Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

“Huff! Huff!”

Brielle panted heavily as she trudged through the sand.

Ahead of her were Zeon and Levin, while Eloy walked behind.

Her face was flushed red from the scorching sun, and her breath came in short gasps, but she no longer relied on Levin’s help.

She knew that constantly depending on others wouldn’t help her improve. So, even if she collapsed, she had resolved to keep walking on her own.

Levin occasionally glanced at her with concern but respected her decision and refrained from offering his hand.

Levin’s gaze shifted to Zeon.

That morning, Zeon had said they were somewhere west of Neo Seoul and needed to head east.

He had deduced this from observing the stars the previous night, but he didn’t share that detail with them.

Eloy muttered from behind.

“It’s strange. The dungeon was north of Neo Seoul, but we ended up to the west.”

“That’s because dungeons themselves defy human logic.”

“I know that, you little brat! I just find it fascinating.”

“Who’s a little brat? Can’t Mandy take over instead?”

“Mandy wouldn’t survive in this environment.”

Eloy answered Levin’s question firmly.

The sand’s surface temperature exceeded sixty degrees celsius.

Even the most capable Awakeneds couldn’t last long in such conditions, especially while walking.

Eloy, as tough as she was, could endure it, but Mandy would have collapsed long ago.

Eloy glanced at Zeon, who walked ahead effortlessly.

He seemed to be gliding over the sand, making her envious of his abilities.

‘It’s a truly enviable ability. A man loved by the sand…’

While she didn’t covet other Awakeneds’ abilities, Zeon’s power was something she envied greatly.

Just then, Zeon suddenly stopped.

Eloy asked, puzzled.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s an oasis ahead.”

“An oasis? Where?”

She asked, scanning the surroundings but seeing nothing.

“It’s not visible yet, but it will appear soon.”

“What kind of nonsense…”

Despite her skepticism, Zeon’s face showed no doubt.

He said.

“Let’s take a break. The oasis will form soon.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“Oh, thank goodness.”

Levin and Brielle responded, trusting Zeon’s words without question.

They sat down and massaged their swollen legs.

“Err! I don’t know anymore.”

Eloy, after some hesitation, joined them.

She wasn’t sure if Zeon’s prediction would come true, but the chance to rest was too tempting to pass up.

Levin pulled out some jerky from his backpack and shared it.

Though it was just cultured meat jerky, it was a welcome treat during their rest.

As they chewed on the jerky, the sand in front of them began to churn.

Brrrgh!

Bubbles formed as if the sand were boiling, and soon it began to part, revealing clear water.

“No way! An oasis is really forming?”

Eloy exclaimed, her eyes wide with amazement.

Indeed, a genuine oasis was materializing before their eyes.

The receding sand was replaced by crystal-clear water.

“It’s an oasis.”

“Whoah!”

Levin and Brielle shouted in excitement as they ran towards the oasis.

Despite trusting Zeon, seeing the oasis form was a thrilling surprise.

They eagerly jumped into the cool water.

Splash!

The three of them plunged into the oasis, the water’s chill providing instant relief from the desert heat.

As they swam, something strange caught their eyes.

It was a white light, like a moon glowing underwater.

Mesmerized by the sight, Brielle, Levin, and even the experienced Eloy swam towards it, entranced.

As they got closer, the light’s true nature became clear.

A massive mouth, larger than a great hyena, occupied most of its face. The antenna-like appendage on its forehead ended in a glowing orb of flesh.

The light that had captivated them was this glowing orb.

As they swam closer, the creature opened its enormous jaws.

Unaware of the danger, the trio continued swimming towards the mouth.

“It’s a Sand Angler! Snap out of it!”

Bang!

Zeon’s shout was followed by an explosion.

He had leapt in and struck the creature trying to devour his friends.

The Sand Angler, stunned, tried to flee into the depths, but Zeon wouldn’t let it escape.

In a blur of motion, he reached the creature and delivered a crushing blow to its forehead.

Boom!

With the sound of an explosion, the Sand Angler’s head was shattered.

Only then did the three come to their senses.

“Ah!”

“Whoa! What is that?”

“A monster…”

They scrambled out of the water, gasping for breath, their faces pale.

They had narrowly avoided being eaten alive by the grotesque beast.

Zeon emerged from the water, dragging the creature’s corpse onto the sand.

Thud!

The heavy body of the Sand Angler hit the ground with a dull sound.

“Ugh!”

“Oh, gross!”

“We were about to be eaten by that thing?”

Seeing the Sand Angler up close made them feel even more nauseous.

Zeon said as he got out of the water.

“It’s a Sand Angler. As you can see, it’s a beast that creates miracles in the desert, a place devoid of water.”

“So, this Sand Angler monster created the oasis?”

“That’s right. It usually swims through the sand and occasionally creates oases to lure prey.”

“What kind of monster…”

Eloy shuddered in disgust at the sight of the Sand Angler’s corpse.

Despite her rough personality, she was still a woman, and the sight of the hideous creature’s carcass made her skin crawl.

“It may look grotesque, but it’s quite useful in many ways. Especially its belly skin, which is soft yet tough, making it excellent for crafting robes with top-notch performance.”

“Really…”

Just as Dyoden had taught Zeon all those years ago, Zeon was now teaching them.

Brielle, having stopped her retching, now looked at the Sand Angler with bright, curious eyes.

“If you make a robe from its belly skin, it will perform exceptionally well.”

“Then, can I have it? I’ll make a robe out of it.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Awesome!”

Brielle cheered as Zeon handed her the Sand Angler’s belly skin, which she carefully preserved as if it were a precious treasure.

Zeon proceeded to dissect the Sand Angler, laying out its parts on the ground.

Levin watched with curiosity as Zeon skillfully worked.

“The Sand Angler has very little waste. Its gallbladder, in particular, is a gem. It’s the best for strengthening bones and muscles. Who wants it?”

“Eat that? Gross! No thanks.”

“I’ll pass too.”

The two women, Elroy and Brielle, clearly expressed their refusal.

Zeon’s gaze shifted to Levin.

“Is it really that good?”

“You’ll be surprised.”

“Alright, I’ll try it.”

Levin decided with a resolute expression.

He realized from the recent dungeon raid that he still had a lot of room for improvement.

He needed to get stronger, and he was willing to go to great lengths to achieve that.

Zeon handed him the large gallbladder.

“Eat it all, don’t leave anything.”

“All of it?”

Levin asked, eyeing the large organ.

“Yes.”

Zeon had eaten a gallbladder several times larger before, likely from an older Sand Angler.

Levin looked queasy but determinedly started eating.

As with all gallbladders, the Sand Angler’s was incredibly bitter.

Fortunately, it melted in his mouth like ice cream, requiring no effort to chew.

It didn’t fill him up, allowing him to consume the entire organ.

“How did all that fit? It’s amazing.”

Levin marveled, staring at his stomach in disbelief.

Suddenly, a fierce heat surged from his belly.

“Ahh!”

Levin collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.

“Is he okay?”

Brielle asked cautiously.

“He’ll be fine. After a good sleep, he’ll feel much better. In the meantime, let’s eat some meat.”

“Alright.”

Zeon pulled out a pot from his subspace and placed the dissected Sand Angler meat in it.

The pot was enchanted to heat up without the need for fire.

Eloy squatted beside Zeon, watching the cooking meat.

“Are we really eating this?”

“Despite how it looks, it’s pretty delicious.”

“Living long enough, I suppose you end up eating all sorts of things… But what happens to the oasis now that the Sand Angler is dead?”

“It will disappear without a trace in a few days.”

“And it won’t reappear?”

“A new one will soon hatch to replace it. They always lay eggs in advance.”

“Interesting.”

Eloy nodded, intrigued by the new information.

Traveling with Zeon had revealed many unknown aspects of the desert to her.

No one in Neo Seoul likely knew about creatures like the Sand Angler.

Zeon knew many secrets about the desert that most people were unaware of.

She couldn’t help but wonder what other mysteries were stored in his mind.

Crackle!

Sizzling sounds filled the air as the Sand Angler meat cooked.

Zeon took out a few spices and sprinkled them on the meat, enhancing its aroma.

“Wow!”

“The smell is amazing.”

The two women almost went dizzy from the fragrant smell.

Zeon served the cooked Sand Angler meat to the two women.

Brielle and Eloy stuck their noses in their plates, digging in eagerly, and without a care.

The jerky they had earlier was good, but it couldn’t compare to the freshly cooked meat.

“Ah! Delicious! Who knew such a hideous creature could taste so good?”

“It just goes to show, you can’t judge by appearances.”

They patted their bulging bellies, smiling with satisfaction.

“Ugh! Kueeek!”

Meanwhile, Levin continued to writhe and scream in pain on the ground.

Zeon chewed on his own piece of Sand Angler meat, watching Levin.

Having experienced the same pain, he knew what Levin was going through.

The intense agony felt like his body was being torn apart, but once it passed, Levin’s body would be remarkably improved.

‘Endure it. This pain will only make you stronger.’