Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 273

It had been two weeks since they began their journey on Archelon’s back.

Archelon’s pace had noticeably slowed.

Despite Pavilsa and Claire taking turns using their Cure Skills, they were no longer effective.

Kuhuhu!

Archelon’s breathing was labored, as if the exertion was too much for him.

Watching him closely, Pavilsa spoke to Zeon.

“I don’t think he can go any further today.”

“Let’s rest here for now. It would be better for Archelon to take an early break.”

Even though it was still too early for sunset, Archelon’s deteriorating condition left them with no choice.

“Sigh... It seems like Archelon’s condition is worsening faster than I expected. I’m starting to worry he might collapse before we reach our destination.”

“He’ll hold out.”

“Yes, he’s stronger-willed than anyone.”

“Yes. With enough rest, I’m sure he’ll be able to continue the journey tomorrow.”

“Your words are reassuring. I feel a little more at ease now. I feel really ashamed.”

“Don’t mind it.”

“I’m just thankful you’re here with us. Archelon must feel the same.”

Though Zeon was much younger, Pavilsa felt deeply grateful for his presence.

Even when he first met Zeon, he had sensed there was something extraordinary about him, but now, after eight years, Zeon had grown into an even more remarkable man than he had expected.

Someone reliable, someone you could trust and depend on…

Pavilsa was once again glad he had asked Zeon for help.

Zeon turned to Lee Jung-ho.

“We’ll rest here for the night.”

“Understood.”

Lee Jung-ho had no objections after seeing Archelon’s condition. In fact, there wasn’t much he could do other than follow Zeon’s lead.

It had been almost a month since they left Neo Seoul.

On the way, they had stopped by the Steel Fortress, and Lee Jung-ho had tried to memorize the terrain as they traveled. However, it didn’t take long for him to realize how futile that effort was.

The landscape was always the same.

An endless expanse of sand dunes, with no distinct landmarks to guide them.

Even navigating by the stars was impossible.

Most nights, the sky was veiled in a haze of sand, allowing only a few nights each year when the stars were visible.

Without knowledge of the constellations, Lee Jung-ho had no chance of finding his way by the stars.

Only now did he understand why Jin Geum-ho placed such high value on securing a Navigator.

Only a Navigator, or someone with similar abilities, could chart a course and traverse the desert.

In that regard, Zeon was the perfect guide.

He was better at finding the way than any Navigator, and he also possessed a power they lacked.

Zeon was truly unique.

Curiosity stirred within Lee Jung-ho.

How far had Zeon traveled in the past eight years?

With his abilities, Zeon must have ventured to places no one in Neo Seoul had ever seen.

Zeon was quietly preparing their meal.

He swiftly retrieved ingredients from the subspace and placed them into a large pot, cooking with practiced ease.

In no time, a large pot of stew was bubbling away.

Zeon served each of them a bowl of stew.

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Lee Jung-ho took his bowl and sat down.

“Tastes great!”

During their journey, Zeon had often cooked for them.

Most of the meals were simple dishes like stew, but they perfectly suited Lee Jung-ho’s taste.

The others also enjoyed Zeon’s cooking.

After serving the last of the stew, Zeon sat down to eat.

Slurp!

Zeon blew on the hot stew and carefully ate it.

Even though he had made it himself, the food tasted pretty good.

As Zeon ate, he glanced at Archelon.

Archelon had pulled his head and legs into his shell and was fast asleep. Despite it being hours before sunset, he was forced to rest due to his worsening condition.

Zeon asked Pavilsa.

“How much further do we have to go?”

“If the beast hasn’t moved its nest, we’ll reach it in about a week.”

“A week… It’s going to be close.”

“Sigh… We’ll just have to hope nothing goes wrong until then.”

Pavilsa sighed.

Archelon was everything to him.

He was more than just a companion or tamed beast—he was like a friend with whom his soul was bound.

If Archelon died, Pavilsa would lose the will to live.

As Pavilsa smiled bitterly and took another spoonful of stew, Zeon suddenly set his bowl down and stood up.

“What is it?”

“Just a moment.”

Zeon leaped toward a large sand dune in the distance.

“Let’s go.”

Sensing something was wrong, Lee Jung-ho quickly followed him.

They reached the top of the dune almost simultaneously, where they saw several figures fleeing in the distance.

“Awakeneds? Scavengers?”

Lee Jung-ho frowned.

The speed at which they were running was far from ordinary.

People running at speeds of dozens of meters per second couldn’t possibly be normal.

There were three of them, each fleeing in a different direction as fast as they could.

Zeon spoke.

“They’ve been watching us for some time now.”

“I’ll take the one in the middle.”

“Then I’ll go after the one on the left.”

“And the one on the right, we’ll have to let go.”

Lee Jung-ho’s displeasure was evident.

They couldn’t catch all three of them—their targets were too fast.

The two of them immediately set off in pursuit.

Zeon used his Sand Strides.

The sand pushed him forward, propelling him with great speed. But the one he was chasing was also fast, and it took some time before Zeon could close the gap.

Eventually, Zeon managed to catch up.

“Tch!”

Realizing he couldn’t shake off Zeon, the Awakened man turned to face him.

He was a middle-aged man wearing a cloak made from the hide of some unknown beast.

His hair was filthy, matted with grease and sand, as if it hadn’t been washed in ages. His teeth were blackened and rotten, making him look more pitiful than a beggar. Yet, his eyes glinted with venom.

“Damn it!”

He pulled a curved shamshir from his waist.

Shiiak!

The shamshir sliced through the air, hurtling toward Zeon with terrifying speed.

But just as the blade neared Zeon, the sand around him stirred and shot up toward the shamshir.

Dozens of sand vipers, resembling venomous snakes, rose up.

It was one of Zeon’s skills—Viper.

Boom!

With a single strike from the Vipers, the shamshir exploded like a bomb.

“Kuek!”

The Awakened man screamed as the weapon exploded, the force ripping his hand apart.

His hand looked like it had been shredded by a blade. That was the sheer power of Zeon’s Viper skill.

But the disaster for the Awakened man had only just begun.

There were still dozens of Vipers left, created by Zeon.

All at once, the Vipers struck the Awakened man.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“Aaagh!”

The man screamed in agony as he collapsed to the ground.

Zeon had incapacitated him in an instant. He knelt beside the man and spoke.

“The wounds aren’t fatal, so don’t overact.”

“You bastard…”

“Who sent you?”

“Screw this cursed life… I’m going to die here…”

In that moment, the man’s face began to turn pitch black.

His skin rotted away, revealing the muscles underneath, which quickly started to melt as well.

“Aaaargh!”

The man screamed in anguish as his body melted away.

Shocked by the unexpected sight, Zeon quickly retreated.

It was as if time had been sped up—his body decayed at an impossible rate, dissolving before Zeon’s eyes.

A foul stench filled the air, and Zeon grimaced, muttering to himself.

“A… curse?”

There was only one explanation that came to mind.

The man stopped screaming.

His vocal cords had disintegrated, rendering him silent.

Zeon noticed something—a small, black twig the size of a finger was embedded in the man’s still-beating heart.

The twig, along with the heart, rapidly decayed and disappeared.

If Zeon hadn’t been paying close attention, he wouldn’t have noticed it happening at all.

Zeon instinctively realized that the black twig was the medium for the curse.

The Awakened man’s body, now fully decayed, sank into the sand.

That was the end of him.

Zeon recalled the man’s final words.

“A cursed life, huh?”

The Awakened man had known exactly how his life would end.

No sane person would willingly accept such a curse.

“Is this the work of a Curse Mage?”

Zeon clicked his tongue.

Only a Curse Sorcerer could orchestrate something like this.

It had to be the same Curse Sorcerer who had injured Archelon.

Just then, Lee Jung-ho approached Zeon.

He, too, was empty-handed.

He looked at the spot where the other Awakened man had melted and spoke.

“Same thing happened. The one I was chasing melted away just like this.”

“It seems to be the work of a Curse Sorcerer.”

“There was a black twig in the heart of the one I was after. Must be the medium.”

“Yes. It looks like they’ve been following us, tracking Archelon.”

“Cunning bastard. Instead of revealing himself, he subdued these scavengers and used them as scouts.”

“He’s not going to be an easy opponent.”

The fact that the Curse Sorcerer had a Chimera like the Black Anemone but still didn’t show himself was proof of that.

Cautious types like him were hard to deal with because you never knew what they were scheming from the shadows.

Lee Jung-ho asked.

“Have you fought a Curse Sorcerer before?”

“Once, a long time ago.”

“How was it?”

“Even though they weren’t particularly high-ranked, they were difficult to deal with. Their methods are completely different from normal Awakeneds.”

A Curse Sorcerer never fights head-on.

They hide in the shadows, attacking indirectly through cursed mediums. Once you become their enemy, you can forget about ever sleeping peacefully again.

They’ll curse everything—your food, your drink, even the air you breathe.

Let your guard down for even a moment, and the curse will strike.

“This is going to be a tiresome battle.”

“Indeed.”

Lee Jung-ho nodded.

He, too, had fought Curse Sorcerers before.

Battles with them were always messy, like wading through a swamp, and they never ended cleanly.

Lee Jung-ho had survived thanks to the various items he wore that protected him from curses, but others he had known weren’t so lucky. Many had died, plagued by the aftereffects of the curse.

Fighting a Curse Sorcerer wasn’t something to be feared, but it was always unpleasant.

“Let’s head back. Who knows what they might have done while we were gone.”

“Yes.”

The two quickly returned to Archelon.

Fortunately, nothing had happened to Archelon or their companions in their absence.

Pavilsa asked the two as they returned.

“Is everyone alright?”

“We’re fine.”

“That’s a relief.”

“But… it seems a Curse Sorcerer is following us.”

“……”

At Zeon’s words, Pavilsa’s face went pale.

Having already been targeted by the Curse Sorcerer once, the fear was deeply etched into his bones.

“Grandpa.”

Kailey quickly took Pavilsa’s hand.

The warmth of her touch helped Pavilsa regain his composure.

“Forgive me. I didn’t mean to show such weakness.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for.”

Zeon shook his head and looked out at the desert.

By now, the desert had been enveloped in a thick darkness.

Somewhere beyond that darkness, the Curse Sorcerer was watching them.

They needed to drag that Curse Sorcerer out from its hiding place.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]