Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Beyond the gate, they were met by a knight.

This knight wore full plate armor and a red cape, a stark contrast to the undead knights they had faced before.

He retained much of his noble appearance from his life.

Lee Ji-ryeong frowned at the knight’s regal demeanor.

This was not the image he had of the dungeon keeper.

Dungeon keepers were usually imagined as ragged and savage. But this knight was far from that.

The knight ignored Lee Ji-ryeong and only looked at the bed.

On the bed lay Cha Jin-cheol, whom the Grim Reaper had kidnapped.

“It’s the captain.”

“What are they planning to do to him?”

The West District Awakeneds shouted upon seeing Cha Jin-cheol. However, Lee Ji-ryeong extended a hand, stopping them from rushing to Cha Jin-cheol.

The knight remained undisturbed by the commotion, focusing solely on the rope around Cha Jin-cheol’s waist.

The Warden’s Rope.

It was the item Cha Jin-cheol had won from the White Bear Caravan auction.

The knight reached out and gently touched the Warden’s Rope.

‘Is there a story behind that item?’

Zeon frowned.

It was one of the items from the White Bear Caravan that had bothered Zeon the most.

Sometimes in life, you come across objects that feel inexplicably ominous and foreboding.

Such objects inevitably cause trouble later on.

To Zeon, the Warden’s Rope was such an item. He suspected Demian had spread poison in Neo Seoul.

However, it hadn’t posed an immediate threat, so he had simply kept an eye on it.

Then Lee Ji-ryeong spoke.

“Are you the dungeon keeper?”

He didn’t expect an answer.

Undead typically lost their reason and operated on instinct. But unexpectedly, the knight responded.

―My name is Gregoric Thelma Carion. A sinner, fallen to a dungeon keeper, for failing to protect the Great King.

“Gregoric? You understand our language?”

―My name is Gregoric Thelma Carion. A sinner, fallen to a dungeon keeper, for failing to protect the Great King.

Gregoric, as he introduced himself, repeated the same phrase like a parrot.

“Not rational, but just programmed to repeat those words?”

Lee Ji-ryeong frowned.

Fwoosh!

Suddenly, the Warden’s Rope in the knight’s hand emitted a powerful light.

“What’s happening?”

“M-my eyes…”

The unexpected brightness temporarily blinded the Awakeneds.

Before Zeon or Lee Ji-ryeong could react, the rope dissolved into light and disappeared.

‘What the…?’

‘Why did the item…?’

It was then.

Before they could think further, the knight drew his sword. Instantly, hundreds of knights were summoned around him.

Gregoric Thelma Carion.

One who swore loyalty to the King.

Even in death, he vowed to protect.

But he failed his King and fell to a dungeon keeper. He waited for his master’s return.

Srrrng!

Gregoric pointed his sword at the Awakeneds.

―Those who obstruct the return of the King will be slain.

A chilling voice echoed from behind his helmet.

“Return of the King? What nonsense is this?”

“Damn it! Take him down and save the captain.”

The West District Awakeneds, enraged, charged at the knights.

They had been forced to watch Cha Jin-cheol’s kidnapping helplessly. Their patience had reached its limit.

Lee Ji-ryeong’s attempts to stop them were in vain.

All they could think of was rescuing Cha Jin-cheol.

“Kill him!”

“Attack!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The West District Awakeneds launched a full assault.

This signaled the Pegasus Raid Force to join the battle, igniting a fierce fight.

Clang! Clang!

Weapons clashed, and magical attacks flew back and forth.

“Focus on the captain. He’s the boss.”

Bronson led his team in the assault on Gregoric.

Confidence filled Bronson’s face.

He hadn’t been much help in previous battles, but fighting a humanoid monster was his forte.

“Die!”

Bronson and the Awakeneds attacked Gregoric in unison.

Even a humanoid monster couldn’t withstand a coordinated attack.

Boom!

A barrage of skills and weapons rained down on Gregoric.

They gave it their all.

Bronson was confident this single attack would incapacitate Gregoric. But his smile quickly vanished.

Flash!

Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from Gregoric, nullifying all attacks.

A holy light enveloped Gregoric, a sight that was both breathtaking and unbelievable.

Lee Ji-ryeong muttered in disbelief.

“How can an undead use Holy Shield?”

Holy Shield.

A skill used by those who served gods, like paladins.

In Neo Seoul, the Dongdaemun paladins commonly used it.

Despite their fanatical tendencies, they served their gods.

This allowed them to use Holy Shield.

But the Holy Shield Gregoric cast was far stronger than any Dongdaemun paladin’s.

It was like comparing the sun to the moon.

Gregoric’s Holy Shield was a defense and offense combined into one skill.

Boom!

Holy light from the shield struck Bronson and the Awakeneds.

“Aaaah!”

“Ughh!”

With screams, the Awakeneds were flung backward.

Bronson rolled on the ground, bleeding, while the other attacking Awakeneds were severely injured and struggled to stay conscious.

Lee Ji-ryeong’s expression hardened.

“S-rank?”

He had hunted numerous monsters before, but this was his first encounter with an S-rank beast.

The overwhelming presence was on a different level, causing Lee Ji-ryeong’s shoulders to tremble.

Though he aspired to surpass A-rank and reach S-rank, the true presence of an S-rank left him breathless.

His gaze shifted to Zeon.

Unlike the rigid Lee Ji-ryeong, Zeon’s expression remained calm and unchanged.

This ignited Lee Ji-ryeong’s pride.

He had tried to ignore it, but now it was clear.

He held a competitive feeling towards Zeon.

It might even be an inferiority complex.

Zeon was the first person to evoke such feelings in him, adding to his frustration.

He didn’t want to show weakness, especially to Zeon.

“I’ll handle him alone.”

“Captain!”

“Clear out the rest while I deal with him.”

“Please be careful. If something happens to you, the Pegasus Raid Force will fall apart.”

“Trust me.”

“Haha! Who else would we trust if not you, Captain?”

Gesling raised his thumb.

Though he smiled, his eyes were steely.

He too sensed that this Knight Commander was unlike any monster they had ever faced.

“Yes! I, Lee Ji-ryeong, am a man who will one day stand atop Neo Seoul. This challenge is nothing.”

Lee Ji-ryeong charged at the Knight Commander.

Crackle!

Surrounded by lightning, he collided with the Knight Commander.

Boom!

The clash between the two giants generated a tremendous shockwave.

The shockwave also struck Zeon’s group.

Thanks to Zeon neutralizing most of the shockwave, Brielle was unharmed. But there was no time to relax.

The knights summoned by the commander attacked them.

“Where do you think you’re going, you restless spirits?”

“Hyah!”

Eloy and Levin fought back.

Levin had grown significantly during this dungeon raid.

He transformed into a ghost and unleashed his Purple Lightning.

Crackle!

While it had shattered numerous undead before, it was ineffective against the knights.

“These bastards are covered in enchanted gear.”

Levin gritted his teeth.

The armor the knights wore reduced the effectiveness of Purple Lightning.

This was a first for him.

On the flip side, the knights’ attacks also couldn’t harm him much.

Like the Grim Reaper, Levin’s ghostly form made him immune to physical attacks.

Realizing their attacks were futile, the knights imbued their swords with holy energy.

“Damn it! Isn’t it cheating for undead to use holy energy?”

This meant he couldn’t stay in ghost form safely.

Holy energy could affect even spiritual entities. Despite this, Levin stood his ground.

Eloy did the same.

“All of you, die!”

Swinging her Mad Gumiho, she rampaged like a madwoman.

The scene was chaotic.

Awakeneds and undead knights clashed fiercely, with Levin and Eloy going berserk.

In the midst of this chaos stood Zeon and Brielle.

Brielle looked up at Zeon.

While everyone else was losing themselves in the frenzy, Zeon alone remained calm, as if he existed in a different world.

Even the undead knights attacking the other Awakeneds instinctively sensed danger and avoided Zeon.

This made him stand out even more.

‘Zeon!’

Brielle grabbed Zeon’s sleeve.

She felt that if she didn’t hold onto him, he might drift away.

Zeon took her hand and smiled.

Seeing his smile, Brielle felt reassured.

Having comforted Brielle, Zeon turned his attention forward again.

His focus was on Cha Jin-cheol.

Cha Jin-cheol lay motionless, as if in a deep sleep.

‘Those who obstruct the return of the King will die?’

Zeon recalled the Knight Commander’s words and the scene from earlier.

The Warden’s Rope dissolving into light.

‘The Warden’s Rope was a catalyst for the King’s resurrection.’

Everything became clear.

He now understood why he had felt so uneasy about the Warden’s Rope.

It was clear the true master of this castle was trying to resurrect using Cha Jin-cheol.

Zeon began to walk towards Cha Jin-cheol. Alarmed, the undead knights moved to block his path.

“Move aside!”

Boom!

Zeon’s punch sent the knights flying, clearing the path to Cha Jin-cheol.

Zeon dashed forward.

More undead knights tried to intercept him, but by then, Zeon had already reached Cha Jin-cheol.

Zeon raised his fist over Cha Jin-cheol’s head.

“No!”

“You crazy bastard…”

The West District Awakeneds threw themselves in front of Zeon’s attack to block it.

Thud!

One of the Awakeneds took Zeon’s punch, causing Cha Jin-cheol to remain unharmed. At that moment, Cha Jin-cheol opened his eyes.