Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 59

Just because there were two consciousnesses didn’t mean one’s field of vision was limited.

Although Eloy took the forefront, Mandy also shared the same field of vision. So she watched closely how Eloy was being brutally beaten by Zeon.

Eloy’s pain was also Mandy’s pain.

Naturally, she keenly felt the suffering Eloy was going through.

That’s why she couldn’t help but look at Zeon with a frightened expression.

Zeon spoke.

“Mandy, right?”

“Y-yes…”

“I think I understand the roles you two play now. You handle anything related to Neo Seoul, and Eloy takes care of the fighting, right?”

“Yes!”

“I won’t say anything about Eloy coming out just now. But whenever we negotiate or exchange information, Mandy must be the one to do it. Is that clear?”

“Clear… yes.”

“Okay! Let’s settle it that way from now on.”

“Is that it?”

“What?”

Zeon looked puzzled, and Mandy cautiously answered.

“Eloy… acted rudely.”

“Oh, that? It’s okay. It wasn’t that big of a deal.”

Zeon smirked as if to say, “What’s the problem?”

Eloy was undoubtedly strong.

If ranked as an Awakened, she would be at least B-rank or higher.

Especially the skill she displayed at the end was quite dangerous.

If it had been any other Awakened instead of Zeon, they would‘ve been seriously injured or even dead.

Eloy was that good at one-on-one combat.

But the problem was that Zeon was even more skilled in combat than her.

After parting ways with Dyoden, Zeon had been in numerous fights for seven years.

Most of them were battles against monsters, but there were also fights against humans, such as the local indigenous people and scavengers who targeted Zeon.

Zeon had won all those fights and survived.

He had accumulated experiences incomparable to Eloy.

Thanks to that, he could subdue Eloy without even using his sand powers.

Mandy expressed disbelief.

“Eloy is strong…”

“She’s strong. With a bit more experience, she could become dangerous… Oh! Drink this first.”

Zeon suddenly took out a small bottle from inside his robe and handed it to her.

“What is this?”

“It’s a kind of healing potion. If you drink it, minor injuries will heal quickly. Oh, and set your broken bones in place before drinking it. They might heal misaligned if you don’t.”

Mandy’s nose had been broken, struck by Zeon’s knee.

Only then did Mandy realize her condition, and put her nose back in place.

Crack!

As soon as the broken nose found its place, she breathed more comfortably.

Mandy took the mysterious healing potion Zeon gave her.

The moment she drank it, a strange refreshing feeling spread through her.

Heat rose in her previously broken nose and injured arms. It was a sign that the bones were mending.

Mandy looked at the empty bottle in astonishment.

“What is this? I’ve never heard of a healing potion like this.”

“It’s a mixture of some monster’s blood and herbs. Quite effective, isn’t it?”

“This goes beyond being just effective.”

Even in Neo Seoul, there was no healing potion with such efficacy. Taking Zeon’s healing potion into Neo Seoul would surely cause a commotion.

‘Who exactly is this man…’

She couldn’t understand him according to her common sense.

He could see through everything in the desert, and on top of that, he was eerily strong.

If such a person existed in Neo Seoul, she would have known. Her ignorance meant that Zeon didn’t grow up within Neo Seoul.

‘There was such a powerful individual outside Neo Seoul.’

Unconsciously, she rubbed her forearm. Goosebumps rose on her body.

Inside, a part of her was raging, Eloy was making a fuss. She wanted to fight again, believing she could win.

But Mandy knew.

Even if Eloy came out again and fought, she wouldn’t be an opponent for Zeon.

Mandy asked, “Is something bothering you?”

“Do you happen to know El Harun?”

“What is that?”

Mandy shook her head at the word she heard for the first time in her life.

“You don’t know? They say it’s a city built by the different species that came over from Kurayan.”

“What? Those bastards built a city?”

Eloy’s personality suddenly emerged.

Whether Zeon put on a stoic face or said something, she couldn’t help but express her anger.

“Did those bastards really build a city like Neo Seoul? Speak up.”

“I clearly asked to talk to Mandy, not Eloy. It seems you easily forget your lessons.”

“Ah, that… Fuck! Sorry. It’s just that, when I get pissed off, I don’t know what I’m saying…”

“Why are you pissed off? Your race must also exist in El Harun.”

“Do I look like the result of love? Those elf bastards assaulted our mother to give birth to me. So, does that sound pleasant to you? Tell me where it is. I’ll go in and kill them all right now.”

Eloy raged, ready to rush in if she found out where it was.

Zeon, looking at her like that, said.

“Since you’re no help at all, send Mandy out.”

“Hey!”

“If you really don’t want to die…”

“You bastard!”

Eloy left with curses, and Mandy appeared.

She apologized with a confused expression.

“Sorry. When she really gets angry, I can’t control her…”

“Never mind. Do you really not know about El Harun?”

“I… I really heard about it for the first time now.”

“Are there any different species inside Neo Seoul?”

“Any? There are quite a few of them.”

“Weren’t a lot of them killed in the massacre several decades ago?”

“How do you know about that? Yes! It is said that at that time, a lot of people died. But they quickly multiplied like cockroaches.”

Like Eloy, there was a strong hatred for different species in Mandy’s tone, especially towards elves.

“Do you think there might be someone among them who knows about El Harun?”

“Well… I’m not sure.”

Mandy hesitated at the end of her words.

At that moment, Kim Sangsik, who had been watching, cautiously spoke up.

“If it’s the Ice Queen, she might know.”

“Ice Queen?”

“It’s the nickname for the ruler of the northern territory.”

“Hmm?”

“She’s a pure elf.”

Zeon looked at Kim Sangsik with interest.

“So, the Ice Queen is a pure elf?”

“Yes! It is presumed that she is of pure elven blood.”

“Damn bitch.”

Mandy uttered an angry tone mixed with her voice.

Currently, Neo Seoul was divided into five major districts.

Jin Geumho, the mayor, dominated the center.

Naturally, he held the greatest power, overseeing overall Neo Seoul policies.

The person who had transformed the ruins of Seoul, destroyed by terraforming side effects, into a city harmonizing magic and civilization was none other than him.

He, a living monster, had performed the role of the mayor for over a century with overwhelming support from Neo Seoul citizens.

His power, as solid as the high walls surrounding Neo Seoul, was formidable. However, there were those who challenged his power.

They were the rulers of the four directions—East, West, South, and North—each reigning over their respective territories.

The ruler of the East, Sedun.

The ruler of the West, Kim Hyunsoo.

The ruler of the South, Xiao Ran.

Lastly, the ruler of the North, the Ice Queen.

The Ice Queen was an elf.

Because she rarely engaged in external activities, people in general were not even aware of her existence.

But she definitely existed.

From behind a thick curtain, she led the North District.

Most of the different species within Neo Seoul resided in the North, which was why there were so many.

The Ice Queen had thoroughly protected them.

“That bitch will never talk. She’s a selfish woman who only cares about her own kind.”

There was a time when Mandy had considered relying on the Ice Queen. However, due to being a half-elf, she hadn’t even seen her face.

It wasn’t the Ice Queen’s doing; it was one of her subordinates.

He had immense pride in being a pure elf. When he found out that the young Mandy who came to him was a half-elf, he humiliated her immensely.

Since that incident, Mandy trembled whenever she thought of the North District.

Even though the insult was from a subordinate, it was still a humiliation from the Ice Queen’s camp.

Afterward, Mandy never visited the North District again, and the mere mention of the Ice Queen made her tremble.

Zeon’s reaction was different from hers.

“Thank you. This is valuable information. It’s highly likely that she knows about El Harun.”

“I’m glad I could help.”

“But you understand the need for secrecy?”

“Of course.”

“Got it.”

Zeon nodded his head.

It was still a secret to be kept.

Although not known at the moment, people would eventually learn of the existence of a city named El Harun.

Perhaps the leaders of Neo Seoul already knew this fact. The only thing unknown was where exactly El Harun was.

The same applied to Zeon.

After Dyoden disappeared along with Haeltoon, Zeon roamed the world.

Among the places he visited was the Kamchatka Colony.

It was to find El Harun, which was presumed to be near the Kamchatka Colony.

Zeon was confident that he could easily find El Harun with his abilities. However, reality was different.

No matter how much he searched the vicinity, El Harun did not appear.

It was only then that Zeon realized that El Harun was perfectly hidden using some special method.

‘Perhaps hidden with a magic barrier or magic spells.’

The moment he realized this fact, Zeon gave up neatly searching for El Harun.

There were many places he wanted to visit.

He didn’t want to waste time pursuing El Harun in one place. After that, Zeon left the Kamchatka Colony and wandered the world.

‘Ice Queen. I will definitely have to meet you after I enter Neo Seoul.’

Although he didn’t get a definite answer, he had some clues, so he felt it was okay to return to Neo Seoul with peace of mind.

Zeon said, moving his steps.

“Let’s go now.”

“Yes!”

“Thank you.”

Mandy and Kim Sangsik followed Zeon.

Kim Sangsik was relieved that Zeon didn’t abandon him.

At that moment, Mandy approached him and whispered.

“If what happened here leaks out, Eloy will kill you for sure.”

“Eloy? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t seen anyone like that.”

“Keep that promise.”

“Don’t worry. I also value my life.”

“We’ll see.”

Mandy’s words sent a chill down Kim Sangsik’s spine.

Mandy had been hiding the fact that she had two personalities.

Also the fact that she was a half-elf.

If either of these secrets got out, she would be in serious trouble. She was using this as a threat.

Now, Kim Sangsik had to keep not only Zeon’s secret but also Mandy’s secret.

Fortunately, Kim Sangsik was someone who could keep his mouth shut in any situation.

He promised to keep the secrets and looked around.

The bodies of Annika and Felix were nowhere to be seen. They were probably already digested in the Sandworm’s stomach.

Thinking that he might end up like that too if he made a mistake, his spine shivered.

At that moment.

Swoosh!

Suddenly, the sand rose up and sandworms appeared.

The sandworms circled around Zeon, Mandy, and Kim Sangsik for a moment.

At that moment, Zeon subtly kicked the ground.

Thud!

A short but powerful vibration spread, reaching far and wide through the sand.

The sandworms chased the vibration created by Zeon and disappeared into the distance.

Kim Sangsik was astonished by the unbelievable sight.

‘What on earth is this man…’