Chapter 211
On top of a massive sand dune, about a dozen figures lay prone, wearing camouflage robes that blended perfectly with the color of the sand.
From where they were, they had a clear view of Zeon clashing with the orcs.
The eyes of those in camouflage robes trembled.
“What… was that?”
“What did I just see?”
They lifted their heads, their faces filled with disbelief.
They had arrived here just five minutes ago—
right before Zeon engaged the orcs.
At first, they had mocked him.
Watching him walk alone toward a horde of orcs, they thought it was reckless bravado.
A man desperate to die… or a naïve fool who didn’t understand how terrifying orcs were.
They had expected Zeon to be torn apart instantly by the orc riders.
Just like many elves and dwarves before him.
But what they had imagined never happened.
A sandstorm suddenly rose, swallowed the orcs, and ground them to nothing in an instant.
It was something they had never seen before.
They had never even imagined such a thing was possible.
At first, they thought it was a natural phenomenon.
Occasionally, storms in the desert were so violent that they could sweep everything away in moments.
But even those could not grind living beings down without leaving a trace.
At least, not according to their understanding.
And yet, that impossible thing had just happened before their eyes.
No one needed to tell them.
They instinctively knew—
the one who had summoned the sandstorm that annihilated the orcs was the man who had stepped forward so fearlessly.
That… was done by a human?
What kind of awakened skill could do that?
Fear filled their eyes as they looked at Zeon.
If that skill could grind orcs into nothingness, it could just as easily erase them from existence as well.
Among those lying on the dune, a particularly slender one and a stout one quietly spoke.
“What should we do? Should we make contact?”
“With a human? The elders would never allow it.”
“Then… should we withdraw?”
“The orc riders are gone. Let’s retreat.”
The two signaled their companions with a hand gesture indicating withdrawal.
Those lying on the dune carefully began to move back.
From Zeon’s position, this place was completely out of sight—but caution was still necessary.
They descended the dune quietly.
At the base, about a dozen two-humped camels were waiting.
They mounted the camels and immediately left the dune behind.
“Hyah!”
“Chaah!”
Kicking the camels’ sides, they urged them forward, and the animals sped across the desert.
At the front of the group, the rider guiding the lead camel muttered,
“To think there’s a human like that…”
The scene they had just witnessed remained vividly etched in their minds.
The more they thought about it, the more terrifying it became.
“To control sand… Could he be a sand mage…?”
“There’s no such thing as a sand mage. He must be using some other skill to create a similar effect.”
The stout one, riding beside him, replied bluntly.
“But we saw it with our own eyes.”
“Humans are deceitful by nature—skilled in trickery. That man must be the same. A sand mage? Ridiculous…”
The stout one strongly denied the idea, and the slender one could say no more.
After riding their camels for nearly half a day, they arrived at a place in the middle of the desert where there was absolutely nothing.
No landmarks. Nothing to serve as a guide.
This was their destination.
After confirming no one was around, the slender one stepped forward carefully.
“Unseen light, veil of illusion, unopened gate, reversing flow of water… O hidden truth concealed by deception, reveal your true form to me.”
At that moment, a blue light burst forth.
Lines of light shot through the air, forming a magic circle.
When it was complete, a massive door appeared before them.
The group led their camels through the door.
As soon as they entered, the door closed, and the surroundings returned to normal—as if nothing had ever happened.
Once inside, they removed the hoods of their camouflage robes.
Their true forms were revealed.
Golden hair, pointed ears, sun-bronzed skin.
They were desert elves.
Only the stout one was different.
Short, stocky build, a protruding belly, and a thick beard reaching down to his chest—
he was a dwarf.
Like the elves, he was one of the otherworldly races that had crossed over from Kurayan to Earth.
The dwarf brushed dust off his shoulders and grumbled,
“Tch! Every time we go outside, we end up filthy. Shouldn’t scouting be left to you pointy-ears? Why drag me along too?”
“It’s the elders’ order—we have no choice. Stop complaining and let’s report what we saw.”
“Hmph! I was going to anyway. If we don’t report quickly and prepare countermeasures, our village could be in danger.”
Snorting, the dwarf began walking.
His face was full of dissatisfaction, but he still had to report what he had seen.
It was their duty.
Before them stood a massive village.
Its layout closely resembled the Steel Fortress.
Numerous houses lined the streets in neat rows.
But there were two key differences.
This place was not underground—it stood beneath the blazing desert sun.
And the inhabitants were not human.
Most were elves, with a few dwarves among them.
This was a village jointly built by desert elves and dwarves.
The dwarves had constructed it in the middle of the desert, and the elves had protected it with a powerful magical barrier.
The barrier contained illusion, concealment, and protection.
From the outside, one would see nothing but endless desert.
And if anyone approached, their senses would be distorted, causing them to wander aimlessly until they naturally moved away from the village.
Thanks to this, the village had remained hidden for a hundred years.
Unless subjected to an overwhelming external force, the barrier would not break.
Because of it, the elves and dwarves were able to preserve their purity.
The village was governed by the consensus of six elders—
four elves and two dwarves.
The two scouts headed toward the largest building, where the elders were gathered.
Inside were four elderly elves and two dwarves.
“We have returned.”
“Good. What happened to the orcs? Are they advancing in this direction?”
Before they could even finish greeting, an elderly female elf pressed them for answers.
The elf who had gone on reconnaissance answered calmly.
“Right now, it’s hard to judge since the orcs have halted their advance.”
“They stopped advancing? Why?”
“I don’t know the reason, but they’ve come to a stop about a hundred kilometers from here.”
“That’s a relief.”
The old elf wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a sigh of relief.
The magic circle protecting the village was not invincible.
It could deceive ordinary humans and magical beasts, but it couldn’t fool creatures with exceptionally sharp senses.
The orcs were exactly that kind of being.
Crude and aggressive, yet extremely sensitive—if something felt out of place, they would notice it immediately. That was why, when a great orc warlord was born and unified the orcs, an emergency was declared in the village.
If the orcs even happened to pass nearby, they might detect the village’s presence.
A small group of orcs would have posed no threat. But this was an army led by a great orc warlord.
If they attacked, the protective magic circle would shatter instantly, and every elf and dwarf in the village would be wiped out.
Because of that, they had sent out a scouting party to monitor the orcs’ movements.
“But…”
“What is it?”
“On the way back, I witnessed something strange.”
“Hmm?”
“Hundreds of orc riders moved in a hurry, so I followed them—and they were fighting a human Awakener. But that human was controlling sand at will.”
At that, the dwarf who had gone on the reconnaissance mission with him spoke up urgently.
“That human must have used some kind of trick. A sand-controlling Awakener? That’s impossible.”
“But he…”
“There has never been a sand sorcerer even in Kurayan. There’s no way a mere human could possess the authority to control sand.”
The dwarf who had returned from the mission reacted fiercely to the elf’s claim.
The elders furrowed their brows and listened carefully.
After a moment, they spoke.
“So you’re saying the orc riders were completely annihilated by that human?”
“Yes.”
“A human that strong…”
The elders exchanged glances with cautious expressions.
The six of them had ruled this village for a long time.
To them, humans were not to be trusted.
“What is the probability that humans will come here?”
“At the moment, nothing can be guaranteed.”
The elf who had gone scouting answered carefully.
“Seina! This is disappointing. Your duty is to identify all threats to the village.”
The old elf looked at her with a disappointed expression.
The elf’s name was Seina.
At that moment, the dwarf who had gone with her spoke.
“It’s certain that those humans are quite strong. So why not make use of them?”
“Deloru! Do you have something in mind?”
“We lure the humans to where the orc horde is.”
“You mean make them fight each other?”
“Exactly. They’ll fight among themselves and destroy each other, and our village will remain safe.”
“That’s a good idea.”
The elders’ eyes gleamed sharply.
They lowered their voices so Seina and Deloru could not hear and exchanged opinions.
Watching them, Seina bit her lip.
‘No! Even if they’re humans, we shouldn’t use them like that…’
But she couldn’t bring herself to speak her thoughts.
In this place, the elders’ authority was absolute.
The village had survived because of them, so defying them was unthinkable.
At last, the elders made their decision.
“Very well. The two of you will handle this matter.”
“Leave it to us.”
“But remember—no matter what happens, the village must not suffer any harm.”
“Of course. I’ll make sure nothing affects the village.”
Deloru pounded his chest confidently as he spoke.
The elders looked at him with satisfaction.
“We’re counting on you.”
***
When the sun sets, the scorching sand cools rapidly, and the temperature drops to unbelievable levels.
If you wore only light clothing because of the daytime heat, you could easily freeze to death at night. Many had died that way.
But it didn’t matter to Zeon’s group.
Zeon moved the sand and dug a pit large enough for four people.
Once they entered, he manipulated the sand again to seal the top.
In an instant, he created a sturdy shelter.
“No matter how I look at it, that’s just cheating.”
Eloi shook her head.
She recalled the sight of Zeon grinding countless orc riders to dust with a sandstorm.
Even remembering it made her arms break out in goosebumps.
She still couldn’t forget that scene.
It was hard to believe it was something a human could do.
‘Is there even anyone in the desert who could stand against him?’
Eloi didn’t think so.
She couldn’t imagine Zeon ever kneeling before anyone in the desert.
‘What if he harbors ill intentions toward Neo Seoul?’
Shiver!
Just imagining it made her tremble.
Without realizing it, Eloi hugged the mad nine-tailed fox tightly and looked at Zeon.
‘All I can do is hope… that he never develops hostility toward Neo Seoul and humanity…’