Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 211

On top of a giant sand dune, a dozen figures dressed in camouflage robes the same color as the sand lay prone.

From their vantage point, they had a clear view of Zeon clashing with the Orcs.

Their eyes, hidden beneath their robes, trembled.

"What is that?"

"What did I just see?"

Their faces showed unmistakable disbelief.

They had arrived just five minutes earlier, right before Zeon began his confrontation with the Orcs.

At first, they had ridiculed Zeon.

He seemed like a fool, walking alone toward the group of Orcs.

They thought he was either suicidal or too naive to understand how terrifying Orcs were.

They expected Zeon to be torn apart by the Orc Riders in an instant, as had happened to many Elves and Dwarves before.

But what they imagined did not occur.

Suddenly, a sandstorm arose, engulfing the Orcs and grinding them to nothing in an instant.

It was a sight they had never seen before.

They couldn't even conceive that such a thing was possible.

At first, they thought it was a natural phenomenon.

Sometimes, the desert storms were so fierce that they could sweep away everything in their path. But grinding living creatures to nothing was beyond their understanding.

Yet the impossible was happening right before their eyes.

They instinctively knew that the man who had recklessly advanced was the one who had summoned the sandstorm that obliterated the Orcs.

‘Did a human do that?’

‘What kind of awakening skill is that?’

Their eyes filled with fear as they watched Zeon.

If the skill that wiped out the Orcs could do the same to them, leaving no trace behind, they had every reason to be afraid.

Among those lying on the sand dune, a particularly slim figure and a stout one quietly conversed.

"What should we do? Make contact?"

"Make contact with a human? The elders would never allow it."

"Then should we withdraw?"

"Now that the Orc Riders are gone, let's retreat."

The two signaled the others to retreat. The group lying on the sand dune cautiously withdrew.

Although Zeon couldn't see their location, they needed to be careful.

They carefully descended the sand dune.

At the bottom of the dune, a dozen Bactrian Camels were waiting for them.

They mounted the camels and immediately left the sand dune.

"Hyah!"

"Cha!"

They spurred the camels to run faster across the desert.

The leader of the group murmured to himself.

"Who would have thought there would be such a human?"

The scene they had just witnessed remained vividly in his mind.

The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed.

"Controlling sand. Could he be a Sand Mage?"

"There's no such thing as a Sand Mage. He must have used another skill to create a similar effect."

The stout man riding beside him responded curtly.

"But we saw it with our own eyes."

"Humans are naturally cunning and skilled in deception. That man is surely no different. A Sand Mage? That's nonsense..."

The stout man vehemently denied the slim man's opinion. The slim man said no more.

After riding the camels for nearly half a day, they arrived in the middle of the desert, where there was nothing.

There were no landmarks or objects to use for orientation.

This was their destination.

After confirming that there was no one around, the slim man cautiously stepped forward.

"Invisible light, veil of illusion, door that does not open, water that flows backward. Door of truth hidden by illusion, reveal your true form to me."

Suddenly, a blue light erupted before him.

Lines of light rapidly traced a magic circle in the air.

Once the magic circle was complete, a large door appeared before them.

The group led their camels through the door.

As soon as they entered, the door closed, and the original landscape returned as if nothing had happened.

After entering the door, they removed their hoods.

Their true forms were revealed.

Golden hair, pointed ears, sun-tanned skin.

They were Desert Elves.

Only the particularly stout one belonged to a different race.

A short, stocky build, a bulging belly, and a thick beard covering his chest.

The man was a Dwarf.

They were a mixed group of different races who had crossed over from Kurayan to Earth.

The Dwarf brushed the dust off his shoulder and grumbled.

"Damn it! Every time we go out, I get filthy. Why do I have to go on recon missions? You pointy-eared folks should do it alone."

"It's the elders' orders. There's nothing we can do. Stop complaining and let's report what we saw to the elders."

"Hmph! I was going to do that anyway. We need to report quickly and come up with a plan, or our village will be in danger."

The Dwarf snorted and started walking.

Though his face was full of complaints, he knew he had to report.

That was their duty.

In front of them was a large village.

The square resembled a fortress.

Many houses lined the streets.

However, unlike a typical village, it was not underground but on the hot, sunlit sand.

Moreover, the inhabitants were not human.

Most were Elves, with some Dwarves.

This village was a collaborative effort between Desert Elves and Dwarves.

The Dwarves built the village in the middle of the desert, and the elves joined forces to create protective magic circles around it.

The protective magic circles included functions of illusion, concealment, and protection.

From the outside, only endless sand could be seen instead of the village. If anyone approached, their senses would be disturbed, leading them to wander away from the village naturally.

Thanks to this, the village had remained hidden for a hundred years.

Unless a massive external force disrupted it, the protective magic circles would remain intact. These circles allowed the Elves and Dwarves to maintain their purity.

The village was governed by a council of six elders, four Elves, and two Dwarves.

The two who had just returned from the recon mission headed to the largest house where the elders were gathered.

"We're back."

"How are the Orcs? Are they heading this way?"

A female Elf elder immediately asked.

The returning Elf calmly replied.

"It's hard to tell because the Orcs have stopped advancing."

"They stopped advancing? Why?"

"We don't know, but they have halted about a hundred kilometers from here."

"That's a relief."

The old Elf wiped the sweat from her forehead and sighed in relief.

The protective magic circles of the village were not invincible.

While they could deceive ordinary humans and beasts, they couldn't fool creatures with exceptionally keen senses.

Orcs were such creatures.

Brutish and warlike, they were also extremely sensitive to anything unusual. When an Orc Great Chieftain rose to power and united the Orcs, the village was put on high alert.

If the Orcs passed nearby, they might sense the village's presence.

A small group of Orcs wouldn't be a problem. But it was an army led by an Orc Great Chieftain.

If they attacked, the protective magic circles would be shattered in no time, and all the Elves and Dwarves in the village would be wiped out.

That's why they sent a recon team to monitor the Orcs' movements.

"But..."

"What is it?"

"We saw something strange on our way back."

"Hmm?"

"Hundreds of Orc Riders were moving quickly, so we followed them and saw a human Awakened fighting them. But this human was controlling sand at will."

The Dwarf who had gone on the recon mission quickly added.

"That human must have used some trick. There's no way an Awakened can control sand."

"But he..."

"There were no Sand Mages in Kurayan either. There's no way a mere human could possess the power to control sand."

The Dwarf reacted vehemently to the Elf's opinion.

The elders frowned and listened intently to the Dwarf.

After a moment, they spoke.

"So, the Orc Riders were wiped out by a human."

"Yes."

"A human that powerful."

The elders exchanged cautious glances.

The six of them had governed this village for a long time.

To them, humans were untrustworthy beings.

"What are the chances that humans will come here?"

"Currently, it's impossible to say."

The Elf who had gone on the recon mission answered carefully.

"Seina! I'm disappointed. Your duty is to identify anything that threatens the village."

The old Elf looked at the returning Elf with a disappointed expression.

The Elf's name was Seina.

At that moment, the Dwarf who had gone on the recon mission spoke up.

"It's clear that humans are quite strong. So why not use them?"

"Delloru, do you have an idea?"

"Lead the humans to the Orc horde."

"Make them attack each other?"

"Exactly. They'll fight each other to destruction, and our village will be safe."

"Good idea."

The elders' eyes gleamed sharply.

They spoke in low voices, making sure Seina and Delloru couldn't hear.

Watching them, Seina bit her lip.

'No! We can't exploit humans like that...'

But she couldn't voice her thoughts.

In this place, the elders' authority was absolute.

Thanks to them, the village had survived, and defying them was unthinkable.

Finally, the elders made their decision.

"Very well. You two will handle this."

"Don't worry."

"Remember, no harm must come to the village."

"Of course. I'll take care of it without any impact on the village."

Delloru pounded his chest and made a bold promise.

The elders looked at Delloru with satisfaction.

"We trust you."

* * *

When the sun sets, the scorching sand quickly cools, and the temperature drops to an unbelievable low.

Wearing thin clothes during the day and not having proper shelter at night could lead to freezing to death. Many had died that way.

But this was not an issue for Zeon's group.

Zeon moved the sand to dig a pit large enough for four people.

Once they were inside, he moved the sand again to cover the top, creating a sturdy shelter in an instant.

"No matter how many times I see it, it's amazing."

Eloy shook her head in disbelief.

She recalled the scene where Zeon had annihilated the Orc Riders with a sandstorm.

Just thinking about it gave her goosebumps.

She still couldn't forget the sight.

She doubted if any adversary could match Zeon in the desert.

Eloy didn't think so.

She couldn't imagine Zeon kneeling before anyone in the desert.

'What if he harbors ill intentions towards Neo Seoul?'

Shudder!

The mere thought made her tremble.

Unconsciously, Eloy tightly hugged the Mad Gumiho and looked at Zeon.

'I can only hope he doesn't become hostile toward Neo Seoul and humanity...'

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]