Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 86

Early in the morning, Zeon left the house.

A girl wearing a peaked cap followed behind Zeon.

The girl, stumbling as if drunk, was none other than Brielle.

Brielle asked Zeon.

“Ugh! Where are we going?”

“We’re going to a restaurant to eat.”

“A restaurant?”

“It’s a place where they give you food if you pay.”

“Oh, I see.”

At the mention of food, Brielle lifted her peaked cap and looked up at Zeon.

Her eyes were unfocused and hazy, but they held a strong curiosity within them.

If there was one change that occurred in Brielle after being rescued by Zeon, it was her curiosity.

She began to explode with curiosity about things she had never experienced before.

Food was one of the things she longed for.

Having lived on unidentified soup every day, her craving for delicious food was strong.

Brielle’s mouth filled with saliva.

Her changing expressions made Zeon laugh involuntarily.

That’s when it happened.

“Oh, Hyung!”

Suddenly, a voice called out to Zeon.

When Zeon turned around, he saw a boy with flashy earrings and a buzz cut.

“Levin!”

It was Levin.

Levin approached Zeon.

“Where are you going?”

“To eat. Do you want to come too?”

“I’ve already eaten.”

“Is that so?”

Levin’s gaze turned towards Brielle. Upon which, Brielle quickly hid behind Zeon.

“Who’s that?”

“A comrade.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a long story. Where are you headed?”

“Dongdaemun.”

“Why Dongdaemun?”

“It seems like the scum has resumed activity over there.”

Levin’s eyes were chilling as he spoke.

Although his mouth was smiling, his gaze was sharp as a knife.

Zeon realized that Levin’s abilities had grown.

‘Is he an E-rank?’

Some Awakeneds remain at the same rank as when they first awakened, while others grow.

The difference lies in one thing.

It’s the harsh environment in which they hone their awakened talents.

That’s why many Awakeneds regularly go out on monster hunts. But not everyone’s rank rises because of it.

Some rise quickly, while others rise slowly. And some remain stagnant.

Fortunately, Levin seemed to belong to the former.

“Be careful.”

“Don’t worry. I have the power to protect myself.”

“Alright.”

“Enjoy your meal. Take care.”

Brielle did not respond to Levin’s words and just hid behind Zeon.

Brielle’s hatred towards humans ran too deep for Levin’s warm words to get any reaction out of her.

Levin, just like Brielle, was also a holder of dry emotions.

He only showed warmth towards Zeon, who took care of him, but he was cold towards others.

Suddenly, Levin’s body became blurry.

He had used his Awakened ability, Ghosting.

Levin passed through the wall and disappeared in an instant.

“What was that?”

Brielle’s eyes widened in surprise.

It was the first time she had seen such an ability.

Brielle looked up at Zeon.

“Wasn’t he just a thug?”

“He was, but not anymore.”

“He’s an interesting human.”

“Are there High Elves with such abilities?”

“No! Not a single one…”

Brielle firmly shook her head.

In her mind, Levin’s evaluation changed from just a thug to a thug with abilities.

Zeon chuckled and continued walking.

Brielle hurriedly followed behind him.

A while later, the two arrived at the street where the restaurant was located. However, Old Man Klexi was nowhere to be seen.

Zeon furrowed his brows.

It was the first time he had seen Old Man Klexi not come out for business.

‘What’s going on?’

Zeon asked a nearby merchant.

“Is Old Man Klexi not coming today?”

“He has some personal matters on, so he won’t be coming out.”

“What kind of personal matters?”

“I’ve only heard it’s something personal.”

“I see.”

Zeon didn’t ask any further.

He didn’t have a hobby of prying into other people’s privacy.

In this street, there were many other shops selling food besides Old Man Klexi.

Zeon and Brielle chose one and sat down.

The owner of the shop was quite skilled.

The broth was made with unidentified meat, and similarly, filled with unidentifiable vegetables.

But it was still delicious.

Although not as good as Old Man Klexi’s, the shop owner was quite skilled.

Zeon asked Brielle.

“Is the meat okay?”

“Why?”

“Aren’t Elves usually vegetarian?”

“It’s a prejudice. What’s the point of being vegetarian when you’re starving to death? We hunt monsters and eat meat too.”

When the Elves came to Earth, they expected lush greenery. However, due to the side effects of terraforming, the entire Earth turned into a desert, and finding grass became more difficult than meat.

The vegetables in the food they were eating now were artificially made in factories, things that could never be found in nature.

Ironically, there were far more abundant and delicious things here than in the High Elf village.

Brielle sweated profusely as she ate the food in front of her.

Zeon’s gaze suddenly shifted to a man sitting at the next table eating.

The man had his head down and was concentrating on his food.

However, the man was dressed strangely.

He was wearing priestly robes, a sight rarely seen these days.

The black robe with a cross engraved on it that priests used to wear when the religion was still intact.

Perhaps sensing Zeon’s gaze, the man dressed as a priest raised his head.

He was a middle-aged man with neatly combed white hair, thick horn-rimmed glasses, and small, curved eyes.

He looked at Zeon and smirked.

“The food in Sinchon is quite delicious as well.”

“I suppose you’re from another area?”

“I mainly reside in Dongdaemun. It’s been a long time since I came to Sinchon.”

“It’s only a short distance away, is there a reason you couldn’t come?”

“Some human dislikes me.”

The man in priestly robes replied as he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

Zeon scrutinized the man carefully.

The man also didn’t avoid Zeon’s gaze and met it head-on.

Suddenly, a man came to Zeon’s mind.

“You are Johan.”

“Ah!”

At the mention of the name “Johan”, the man widened his eyes in apparent surprise.

From his reaction, Zeon realized that his guess was correct.

“What’s Dongdaemun’s ruler doing in Sinchon?”

“What am I doing? Since the nuisance that blocked my way has disappeared, I came to take a look.”

“But it doesn’t seem like you’re here for just sightseeing.”

“I couldn’t just stand by when I was curious about who removed the nuisance.”

The nuisance he was talking about was Goran.

In the end, he came to see Zeon, the one who eliminated Goran.

The man’s name was Johan.

He was the ruler of Dongdaemun.

It’s said he was a former priest.

Despite the drastic changes the world underwent and the emergence of new humans called Awakeneds, religions persisted and maintained their lineage.

Johan, who was a low-ranking priest, awakened, and then, with the help of his followers, completely took over Dongdaemun.

Even after awakening, Johan always wore clerical robes.

That’s how Zeon could recognize him.

Johan and Goran were archenemies.

They clashed on every issue, aiming for each other’s territories. But the powers of both factions were equal, so the standoff could only prolong.

That’s why Johan couldn’t enter Sinchon for a long time.

Zeon spoke.

“You came to see me.”

“That’s right! I couldn’t resist the urge to see the new ruler of Sinchon.”

“But there’s a separate new ruler in Sinchon?”

“Haha! He’s just a face model. The real ruler is none other than you, isn’t it?”

“I’m not interested in ruling others.”

“Don’t lie.”

“Pardon?”

Johan smiled.

“Men, especially powerful ones, always desire to be superior to others. It’s the innate destiny and identity of men.”

“….”

Zeon didn’t feel the need to respond.

He didn’t feel the necessity.

Johan continued without paying attention.

“I heard the voice of God. He whispered to me. Fulfill my mission.”

“Mission?”

“The mission to lead people to the right path.”

Behind Johan’s glasses, intense madness emanated from his eyes.

Zeon knew what that look meant.

‘He’s insane. He’s filled with madness.’

An ordinary madman couldn’t possess such a gaze.

Only those with a certain determination can emit such pure madness.

Johan was prepared to burn anything to fulfill his mission.

“Thanks to you, Goran disappeared, so I can spread the teachings of the Lord widely in Sinchon. In that aspect, I’m grateful.”

“Ethan won’t tolerate that.”

“Hah! Is that so? Is Ethan anything more than a vessel? He may demonstrate his abilities under Goran’s reign, but he lacks the capacity to lead on his own.”

Johan rose from his seat and approached Zeon.

Pointing his finger at Zeon’s chest, he said.

“What matters is your will. If you allow it, we can spread the teachings of the Lord here as well. Will you not give me the opportunity to impart the teachings of the Lord?”

“What exactly are these teachings?”

“It’s simple. Believe in God, exercise power on behalf of His will, and bring peace to the world.”

“And how do you know God’s will?”

“Through me.”

“You?”

“Only I can hear God’s voice in this world. He tries to convey His will through me. In other words, I am His spokesman.”

Johan stated with no change in his facial expression.

Zeon asked.

“So, your will is God’s will?”

“In a way.”

“Was coming here also God’s will?”

“That’s right. Now, only your decision remains. What will you do?”

“I don’t believe in God.”

For a moment, Zeon noticed a slight crack in Johan’s expression.

He said it sarcastically, but the meaning behind it was simple.

Zeon didn’t want Johan to enter Sinchon.

If Johan acted in Sinchon, the streets would become noisy.

As the newly appointed ruler of Sinchon, Ethan couldn’t stop Johan.

Johan tried to persuade him.

“Is that so? It’s a shame! But I understand. Everyone has different thoughts.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“But won’t you regret it?”

“I don’t think I’ll regret it.”

“You’ll see. Anyway, it was nice meeting you.”

Johan didn’t try to persuade Zeon.

He had lived as the ruler of Dongdaemun for decades and had met countless people.

Naturally, he had an excellent eye for people.

Although they only exchanged a few words, it was enough for him to discern what kind of person Zeon was.

Zeon wasn’t a person whom he could persuade.

Rather than wasting time trying to convince him, it would be better to find another way.

Johan’s gaze shifted to Brielle behind Zeon.

“Is she your daughter?”

“Sort of.”

“What a pretty child. I hope she grows up beautifully just as she is now.”

With that, Johan disappeared from Sinchon.

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