Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

It was the first time he had felt something like this, so Zeon carefully observed the mineral in his subspace.

“Didn’t he say it was found in the same tunnel where they mined the top-grade Mana Stone?”

If it was mined from a Mana Stone mine, then naturally, it should have been a Mana Stone. However, this unidentified mineral had none of the characteristics that typical Mana Stones possess.

It had now returned to its normal, unremarkable state, as if it had never emitted such a powerful resonance.

“It definitely wasn’t an illusion, so why did it react at that exact moment?”

Zeon furrowed his brow.

There was always a reason behind any change.

Something must have triggered the mineral to react the way it did.

“Was it my mana?”

With a sense of curiosity, Zeon tried injecting his mana into the mineral. However, it showed no response.

“Did it just change because the time was right? Or was there some external factor…?”

He looked around, but all he could see was sand.

There was nothing particularly noticeable.

“I have no idea.”

Zeon shook his head.

He was curious about the mineral’s secret, but he didn’t feel like delving into it right away.

Even though he had rested well in the past few days and had recovered both physically and mentally, he still didn’t have the drive to actively investigate anything.

If the mineral had continued emitting waves, he might have felt differently, but now that it was quiet, he thought, ‘Is there really a need to dig into this right now?’

“Alright. I’ll think about it later.”

Zeon muttered as he closed his subspace.

He then made his way back toward Neo Seoul.

As he entered the slums, Levin called out to him.

“Hyung!”

“Huh?”

“Did you just come back from outside?”

“Yeah. And you?”

“I’m just catching up with some friends I haven’t seen in a while.”

Levin smiled and pointed to the friends standing nearby.

The boys, who appeared to be around Levin’s age, became excited when they saw Zeon.

“Is that the Sand Mage hyung?”

“Hyung! I’m a huge fan!”

The boys’ excitement left Zeon feeling a bit dumbfounded, and Levin laughed as he explained.

“Haha! These guys are fans of yours, hyung. They were really impressed when they saw you fight.”

“It’s true, hyung!”

“We respect you.”

Hearing boys around Levin’s age calling him “hyung” with such reverence was both amusing and burdensome for Zeon, so he waved his hand.

“You don’t need to add the ‘hyung’ like that.”

“But…”

“Just call me hyung casually.”

“Yes!”

In the end, Levin’s friends agreed to call him “hyung” without the formality.

Zeon then asked Levin.

“I’m heading home now. What about you?”

“I’m going to stay here and chat with these guys for a bit.”

“Alright. I’ll head in first.”

“Okay, hyung. See you later.”

Levin smiled as he watched Zeon walk away.

Once Zeon had disappeared from sight, Levin’s expression turned cold.

He asked his friends.

“So, you’re sure he killed someone again?”

“Yeah. Everyone’s keeping it hush-hush, but it’s clear that bastard committed murder.”

“Where?”

“Well…”

For some reason, his friend hesitated to answer.

“Why?”

“The murder happened in the Western District.”

“The Western District? So, in Neo Seoul?”

“Yeah.”

“Damn it!”

Levin’s face twisted in frustration.

Neo Seoul was not his territory.

The gates of Neo Seoul rarely opened for people from the slums.

Even though Levin had awakened a rare ability, entering Neo Seoul was not easy.

If he revealed his awakened ability, he could officially get an ID card, but doing so would likely make him a target for recruitment by different factions.

He could also sneak in using his ghosting ability, but if he got caught, the consequences would be far too serious.

That wasn’t something Levin wanted.

Levin asked again.

“Are you absolutely sure that bastard committed the murder in the Western District?”

“I heard it from the Awakeneds in that area. There’s a serial killer who breaks into homes, kills people, and then decorates the corpses.”

The friend who answered worked as a porter in the slums.

When the Awakeneds went out to conquer dungeons or hunt beasts, he would tag along and handle menial tasks.

He paid close attention to the conversations between the Awakeneds and would relay useful information to Levin.

So the odds were high that this information was true as well.

“So that means I’ll have to enter Neo Seoul.”

“How are you going to do that? There’s no way in.”

“No, there is a way.”

At that moment, someone came to Levin’s mind.

She could definitely get him into Neo Seoul.

“What way?”

“I’m going to check something out. Meanwhile, you guys keep gathering information on that bastard. Got it?”

“Got it!”

“Thanks. Here, take this and buy yourselves something nice to eat.”

Levin handed his friends a Mana Stone no larger than a fingernail.

He had gotten it by hunting beasts in the desert with Zeon.

He had gathered quite a lot of Mana Stones, so he could afford to give them away as a reward.

“Seriously? You’re giving us this?”

“Are you crazy?”

His friends looked at Levin in shock.

To Levin, it was something he could easily acquire, but for the people in the slums, it was a treasure they might never touch in their entire lives.

There was a reason murders occurred over Mana Stones.

“If you keep bringing useful information, I’ll give you more. For now, be satisfied with this.”

“Thanks! I’ll keep gathering info on that killer.”

“Me too! I’ll do my best.”

Leaving his grateful friends behind, Levin started walking.

He suddenly pulled a radio out of his pocket.

It was a radio typically used by dungeon raiding parties inside dungeons. He had picked it up during the raid with the Pegasus Raid Force.

Levin used the radio to contact someone.

“Noona!”

—Huh? Who is this?

A surprised voice came through.

“Mandy noona?”

—Is that you, Levin?

“Yes! It’s Levin.”

—What’s going on at this hour?

The voice belonged to Mandy.

Levin was relieved that it was Mandy and not Eloy. It was much easier to ask Mandy for a favor than Eloy.

“Can you help me get into Neo Seoul?”

—Why Neo Seoul?

“You know that bastard, right? The one I call ‘son of a bitch’?”

—The guy who killed your family?

“Yes! That bastard has been spotted in Neo Seoul.”

—Sigh! Alright, I’ll get you a pass that’ll let you stay for about a month. Come to the entrance now.

“Thank you, noona!”

—Just hurry and get here.

“Yes!”

Levin quickened his pace.

After about thirty minutes of walking, the large gate leading into Neo Seoul came into view.

He saw Mandy standing there waiting for him.

Waving his hand, Levin shouted.

“Noona!”

“You’re here.”

“Sorry for bothering you…”

“Forget it! What are friends for… Here, take this.”

Mandy handed Levin an entry pass.

“Thank you.”

“If I had more time, I could’ve gotten you a pass that lasts a hundred days, but this is the best I can do right now.”

“This is more than enough.”

“You sure you don’t need any more help? Where are you going to sleep?”

“I’ll stay at a hotel in the Western District. I’ve got enough Mana Stones, so I can manage for a month.”

“Alright. If you need anything, just reach out.”

“I will!”

The two of them entered Neo Seoul together.

Levin stood still for a moment, speechless as he took in the sight.

He was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the city.

He had seen it many times from the outside, but seeing Neo Seoul from the inside was beyond his imagination.

Mandy, understanding how he felt, patted him on the shoulder and said,

“Welcome to the pinnacle of civilization in this world.”

* * *

Serian Oliana, the ruler of the Northern District, furrowed her brows deeply.

“That feeling just now was definitely…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Hold on, Borin!”

Serian raised her hand, stopping Borin, the captain of the Blue Leaf Special Forces.

Borin looked at Serian in confusion.

Serian was frowning, trying to recall the sensation she had felt just moments before.

“That feeling was unmistakable… Or is it just my imagination? Did you sense anything, Borin?”

“What are you referring to?”

“The strong resonance from earlier.”

“Resonance?”

Borin tilted her head in confusion.

She had been eating with Serian for the past thirty minutes and hadn’t sensed any special changes or resonances.

“I’m sorry. My senses aren’t as sharp as yours… Could you describe what kind of resonance it was?”

“It was a warm, nostalgic feeling.”

Serian’s eyes were already glistening with moisture.

It was a resonance she had never felt since crossing over to Earth.

It felt like a calling from someone, or like a warm breath that stirred her heart deeply.

“Borin!”

“Yes!”

“I need to find the source of this resonance. Please investigate it.”

“Understood. But…”

Borin’s expression turned troubled.

While she had no choice but to obey Serian’s orders, it was such a vague task that she didn’t know where to start.

Moreover, Borin hadn’t even been able to detect the resonance that Serian had felt.

Tracking down the source of a resonance she hadn’t sensed felt like chasing after a mirage.

Sensing Borin’s hesitation, Serian offered some guidance.

“The resonance came from the south, outside Neo Seoul.”

“The south? So, the slums?”

“Yes! It seems to have come from the desert beyond the slums. You should start searching there.”

“Understood.”

Borin was somewhat relieved.

The task was still as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack, but at least she had a starting point now.

“If you need any help, just let me know. I’ll give you all the support you need.”

“For now, I’ll take only the Blue Leaf Special Forces with me. If I mobilize any more troops, Eli might start asking questions.”

Eli was the second-in-command of the Northern District.

She was always on high alert regarding any internal movements within the Northern District. If they accidentally caught her attention, they might end up tangled in a troublesome situation.

“I see. I’ll leave that to your discretion, then.”

“Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me. I’m the one asking you to handle this difficult task.”

Serian wore a bitter expression.

If she and Eli were to clash, it would be the non-human inhabitants of the Northern District who would suffer.

For their sake, she had to find a way to keep Eli on her side.

“I really miss the shade of the World Tree at times like this. Under the World Tree, all races were united as one.”

“The World Tree… I can’t imagine what that must have been like.”

“You wouldn’t. The World Tree withered when Kurayan fell.”

The World Tree had been one of the great pillars supporting Kurayan.

When Kurayan fell, the World Tree disappeared as well.

Elves and non-humans born on Earth had never even seen the World Tree. So, they had no idea what it was like to be near it.

This fact deeply saddened Serian.

‘If I could see the World Tree again, I’d gladly give my life for it.’

———-