Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 100

Zeon was a powerhouse in the desert.

In the desert, Zeon had nothing to fear.

Neither the monsters striding across the sands nor the mysterious creatures lurking underground could instill fear in him.

However, the mega city, experiencing it for the first time, brought an inexplicable fear to Zeon.

The massive walls surrounding Neo Seoul were walls of despair that he could never hope to overcome.

Beyond those walls lay a new world, but Zeon did not possess the qualification to pass through that gigantic gate.

So, Neo Seoul felt like an illusion to him.

The fact that he was within Neo Seoul didn’t feel like reality.

It was like the feeling just before waking up from a dream. But Zeon quickly regained his composure.

‘I’ve become sentimental too.’

Zeon chuckled as he moved on.

Neo Seoul, seen firsthand, was enormous.

It was much larger and more splendid than he had vaguely imagined from the outside.

The streets stretched out like a checkerboard, with tall buildings packed tightly into each block.

Various vehicles of different sizes traveled the streets, and colorful signs and dazzling billboards cluttered the view.

For newcomers, it was the perfect environment to lose their way. But Zeon strode on without hesitation.

Thanks to Mandy and Kim Sang-sik, he had a grasp of Neo Seoul’s geography.

Neo Seoul was divided into five main districts.

There was the central district with the City Hall, and four districts divided into east, west, south, and north.

The central district with the City Hall was truly the heart of Neo Seoul.

All the streets in Neo Seoul led to this central district, and conversely, from the central district, roads branched out like spiderwebs to each district.

There were no clearly defined boundaries between each district.

People just implicitly recognized certain areas as the north district, south district, and so on.

Where Zeon was heading was the border area between the central district and the east district.

This area, densely populated with apartments, was where many ordinary people lived.

The apartments, both then and now , had the optimal conditions for the common people to live in.

Their structure allowed for the most number of people to be squeezed into limited land.

At first glance, they seemed no different from the buildings in the slums, but they were unparalleled in convenience, security, and comfort.

“So, this is it.”

Zeon walked towards one of the towering apartments.

“Hey, stop right there.”

But before reaching the main entrance, someone blocked his way.

It was a guard stationed at the apartment.

The guard was armed with a personal firearm.

While it might not be much against monsters or Awakeneds, it was enough to intimidate ordinary people.

Guards like him were stationed at each apartment or public place.

They strictly managed the comings and goings of visitors.

The guard scanned Zeon up and down and spoke.

“You’re a new face here. What’s your business?”

“I’ve come to meet someone.”

“Who?”

“Mandy Systain. She lives in this apartment.”

“Is there a prior appointment?”

“No.”

“Then you can’t enter.”

“Can’t you contact her inside?”

At Zeon’s words, the guard frowned and replied.

“Unless there’s a direct contact from inside, nobody gets in.”

“I’m her acquaintance. If you contact her, she’ll surely let me in.”

“Hmph! There are no exceptions.”

The guard snorted dismissively.

It was clear he was ignoring Zeon.

The power of the guards in the apartment was quite significant.

Since they were responsible for safety, if the guard didn’t permit it, nobody could enter.

Zeon looked perplexed.

He hadn’t expected to encounter obstacles right at the entrance of the apartment.

While overpowering the guard and entering was an option, it would attract attention.

“Tsk!”

Zeon clicked his tongue and glanced around.

It was at that moment.

Boom!

Suddenly, not far from the apartment, there was a loud explosion accompanied by flames shooting up.

Instantly, the guard’s expression changed drastically.

“Damn it! Again?”

“What do you mean? Again?”

“Don’t you know? It’s a district war.”

At Zeon’s inquiry, the guard snapped angrily.

“A district war? Are you saying there’s a war between districts?”

“Fuck! Are you asking that because you don’t know? It happens every day here.”

“Hmm!”

Zeon’s gaze sank deeper.

Honestly, Neo Seoul seen from the slums seemed quite peaceful.

It didn’t seem like there would be any disputes here.

However, this place was still where people lived.

Just like in the slums, there were conflicts among humans here too.

But conflicts were only permitted between the east, west, south, and north districts.

Any disturbances in the central district with the City Hall, the domain of the Awakeneds, were not tolerated.

If a problem arose in the central district, the Awakeneds directly under the City Hall would intervene immediately.

If the problem was deemed serious, the execution unit directly under the Mayor would act.

When the execution unit moved, blood would flow in Neo Seoul.

No matter how powerful the rulers of each district were, they couldn’t ignore the execution unit.

The execution unit consisted of Awakeneds ranging from A-rank to S-rank, each possessing tremendous abilities.

Because of this, even the rulers of each district were wary of the execution unit.

Boom!

Once again, a massive explosion occurred.

The flames soaring into the sky dyed the sky of Neo Seoul crimson.

But this time, the explosion happened much closer than before.

The guard looked at the site of the explosion with a tense expression.

“Shit! If this continues, won’t we get involved in this mess too?”

Though they existed to fend off external threats, the guards had no ability to stop clashes among the Awakeneds.

Just then, another explosion occurred.

Bang!

“Argh!”

“Krgh! This crazy bastard… Run!”

Desperate cries of people followed.

After a moment, the chaos subsided as if nothing had happened.

“Is it over…?”

The guard muttered under his breath, loosening his grip on the gun.

His entire body was now drenched in sweat.

That’s how tense he had been.

At that moment.

“Hey! What the hell, is this because of those bastards?”

Accompanied by grumbling, someone walked towards them.

Wiping blood from her head and shoulders, a woman approached, holding a large spear in her hand.

As she touched the handle of the spear, it folded and transformed into a baton.

She tucked the baton behind her waist and casually wiped the blood off her body with her hand.

“I feel so uncomfortable. I need to take a bath.”

She grumbled as she approached the entrance of the apartment where Zeon and the guard stood.

A smile crept onto Zeon’s lips.

“Long time no see.”

“Who? Huh! Why are you here?”

The woman widened her eyes in surprise as she looked at Zeon.

Zeon approached her.

“Mandy! No, Eloy?”

“Wow! Damn, it’s really you. I thought I was seeing things.”

“Eloy. As expected, you caused the fight just now.”

“Ah! It was a clash with those elf bastards. But more importantly, how did you get in here?”

“I came to meet you.”

“Really? Well, let’s go inside for now.”

Eloy led Zeon towards the entrance of the apartment.

Gulp!

The guard, witnessing this, swallowed nervously.

He couldn’t predict what consequences he might face if Eloy found out that he had blocked Zeon.

Even at a glance, Eloy looked formidable.

Her fierce gaze, aura of strength emanating from her entire body, and her blood-drenched body made her too intimidating for a mere guard to handle.

Just then, Zeon tapped the guard’s shoulder lightly.

“Relax. Nothing will happen.”

“What? Uh, yes!”

“Can I go in?”

“Of course.”

The guard answered loudly.

Zeon smiled and walked past him.

Eloy asked Zeon as they entered.

“What happened here?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh! Really?”

“Did you say you fought with the elves?”

“Hmph! Lately, these bastards have been causing trouble little by little.”

“Is it a problem in the north district?”

“I don’t know! Whether it’s the Ice Queen letting them loose or those beyond her control running rampant, lately, they’ve been causing more trouble.”

When elves were mentioned, Eloy’s eyes gleamed fiercely.

Her hatred towards elves remained as strong as ever.

Click!

“Here’s my home!”

She said as she opened the door to her house.

Eloy’s house was no different from Zeon’s.

The interior was simple with only essential furniture and appliances, giving it a stark atmosphere.

“It’s plain, isn’t it?”

In an instant, Eloy’s tone changed.

A different personality seemed to emerge from her just moments ago. But Zeon wasn’t surprised.

“Mandy?”

“Yes!”

“Sorry for dropping by unexpectedly.”

“No problem. But why did you come all the way here?”

“I have a request.”

Zeon’s polite words piqued Mandy’s interest.

From what she understood, Zeon was never the type of person to ask someone for something.

“What’s the request?”

“Find out about someone named Tajik for me.”

“Tajik? Is that a person’s name?”

“Yes!”

“Anything else?”

“At the moment, I only know the name.”

“Hmm!”

Mandy furrowed her brows.

With over twenty million people residing in Neo Seoul, finding someone named Tajik seemed nearly impossible.

Of course, for an ordinary person.

Mandy wasn’t an ordinary person.

Even in Neo Seoul, she was recognized for her abilities and worked as a supervisor.

If she set her mind to it, she could access the central district’s database.

But of course, it came with some risks.

After a moment of thought, she cautiously responded.

“Okay, I’ll look into it.”

“Really? Thank you.”

“I also owe you a favor.”

Without Zeon, she wouldn’t have survived in the desert.

Paying off this debt now felt rather comforting.

“How long will it take to gather information?”

“It shouldn’t take too long. If he’s an important or dangerous figure, there should be information available at the City Hall.”

“Is that so?”

“At the latest, I should have the information by tomorrow afternoon. Stay here until then.”

“I can’t impose on you that much. Is there a nearby place to stay?”

“There’s a fairly large hotel two blocks north. As long as you don’t go to the casino underground, it should be fine.”

“A casino? There’s one here?”

“It’s mainly frequented by humans looking to make a quick buck. They often end up losing everything. So, it’s best not to go in the first place.”

“Got it. I’ll stay at the hotel then. Contact me once you find out.”

“Sure.”

Zeon nodded slightly in gratitude to Mandy before stepping outside.

He headed towards the hotel Mandy had mentioned.

As he walked up two blocks north, a beautiful building made of reinforced glass came into view.

It was the hotel Mandy had mentioned.

Zeon entered the hotel.

The lobby was bustling with many people moving around.

It seemed that there were quite a few visitors due to the casino underground.

Just as Zeon was pushing through the crowd towards the front desk.

“Huh?”

Familiar figures caught Zeon’s eye as a group of Awakeneds walked towards him.

There was a middle-aged man carrying a massive claymore on his back, followed by a man with a cynical expression and a blue-haired woman, and a giant boasting an enormous stature.

Zeon recognized them at a glance.

‘What a small world.’

[TL/N: Thank you for reading until chapter 100 with me, look forward to 100 more!]