Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 13

“Argh!”

Zeon let out a groan.

There was a deep wound on his arm, the result of being bitten by the jaws of a Wolf Ant.

He hastily pulled his arm away, but it left a deep gash.

If his body wasn’t strengthened by eating the gallbladder and meat of the Sand Angler, his arm might have been torn off completely.

The wound was so deep that the bone was visible.

He had to act quickly.

Wasting time could lead to permanent disability. But there was no leisurely time for treatment.

Thud! Thud!

Zeon avoided the Wolf Ants’ fangs and fired the Sand Blaster.

Boom! Boom!

The heads of the Wolf Ants exploded.

The Sand Blaster was powerful, and the Wolf Ants were no match.

The problem was their sheer number.

No matter how many he killed, there seemed to be no end to them.

Even though he reduced their numbers, they somehow filled the gaps.

The onslaught of the Giant Horned Hyenas was formidable, but it couldn’t compare to the Wolf Ants.

The Wolf Ants relentlessly attacked Zeon without tiring.

Dodging with Sand Strides also had its limits.

Zeon was already surrounded by the Wolf Ants.

If he continued like this, he would undoubtedly become prey to the relentless assault of the Wolf Ants.

Zeon hurriedly checked his mana.

There wasn’t much mana left.

If he ran out of mana, there wouldn’t even be a chance to continue the adventure.

The only opportunity for the adventure was now.

‘I need something stronger and faster than the Sand Blaster. And it has to consume less mana. Think, think of a way…’

The key was imagination.

There was no leisure to think calmly in such a life-threatening situation, but he had to imagine. An advanced version of the Sand Blaster.

The Sand Blaster was a skill that shot sand at high pressure.

A technique that inflicted damage on enemies with the force of sand.

Suddenly, a question arose.

‘Is it necessary to compress the air?’

His ability was control over sand.

He could move sand without necessarily shooting it with air.

The most universal skill among Magic category Awakened was the Magic Missile.

‘If I apply that…’

There seemed to be a possibility.

No, even if the possibility was slim, he had to make it work.

His life was at stake.

Even if there was only a 1% chance, he had to take the risk.

Zeon used up all his remaining mana.

And he imagined.

Concentrating sand.

Swooooh!

Instantly, the sands around him rose into the air and coalesced into adult arm-sized clumps.

Dozens of Sand Missiles formed.

“Go!”

At Zeon’s command, dozens of Sand Missiles flew toward the Wolf Ants.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Boom!

Holes the size of adult arms pierced the bodies of the Wolf Ants.

Several Wolf Ants died with their fluids spilling out.

There were no Wolf Ants left standing in the area.

Zeon, with bloodshot eyes, looked around.

There were no Wolf Ants left in the vicinity.

They had all been swept away by the Sand Missiles.

“Ha… hah!”

Zeon laughed wearily and knelt down.

Pouring out all his mana had brought extreme exhaustion.

He had done everything he could.

There wasn’t even a flicker of strength left in his fingers.

That’s when it happened.

Ssssh!

The sound of sand trickling down rang out.

As Zeon looked up, a glint of despair flashed in his eyes.

“Oh, fuck!”

Digging through the sand, a Wolf Ant was revealing itself.

However, it was several times larger than the other Wolf Ants.

On its titanium-like shell, a faint reddish hue made it appear even more extraordinary.

At that moment, its identity became clear.

“Is… that the Queen?”

As all her subordinates perished, the Queen finally made her appearance.

Around the Queen, more Wolf Ants emerged.

They were the Soldier Wolf Ants.

It was twice the size of regular Wolf Ants, with jaw strength exceeding three times. Once caught in its jaws, there was no escape.

For every Queen Wolf Ant, there were twenty soldier ants.

Compared to the Wolf Ants Zeon had taken down, they were few in number, yet their threat level was several times higher.

The Queen Wolf Ant approached Zeon, flanked by her soldier ants.

Her mineral-like eyes bore a young rage, directed squarely at Zeon.

Her rage must have been immense for the Queen to break taboo and travel this far.

While the Queen Wolf Ant was only at a C-rank level, her danger level was at least B-rank or higher, considering her ability to trample countless Wolf Ants under her feet.

Kieeek!

The Queen let out a screech, and the Soldier Wolf Ants approached Zeon.

Despite the approach of the soldier ants, Dyoden didn’t make a move.

‘The old man is like a dog.’

That was the moment.

Quack!

One of the Soldier Wolf Ant bit Zeon on the waist.

Severe pain made his entire body stiff as a board. Yet his mind remained clear.

The Queen Ant began digging through the sand, followed by the soldier ants.

Even the Soldier Wolf Ant that had bitten Zeon also dug into the sand, dragging him along.

‘Ugh!’

Zeon’s distorted from the pressure of the sand pressing down on his entire body.

He had no idea how deep underground they were.

Suddenly, the pressure dissipated, revealing a massive cave.

They had entered the Wolf Ants’ stronghold, the anthill.

The anthill’s walls were made of sand, hardened by the saliva of the Wolf Ants, making them unyielding.

The anthill was more complex than a maze.

Even a human with an excellent sense of direction would get lost once inside the anthill.

The Queen and her soldier ants led Zeon deeper into the anthill.

They arrived at a place teeming with numerous larvae and eggs—the Queen’s nursery.

Bones of devoured prey lay scattered in the nursery.

Kakaka!

The Queen Wolf Ant stood in the center of the nursery, emitting eerie sounds. Immediately, Wolf Ant larvae emerged from various spots on the walls.

They were much smaller than regular Wolf Ants, and their shells were transparent.

Over hundreds of larvae crowded the walls and floor, advancing towards Zeon.

The Soldier Wolf Ant that had been biting Zeon finally opened its jaws.

Thud!

Zeon fell helplessly to the ground.

The paralyzing poison spread, rendering him unable to move a single finger.

The larvae looked at the helpless Zeon, moving their antennae eagerly. It seemed like they were rejoicing over their imminent meal.

Crunch! Crunch!

The larvae tore apart his robe and sank their teeth into Zeon’s body.

He couldn’t even scream and opened his eyes wide.

The realization that he was being eaten alive sent a moment of panic through his brain.

‘Aaaah!’

Zeon let out a silent roar.

The rank insignia on his wrist suddenly shimmered.

A deep orange glow emanated from the second line.

It was evidence he had advanced to E-rank.

In the face of impending death, he unknowingly unleashed his potential.

Upon reaching E-rank, the abnormal state was lifted.

The paralysis ceased, and his mana was fully restored.

At that moment, Zeon shouted.

“Die!”

A plethora of Sand Missiles flooded the anthill at his command.

Kieeek!

Amid the Queen Wolf Ant’s wail-like cry, Zeon disregarded her and unleashed the Sand Missiles.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Sand Missiles obliterated the larvae.

They burst and tore apart like snacks being crushed.

Seeing this, the Soldier Wolf Ants rushed forward.

“Yaaah!”

Zeon launched Sand Missiles at the soldier ants as well.

The Soldier Wolf Ants hit by the Sand Missiles began to die off.

The difference in abilities between F-rank and E-rank was enormous.

Just one rank advancement drastically amplified the power of the Sand Missiles.

The Soldier Wolf Ants’ legs were shattered, their heads exploded, rendering them helpless.

Now, only the Queen Wolf Ant remained in the nursery.

Zeon launched Sand Missiles at the Queen Wolf Ant.

Boom!

However, Zeon’s attack did not work on the Queen Wolf Ant.

Her shell strength surpassed even the Soldier Wolf Ants. Her titanium-like shell could neutralize attacks imbued with aura.

Moreover, it also had an aura barrier, hence Zeon’s attack had no effect.

Kkeeeik!

Enraged by the deaths of the larvae and soldier ants, the Queen Wolf Ant let out a high-frequency sound.

The high frequency sound waves hit the wall and were amplified.

“Ugh!”

Screaming, Zeon collapsed, blood streaming from his ears.

His eardrums ruptured, and his brain was concussed from the high-frequency.

The Queen Wolf Ant possessed a skill akin to that of a boss.

Attacking utilizing high-frequency sound waves was the Queen’s skill.

With bloodshot eyes, Zeon gazed at the approaching Queen Wolf Ant, her forms overlapping.

The Queen moved her antennae as if boasting her victory.

‘Yeah! You won. Fuck you!’

Zeon lifted his middle finger with difficulty.

The Queen Wolf Ant plunged her teeth, ready to strike.

Zeon shut his eyes, awaiting death.

That was the moment.

Swish!

Suddenly, a gust blew into the anthill. The Queen Wolf Ant’s head flew into the air, leaving her body intact.

It felt surreal—the body remaining while the head soared.

Zeon was completely covered in the bodily fluids that spewed out from the body of the Queen’s torso.

At that moment, a familiar voice sounded.

“Come to your senses, you idiot! How long are you going to stay dazed?”

The voice belonged to none other than Dyoden.

He had severed the Queen Wolf Ant’s head and rescued Zeon.

Dyoden glanced at the corpses of the larvae and Soldier Wolf Ants, and spoke.

“Still, you’re not entirely useless.”

Zeon had proven his worth through his own strength.

Although he appeared powerless in front of the Queen Wolf Ant, any other Awakened in his place would likely have been the same.

The Queen Wolf Ant was a high-level monster that even a high ranking Awakened would struggle against.

The crucial point was Zeon’s refusal to give up, ultimately advancing in rank.

In times of crisis, human nature emerged.

Some gave up at the slightest difficulty, while others persisted relentlessly.

Zeon belonged to the latter.

He deserved to live.

That was the moment.

Keeik!

Sounds of Wolf Ants’ wails echoed through the anthill.

It was the approaching Wolf Ants, aware of their Queen’s demise.

“Hehheh!”

Dyoden let out his characteristic rough laughter, his eyes gleaming with madness.

He spoke.

“Get up! How long will you sit there? Your enemies are still around. Do you plan to just sit and die?”

“Ugh!”

“Get up! Even if you’re going to die, die fighting.”

“Shit!”

Zeon gritted his teeth.

He didn’t want to appear foolish in front of Dyoden anymore, even if he did die.

‘You damn old bastard!’

He stood up, cursing Deioden in his heart.

Keeik!

The anthill filled with charging Wolf Ants.

“Argh!”

Zeon screamed, unleashing Sand Missiles.

There were no bystanders in the anthill.

Only Wolf Ants, monsters in human form, and a madman unleashing his skills, devoid of any reason.