Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 219

Jang Yong-beom frowned.

A sharp pain shot through his left shoulder where his arm had been severed.

Even though he had treated the wound with a healing potion, the pain hadn't completely disappeared.

More than anything, what troubled Jang Yong-beom was his sense of balance.

Humans are naturally accustomed to living with two arms. Suddenly losing one meant he had to adapt to an unfamiliar bodily condition, and that was easier said than done.

No matter how skilled an A-rank Awakened he was, it would take Jang Yong-beom a long time to adjust.

"Phew!"

After walking for a while, Jang Yong-beom let out a sigh.

Giselle, noticing his struggle, asked him.

"Are you okay, Captain?"

"As soon as we get back to Neo Seoul, I need to find a decent prosthetic arm."

"I know a good magic engineer. It might not be as optimized as a Mechanized Awakened's arm, but they'll be able to make you a prosthetic that won't inconvenience your daily life."

"That'll be enough. After all, I can still swing my claymore with just the right arm."

"If it's you, Captain, I'm sure you'll overcome this."

"Of course."

Jang Yong-beom grinned.

It was painful to have suddenly lost an arm that had been perfectly fine, but he could definitely find a replacement in the form of a mechanical prosthetic.

Moreover, he had been feeling something stirring deep inside his chest for some time now.

It was as if something was pecking with all its might from within, like a chick desperately trying to break out of its eggshell.

This peculiar sensation, which words couldn't fully describe, filled Jang Yong-beom with excitement.

Before he became an A-rank Awakened, Jang Yong-beom had experienced this feeling several times. Though it wasn't as intense as it was now.

It felt as though something was about to change.

The question was when.

The moment when the chick would break through its eggshell.

No one could predict when that moment would come.

It could be any moment, or it could be far in the future.

'If I fight another strong opponent, I might be able to break through...'

He wanted to fight against a powerful opponent like Gangkara.

Even if it meant the cost would be his own death.

'It's been a long time since I've felt this kind of thrill.'

A smile had already formed on his lips.

But he himsElf wasn't aware of it.

Jang Yong-beom's gaze turned to the back of Zeon.

As always, Zeon was leading the group from the front.

Facing the sandstorm head-on.

The sand split and flowed to either side in front of Zeon. Thanks to that, those following him were able to move forward without inhaling sand.

'No matter how many times I see it, that's a ridiculously overpowered ability. I never thought I'd be envious of someone else's power.'

With Zeon, it felt like they could survive in the desert for years.

No other Awakened in Neo Seoul could manage that.

'That guy is just as impressive.'

Next, his gaze shifted to Levin, who was floating in his ghostly form.

That ability, which made him completely impervious to physical attacks, seemed just as overpowered as Zeon's.

In fact, its utility seemed even greater than Zeon's ability.

If that ability became known to the powers that be in Neo Seoul, they would all scramble to recruit him.

With Levin's ghostly form, there would be no information they couldn't extract, and assassinations would be a breeze.

How could anyone stop Levin, who could infiltrate like a ghost, nullifying any defense?

No matter how powerful one was, they would die just the same if ambushed in their sleep.

'It's an ability perfectly suited for assassination. Plus, the kid who can use alchemy, and even a Supervisor of Neo Seoul follow him. This is practically a small-scale force in its own right.'

The important thing was that all of them followed Zeon blindly.

It seemed impossible to win them over.

'The world is so unfair. It took me years to gather my team, but this guy did it in less than a year.'

He was insanely jealous.

If he could only recruit Zeon, the others would follow like a string of beads. If that happened, Jang Yong-beom's party would instantly become the strongest in Neo Seoul.

The problem was that the chances of that happening were close to zero.

The Zeon he had observed was not someone who would stand above others, nor someone who would bow to anyone.

Forcing someone like that would only backfire.

The reason Jang Yong-beom had seen through Zeon's nature was that he was the same kind of person.

That's why he quickly abandoned the idea of recruiting Zeon.

It was when Jang Yong-beom had organized his thoughts to some extent.

"Aaaagh!"

A desperate scream echoed from somewhere.

"What was that?"

"Damn it!"

The Awakeneds, who were already on high alert, quickly assumed combat stances.

Levin spoke.

"I'll go first."

In his ghostly state, he could move faster than anyone else.

Levin flew at terrifying speed toward the source of the scream, with Zeon and the other Awakened following behind.

Naturally, Levin arrived at the scene first.

What he saw was Elves being slaughtered by Orcs.

The rangers who had fled to lure the Orcs away from the village had finally been caught.

The Elven rangers were excellent warriors.

They had killed quite a few Orcs, but in the end, they were overwhelmed by sheer numbers and were being picked off one by one.

Only two Elves remained.

Seina and Lafuna. But they, too, were severely injured and on the verge of collapse.

Without a second thought, Levin rushed toward them.

"Damn it!"

Crackle!

Levin, who had reached the Elves in an instant, unleashed his Purple Lightning.

"Kueeek!"

"Gruuukkk!"

The Orcs, electrocuted by the violet current, let out pig-like squeals as they collapsed.

"Are you alright?"

Levin hurriedly checked the condition of the two Elves.

But Seina and Lafuna were in bad shape.

Both had sustained mortal wounds beyond recovery.

"Please save our village."

"Please!"

Even in their dire state, they worried about their village.

While Levin hesitated for a moment, they both took their last breaths.

"Phew!"

Levin let out a heavy sigh as he stood up.

Whoosh!

A sharp, ear-piercing sound echoed through the air.

Sensing danger, Levin immediately turned ghostly.

Shooosh!

A large spear shot past him.

Levin felt his entire body break out in goosebumps.

Had he been a little slower to turn ghostly, he would have been impaled by that massive spear.

Levin looked in the direction the spear had come from.

Orc warriors were charging toward him.

The way they swarmed like a black tide over the desert was no ordinary sight.

Levin quickly retreated to where Zeon was and shouted.

"It's an Orc army!"

At that moment.

Whoosh!

Once again, a sharp, piercing sound filled the air.

Thud!

"Aaagh!"

An Awakened, unable to dodge the spear, was hit head-on.

The spear impaled the Awakened and flew a long way before embedding itself in a sand wall behind him.

It was truly a fearsome display of power.

The Awakened were all speechless in the face of the sudden carnage.

At that moment, Jang Yong-beom shouted.

"What are you doing, just standing there in a daze? You'll all die like this!"

"Ah!"

"Damn it!"

Only then did the Awakeneds snap out of it and ready themselves for battle.

Mourning the death of a fellow Awakened was a luxury they couldn't afford.

They had to figure out how to survive first.

Orcs were already closing in from all directions.

Seeing the Orcs charge like a swarm of ants, they bit their lips hard.

Jang Yong-beom spoke to Zeon.

"It seems we've run into the main force of the Great Chieftain's army."

"It appears so."

Zeon nodded as he looked at the Orcs.

The Orcs they had encountered so far had been outfitted with mismatched armor and weapons.

But the Orcs charging at them now were uniformly armed with heavy plate armor, spears, and large swords.

This meant they were elite.

Elites were rare among Orcs, so these must have been the Great Chieftain's direct subordinates.

"It doesn't seem like we'll be able to escape easily."

"It seems we'll have to kill them all to get out of here."

At that moment.

From atop a distant sand dune, a particularly large Orc appeared.

Jang Yong-beom's eyes shook for a moment.

'How can a mere Orc have such an aura... Is that the Great Chieftain?'

Even though he was hundreds of meters away, his skin prickled, and his heart ached as if it were being stabbed by needles.

That large Orc's presence was that overwhelming.

His aura was reaching them even from this distance.

Just as Jang Yong-beom had guessed, the large Orc was the Great Chieftain, Orca.

Orca's gaze was fixed on Zeon.

"I've found you, enemy of the Orcs!"

"We must kill him, Great Chieftain."

The Shaman also recognized Zeon and trembled.

Instinctively, he knew that Zeon was the one who had exterminated the Red Hammer and the Iron Orc tribe.

The tattoos on his body wriggled uncontrollably. It was a phenomenon that occurred when his tattoos sensed danger before he did.

Orca took a step forward and spoke.

"This one is mine. Handle the rest as you see fit."

"As you command."

The Shaman bowed his head.

He gave orders to the Orcs.

"Kill all the humans here. Bathe in their blood, and fill your bellies with their flesh."

The Shaman's voice carried a power that incited the Orcs' excitement and bloodlust.

His shout alone was enough to give the Orcs a buff.

"Uwooo!"

"Kill them!"

"Let's go!"

The frenzied Orcs charged at Zeon's group.

"Damn it! This place might just become our grave today."

"Shit! Even if I die, I'm taking at least ten Orcs with me to hell."

"Even in death, I won't become food for the Orcs."

Resolute, the Awakeneds charged at the Orcs.

Boom!

Slash!

A fierce battle erupted between the Orcs and humans.

The Awakeneds unleashed their skills one after another, fighting the Orcs head-on.

Jang Yong-beom, gripping his claymore, spoke to Zeon.

"No matter how many small fry we kill, it won't matter. We need to take down the leader. I'll handle the Great Chieftain."

"That's impossible."

"What?"

"Sorry, but with your power, you won't even be able to touch the Great Chieftain."

"Ugh!"

Jang Yong-beom's face twisted with displeasure.

But he couldn't refute it.

He could sense that he wasn't a match for the Great Chieftain.

Zeon looked at Orca and spoke.

"You handle the Orc next to him. He looks like some kind of shaman, and I have a bad feeling about him."

"Understood. I'll do that."

"But first, we need to clear a path."

Swoosh!

Zeon's body began to rise into the air.

The sand swirled, lifting him into the sky.

Zeon's figure ascended to a height of several tens of meters.

Only then were he and the Great Chieftain at eye level.

Orca, with his arms crossed, looked at Zeon.

His entire demeanor exuded the composure of a strong warrior.

Zeon didn't like that at all.

"How long can you keep that composure?"

There were too many Orcs between him and Orca.

He needed to clear them out first.

Snap!

"Sand Wave!"

Zeon snapped his fingers and murmured.

In an instant, the sand on the ground surged up and rushed toward the Great Chieftain like a wave.

The problem was that the wave was a staggering ten meters high and fifty meters wide.

Rumble!

The enormous wave swallowed everything in its path as it surged toward the Great Chieftain.

The sand wave possessed immense mass and destructive power.

No matter how tough the Orcs' bodies were, they couldn't withstand the sheer mass of the gigantic sand wave.

"Kurekk!"

"Aaagh!"

The Orcs' screams were buried in the sand wave.

It was a wave of death.