Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 120

Alexandro is a strong man.

He wasn’t just physically strong; he was a real man with a strong will and determination.

Even when he wasn’t awakened, he was strong.

After awakening, he naturally became even stronger.

With his powerful strength, he gathered followers and formed the White Bear Caravan.

All of this was for the survival of Yakutsk Colony.

Yakutsk lacked everything.

Except for where the colony was established, everything else was a desert, with an unusually large number of large monsters inhabiting it.

Instead of developing civilization like Neo Seoul, they had to worry about survival every day.

To the monsters, Yakutsk Colony must have felt like a warehouse full of delicious food.

There were plenty of humans gathered there, and humans were the monsters’ favorite meat.

So the attacks by the monsters continued incessantly.

Those who played an active role at that time were the White Bear Caravan led by Alexandro.

They fought against the monsters to protect Yakutsk Colony and attempted to make contact with outsiders.

By making contact with those who survived outside the colony, they increased their power and regularly hunted down the monsters.

Thanks to them, Yakutsk Colony could barely survive the threat of the monsters.

What he did next was to operate the caravan in earnest.

Although they barely survived the attacks by the monsters, they needed to make contact with and trade with other colonies for continued survival.

Alexandro and the White Bear Caravan risked their lives and set out to find other colonies.

Finding other colonies in a world transformed into a desert was harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

Above all, what tormented them was the monsters attacking them constantly.

At that time, there was no information at all.

They didn’t know the types of monsters, their habitats, or even their levels of danger.

Alexandro and the White Bear Caravan discovered all of that by colliding with them with all their might.

With tremendous effort, they were able to find another colony more than a thousand kilometers away and engage in trade.

From then on, Yakutsk Colony’s lifeline was secured.

The goods brought in from the outside at a high price made life in Yakutsk Colony a bit more comfortable. However, there was still no room for leisure.

They needed trade with other colonies.

Alexandro desperately set out to find another colony, and Neo Seoul appeared on his radar.

Rumors about Neo Seoul had been heard since before.

However, since many of them were extravagant stories like legends, he didn’t pay much attention to them.

Stories like how it had surpassed the civilization of before the great calamity or a mega-city with over ten million people.

In the harsh reality of Yakutsk Colony, it seemed like nothing more than a legend conjured up by someone’s imagination.

However, as he prepared to expand southward and collected information, he learned that Neo Seoul was in fact real.

After tremendous effort, he was able to reach Neo Seoul.

To the city he had simply thought of as a legend.

And he could meet face to face with the man who built the legendary city.

The first impression of seeing Jin Geum-ho, the mayor of Neo Seoul, was ‘intimidating.’

On the outside, his appearance was just that of a middle-aged man with a dignified air.

Neatly combed hair, stylishly grown beard, and clear, deep eyes, along with a well-fitted suit.

If the world hadn’t fallen apart, he would have been considered handsome enough to be a middle-aged model.

But Alexandro didn’t find him handsome at all.

Unknowingly, goosebumps rose along his arms.

It was the first time he had reacted to someone else’s strength to this extent.

‘So, he’s the one who built today’s Neo Seoul. Truly remarkable.’

Alexandro tried to conceal his turbulent emotions with a nonchalant expression.

Jin Geum-ho looked at Alexandro’s face with an expression of interest.

Even in his seemingly trivial gaze, Alexandro felt like his whole body was tensing up.

Suddenly, Jin Geum-ho smiled and opened his mouth.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jin Geum-ho.”

“I’m Alexandro Purchenko. It’s an honor to meet the Mayor of Neo Seoul.”

“It’s been years since an outsider came to visit, and I’m very pleased. So, you came from Yakutsk?”

“That’s correct.”

“Surprising. From what I know, Yakutsk is a very cold area, yet survivors managed to establish a colony there.”

“Do you know about Yakutsk?”

“I saw it on the internet before the world fell apart.”

“The internet?”

“Oh! You wouldn’t know. Back then, we used computers and satellites to share a lot of information. It was a golden age for humanity. Well, Neo Seoul has developed just as much now, but…”

Internet, computers, satellites—each of these unfamiliar words made Alexandro furrow his brows without even realizing it.

If he hadn’t known about Jin Geum-ho, he would have thought he was making fun of him with whatever he said.

‘A monster who has lived for at least a hundred and forty years since before the great calamity.’

From the pinnacle of human civilization to the moment of collapse, the great calamity, and the resurgence of Neo Seoul, he experienced and overcame it all firsthand.

It could truly be considered living history.

Words coming from such a person’s mouth couldn’t just be empty talk.

“What’s the situation in Yakutsk?”

“It’s the same as other colonies. We’re constantly plagued by the threat of monsters.”

“Is that so?”

“Compared to that, Neo Seoul seems peaceful. Surely it must have faced monster attacks, but it’s astonishing how such a civilization could be achieved.”

“Many sacrifices were made to get to this point. We never forget their sacrifices.”

“We feel the same way.”

“That’s how it should be. That’s the true spirit of those living in the era of destruction. Nowadays, there are many young people who don’t have that mentality, but you seem to have your head screwed on right.”

Jin Geum-ho smiled with satisfaction.

Alexandro cautiously brought up the matter.

“As you know, our colony is very harsh. That’s why, if you permit, I’d like to trade with Neo Seoul using goods from our colony.”

“Naturally, you have my permission.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. We need to help each other survive.”

“So, should I sell the goods through you, Mr. Mayor?”

“No need for that. You can trade at your discretion.”

“Does that mean our caravan can handle the trade on its own?”

“Of course. It’s been a while since we’ve had a visitor, so you deserve that kind of benefit.”

“Thank you.”

Alexandro was genuinely grateful.

Because of Jin Geum-ho’s willingness to give up the significant benefits and exclusive rights that could be obtained through trade with other colonies.

The cargo brought by the White Bear Caravan was filled with valuable items, ranging from the carcasses and tusks of the hunted monsters by the Awakeneds of Yakutsk Colony to weapons, armor crafted by artisans, and items obtained from dungeons.

It truly contained everything from the Yakutsk Colony.

That’s how much the White Bear Caravan had staked on this trade.

Therefore, Alexandro was prepared to offer substantial benefits to Jin Geum-ho, but unexpectedly, Jin Geum-ho made a statement forfeiting all those benefits.

Alexandro was curious about Jin Geum-ho’s intentions.

Jin Geum-ho looked at Alexandro and casually asked.

“By the way, I’m curious. How did you find Neo Seoul?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m genuinely curious. There are no satellites, no navigation systems. Even compasses don’t work in this damned world. So, how exactly did you pinpoint and find Neo Seoul accurately? I’m curious about that.”

“That….”

Alexandro’s pupils shook for a moment, and Jin Geum-ho stared at his face piercingly.

***

Alexandro’s back was soaked in sweat as he stepped out of the Mayor’s office.

“Master!”

“Are you okay?”

The Awakeneds waiting outside hurried to approach him.

Alexandro nodded his head.

“I’m fine, let’s go outside.”

“Yes!”

With the escort of the Awakeneds, Alexandro took the elevator.

As the elevator doors closed, Seo Tae-ran entered the Mayor’s office.

Jin Geum-ho sat in his chair, looking out through the window at Neo Seoul.

Seo Tae-ran stood silently beside him, waiting only for orders.

After a while, Alexandro and his group leaving the City Hall came into Jin Geum-ho’s view.

Perhaps sensing Jin Geum-ho’s gaze, Alexandro raised his head and looked straight at him. But that was only for a moment, and soon Alexandro and the Awakeneds disappeared from his sight.

Only then did Jin Geum-ho speak.

“Tae-ran!”

“Yes, Mayor.”

“Select a few of the kids from the Shadow Unit and monitor them.”

“Understood.”

“Surely, there’s a useful Guide among them. Find out who the guide is and what abilities they possess. To expand Neo Seoul’s territory, we need a Guide.”

“I’ll handle it. But?”

“Buy?”

“Why did you allow the White Bear Caravan to trade freely? Wouldn’t it be better for us to monopolize and control what’s sold in the market?”

At Seo Tae-ran’s words, Jin Geum-ho smiled subtly.

“If we do that, there shouldn’t be any significant disturbance. Neo Seoul will also remain peaceful.”

“Peaceful… You don’t want it?”

“After Dyoden left Neo Seoul, the current power structure reached a stalemate. It’s been too long. It’s time for a change.”

For a moment, Seo Tae-ran’s face lit up slightly.

She understood the meaning behind Jin Geum-ho’s words.

‘Finally, the Mayor is shaking things up.’

It wasn’t due to weakness that Jin Geum-ho was ignoring areas outside the Central District.

He had grand ambitions and had raced with all his might to achieve them. Therefore, he had no spare attention for other areas.

And taking advantage of that, the leaders of the four districts were able to build up their power.

Jin Geum-ho didn’t want their power to grow any stronger.

“Caravans from other colonies are tempting prey. There are many greedy individuals. Our job is just to lay the groundwork for them to frolic as they please. After that, they’ll sort things out on their own.”

That was how the world worked, and Jin Geum-ho understood that better than anyone else.

***

Zeon strolled through the Goblin Market.

“The White Bear Caravan came from the Yakutsk Colony, right? What kind of goods did they bring?”

“I don’t know what exactly, but it’s definitely valuable. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have come all this way.”

“I’m really looking forward to what items will be available on the market.”

The voices of merchants and customers chatting filled the air.

Every conversation was about the White Bear Caravan that had just arrived.

People were excited about the caravan’s arrival, especially the merchants of the Goblin Market, who had high expectations.

They anticipated that once unseen goods from the White Bear Caravan were put on the market, many people would come, and the market would thrive.

It meant they could enjoy special privileges.

The merchants’ main concern was how much of the White Bear Caravan’s goods they could secure.

“What are the trends in the South District?”

“Does the North District seem promising?”

“But the Central District managed by the Mayor has the highest likelihood, right?”

Listening to the merchants’ hopeful voices, Zeon moved on.

‘There’s an uproar over the caravan.’

After decades, the arrival of a caravan was undoubtedly valuable. But the excitement was overheating unnecessarily.

If the atmosphere continued to heat up like this, he couldn’t predict what might happen.

‘I guess I’ll have to stay home for a while.’

Lately, he had been inadvertently involved in various affairs, keeping him busy.

He wanted to avoid getting entangled in any more complicated matters.

Then, Zeon overheard a suspicious conversation.

“Twenty Explosion Scrolls, Neurotoxin extracted from Red Spine Scorpions, and ten Backpacks enchanted with spatial magic, check.”

“Isn’t ten backpacks too few? There should be at least thirty.”

“Do you think items enchanted with spatial magic are easy to come by? This was already a struggle to obtain. Remember, if we fail, we’re screwed.”

“Don’t worry. There’s no way we’ll fail. Once we succeed, we’ll be rich.”

“Let’s hope so. Dammit!”

It was a clandestine conversation between merchants of the Goblin Market and a group of men.

Zeon sighed.

‘The moths are here again.’