their own unique methods and skills.

It was much simpler to make something from scratch than to modify an existing item. Doing the latter required immense effort and time.

Moreover, attaching something as powerful as a dragon’s eye to the gauntlet would have taken incredible focus and skill.

The Enchanter who added the Red Dragon’s eye to the gauntlet must have been extraordinarily talented.

Far more skilled than she had been back then.

But a lot of time had passed since then, and Kailey had undergone dramatic changes herself. She was now an S-rank Enchanter.

As an S-rank, she could now see the areas where the Inferno Gauntlet could still be improved.

Because it was her creation, she understood exactly how to unlock its full potential.

Enhancing its performance would require a lot of rare materials.

They were all difficult to obtain, but Kailey wasn’t worried.

She already had everything she needed in her subspace.

While wandering the desert aboard Archelon, she had gone out of her way to gather any rare materials she could find. As a result, her subspace was now overflowing with them.

“Let’s see… I’ll start by reinforcing its durability with the shell of a Ghost Beetle, and stabilize the mana flow with the wings of a Rainbow Butterfly. To fully unlock the power of the Red Dragon’s eye, I’ll use Xyrium, that rare metal I got from the Volcano Dungeon.”

Her imagination took over.

Endless creativity was her greatest weapon.

Imagine, plan, and then realize.

These were the core principles an Enchanter had to follow.

Kailey spent the entire night envisioning the final, evolved form of the Inferno Gauntlet. Only when she had settled on the perfect design and capabilities did she finally begin her work.

“First, the shell of the Ghost Beetle.”

The shell of a Ghost Beetle was marked with patterns resembling a ghostly face, which is how it got its name.

The shell was not only incredibly durable but also had a high mana conductivity. It was so rare that Kailey had kept it carefully stored away for a long time.

As she drew upon her mana, Kailey whispered.

“Modify.”

Mana surged from her hands and seeped into the Ghost Beetle’s shell, causing it to start transforming.

Normally, cutting or reshaping the shell of a Ghost Beetle was impossible, but for an S-rank Enchanter like her, shaping it into the form she desired was no problem at all.

One of an Enchanter’s key skills was “Modification,” which allowed them to reshape materials however they saw fit. All it required was mana, a clear mental image, and the will to make it happen.

Kailey possessed all three.

Before long, the Ghost Beetle’s shell had taken the shape she wanted.

Kailey then placed the Inferno Gauntlet on top of it.

“Combine!”

The Ghost Beetle’s shell slowly melded with the Inferno Gauntlet, emitting a fierce red glow.

Kailey stared directly into the blinding light.

Through the glow, she could see the two objects merging.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a fusion—it was more like the Ghost Beetle’s shell was being absorbed by the Inferno Gauntlet—but the result was the same.

She had to maintain this momentum.

Once the shell had mostly been absorbed, Kailey pulled out the next material: a translucent object that shimmered with seven vibrant colors, like a rainbow.

It was the wing of a Rainbow Butterfly.

Despite its pretty name, the Rainbow Butterfly was a ruthless predator.

It fluttered through the desert on the wind, and when it spotted prey, it would release a neurotoxin by flapping its wings.

Any creature that inhaled even a trace of this neurotoxin would die within seconds.

This applied to both humans and magical beasts alike.

Once its prey was dead, the Rainbow Butterfly would use its coiled proboscis like a straw, draining the victim’s fluids.

Even the largest magical beasts would be reduced to dried-out husks within minutes.

‘Thank goodness Rainbow Butterflies live in remote deserts where no one lives. If they lived nearby, there wouldn’t be a single living person left.’

Rainbow Butterflies’ wingbeats made no sound.

They could approach a victim without making a single noise, often going unnoticed until it was too late.

Their silent deadliness made them even more dangerous than giant magical beasts.

Who knew how many more dangerous creatures like this lurked in the sky?

At first glance, the sky seemed empty, but if you could see at higher altitudes, you’d find it teeming with deadly creatures like the Rainbow Butterfly.

Kailey shook off her thoughts and refocused on the Rainbow Butterfly’s wing.

As she activated her skill, a massive amount of mana drained from her body.

Sweat poured down her face in large drops, but she didn’t blink, maintaining intense concentration as she continued her work.

Flash!

As Xyrium was added, the eye of the Red Dragon embedded in the Inferno Gauntlet suddenly emitted an even stronger light, more intense than anything she had seen before.

As she inspected the now-complete gauntlet, Kailey couldn’t help but flinch.

“Hic!”