Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

“Ahh!”

Suddenly, a woman screamed and collapsed to the ground.

She was much larger in stature than the average woman.

She was the mother of three children and Urtian’s wife.

The woman was named Deborah, a Tamer.

The insignia on her wrist indicated that she was a C-rank Tamer.

Deborah, curled up like a shrimp, endured excruciating pain. Her head felt like it was splitting, and her body felt like it was tearing apart, leaving her barely able to breathe.

Urtian sat beside her.

“Are you alright?”

“Huff! Huff! I’m… okay now.”

“What happened?”

“The Griffins I tamed… they’re all dead.”

“That can’t be…”

Urtian looked incredulous.

Griffins were high-ranking flying type monsters.

They were so fierce and powerful that even high-ranking Tamers found it impossible to tame them.

Deborah had barely managed to tame them with the help of a powerful item known as the Collar of Subjugation, which allowed her to tame monsters of higher rank than herself.

However, the Collar of Subjugation linked the spirits of the monster and the Tamer, so if one of them was harmed, the other would suffer severe consequences.

This was the state Deborah was in now.

As the Griffins died, Deborah felt excruciating pain as if her entire body was being torn apart.

Urtian asked again.

“Are you sure the Griffins are dead?”

“Yes! Both of them are dead.”

“Did they get too close to the ground and get attacked?”

“I can’t say for sure. I ordered them to stay in the air.”

“Even so, they died? It seems the Pegasus Raid Force is more formidable than we thought.”

“It appears so.”

“Then the Twin-Headed Buffaloes must have scattered.”

“Most likely.”

Without the Griffins, it would have been impossible to gather the dispersed Twin-Headed Buffalo herds and drive them towards the Pegasus Raid Force.

Now that the Griffins were dead, the hard-gathered buffaloes would have scattered as well.

“An unexpected complication.”

“I’m sorry.”

Their original plan was to use the Twin-Headed Buffaloes to inflict significant damage on the Pegasus Raid Force. But with the Griffins dead, the plan likely didn’t achieve the desired impact.

Urtian kissed Deborah’s forehead and said.

“It’s alright. It’s a bit more troublesome now, but we’ll still achieve our goal.”

* * *

“Huff! Huff! We survived.”

“Fuck! Almost died there.”

The exhausted Awakeneds lay scattered on the ground, breathing heavily.

The area was filled with the corpses of Twin-Headed Buffaloes and fallen comrades. Most of the bodies were those of the buffaloes, but the number of dead Awakeneds was not insignificant.

At least fifty Awakeneds had lost their lives in the buffalo attack, many of them mercenaries.

The bigger problem was the vehicles.

Many had been damaged or completely destroyed by the buffalo assault.

Lee Ji-ryeong surveyed the battlefield with eyes full of rage.

In all his years leading the Pegasus Raid Force, this was the first time they had suffered such heavy losses before even entering a dungeon.

Lee Ji-ryeong approached Zeon, his gaze shifting to the sand stained with Griffin blood.

“The Griffins herded the Twin-Headed Buffaloes?”

“Yes.”

“That’s not natural.”

Lee Ji-ryeong’s eyes grew cold.

It was impossible for such a savage and barely rational monster to use other monsters in this way unless someone was controlling them.

“Someone must have tamed the Griffins?”

“That’s the most likely scenario for now.”

“Incredible. Even for a high-ranking Tamer, taming Griffins is no easy feat.”

“It’s possible with the right items.”

“Are such items common?”

“Not at all.”

In response to Zeon’s answer, Lee Ji-ryeong bit his lip until it bled.

“It must be scavengers. And a very elite group at that…”

The only ones who could control tamed monsters to attack a raid force were scavengers.

Scavengers who had survived long in the desert had many survival strategies unknown to city dwellers. But it was the first time Lee Ji-ryeong had encountered scavengers controlling tamed monsters.

Lee Ji-ryeong concluded that the group targeting them was very large and well-organized.

“It seems we’ve become the target of a considerable force. Arrogant bastards!”

Crackle!

White lightning crackled over Lee Ji-ryeong’s body, signaling his intense anger.

Zeon silently observed Lee Ji-ryeong’s fury when a voice urgently called out.

“Captain!”

Kelda hurriedly approached Lee Ji-ryeong.

“What’s the matter?”

“Two transport vehicles are missing.”

“What?”

“They seem to have slipped away in the chaos.”

“Those bastards…”

Lee Ji-ryeong’s eyes flashed with anger.

The desertion of members meant a lack of trust in the Pegasus Raid Force and its leader. This was a matter of prestige.

A leader whose prestige was compromised would face difficulties in recruiting new members.

“Should we send a pursuit team?”

“How many deserters?”

“It’s estimated to be about thirty.”

“Thirty of them? They must think very little of me… Assemble a pursuit team and bring them back.”

“Understood.”

Kelda answered and retreated.

She had already assembled the pursuit team.

Three buggies left the Pegasus Raid Force to chase the deserters.

Levin, watching the departure with Zeon, spoke up.

“So many deserters from the start.”

“It’s because they rarely encounter monsters near Neo Seoul, where they’re regularly hunted.”

“It’s a matter of experience.”

“Yes. If you hadn’t experienced dungeons, you’d be in shock from their attack too.”

“Come on, I’m not that inexperienced.”

Levin protested, though Zeon smiled knowingly.

Zeon’s gaze shifted to Lee Ji-ryeong, who was radiating a dark, angry aura.

It was understandable; even before reaching the dungeon, many had died, and others had deserted.

Most of the deceased were mercenary Awakeneds brought in to fill numbers, but it was still a blow.

‘I can only hope this doesn’t significantly impact the dungeon raid…’

Regardless, they wouldn’t be leaving today.

They needed to recover the bodies and repair the damaged vehicles.

The Awakened members of the Pegasus Raid Force shouted orders and moved busily.

Zeon turned his head to the sand dunes.

There lay the remains of the Griffins he had destroyed.

With a wave of his hand, the sand parted, revealing the grisly remains of the Griffins.

The state of the Griffins was terrible.

Feathers were stripped, flesh torn, leaving only bones and beaks. But among the bones was a shining stone—an Mana Stone from the B-rank monster.

These Mana Stones were highly coveted due to the mana they contained.

“This one is special.”

Zeon noted, examining the Griffin’s Mana Stone closely.

Occasionally, special Mana Stones appeared, with a different quality of mana.

Zeon held the Mana Stone up to the sunlight, and inside, a red energy shimmered, as if trying to escape.

“It’s imbued with a skill.”

From B-rank monsters and above, Mana Stones could sometimes contain skills.

The mana condensed within the Mana Stone could awaken latent potential, causing a skill to emerge.

These Mana Stones were extremely rare and highly sought after because they could enhance an Awakened’s abilities without much effort.

The downside was that the exact skill was unpredictable.

There was a risk of obtaining a skill that clashed with existing abilities, which was why Zeon had only absorbed one such Mana Stone before.

Fortunately, the Hyper Regeneration skill he gained did not interfere with his sand abilities and had excellent compatibility.

Brielle’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Is that a Mana Stone with a skill?”

“Huh?”

“Is it?”

“Yes, it is.”

Since it wasn’t something to hide anyway, Zeon admitted readily.

“Can I see it?”

“Sure.”

Zeon handed the Mana Stone to Brielle, who closed her eyes, holding it.

Zeon watched her quietly, knowing that, unlike him, Brielle, a High Elf, might be able to discern the skill within.

After a long moment, Brielle opened her eyes, and Zeon asked.

“Did you figure out what skill it has?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but I have a rough idea.”

“What kind of skill is it?”

“It seems related to the Griffin’s ability to instill fear.”

“The skill that controlled the Twin-Headed Buffalo?”

“Yes. But even if you absorb this Mana Stone, there’s no guarantee you’ll get the exact same skill. The Mana Stone’s skill stimulates and awakens potential, so the skill can vary.”

Even if two Awakeneds absorbed identical Mana Stones, the resulting skills could differ based on their existing abilities and growth potential.

Brielle cautiously suggested.

“I think it might be better to use it as an ingredient rather than directly absorbing it.”

“Really?”

“Yes! In alchemy, it could produce an effect related to its original skill.”

Zeon saw the earnestness in Brielle’s eyes.

He wasn’t so insensitive that he didn’t understand what that meant.

Zeon chuckled.

“Then you use it.”

“Can I?”

“It’s better for you to use it than someone else. Go ahead.”

“Thanks, Zeon! I’ll create something amazing. Just wait!”

“Sure.”

Brielle carefully tucked the Mana Stone into her cone-shaped hat, which had an enchantment for subspace storage.

Although it wasn’t as large as Levin’s backpack, it was sufficient to hold the tools she used.

“Heehee!”

Brielle, delighted, returned to the buggy.

Left alone, Zeon manipulated the sand to bury the Griffin’s remains deep underground.

If the Awakeneds knew there were Mana Stones in the Griffin, they might target him. Not that Zeon couldn’t handle it, but minimizing variables was always better.

Rumble!

The Griffins’ body descended like an elevator, buried tens of meters underground.

After erasing all traces, Zeon returned to the group with a casual demeanor.