Chapter 56
The journey went smoothly.
Zeon avoided the habitats of magical beasts with uncanny precision.
At times, it seemed like he was taking long detours, but when they looked back later, they would realize that the path Zeon had taken was actually the shortest route.
Those moments sent chills down their spines.
When the sun set and evening came, Zeon would find the most suitable terrain and prepare a place to rest.
They ate dried meat that Zeon had stored, and for water, they wrung out dew collected overnight on cloth or clothing spread out in the open.
By traveling with Zeon like this, the two gradually learned how to survive in the desert.
Mandy felt a sense of awe toward him.
‘He really understands the desert.’
Of course, there were many people in Neo Seoul who were knowledgeable about the desert. But their range of activity was limited to areas near Neo Seoul.
Beyond that, survival couldn’t be guaranteed.
But Zeon was different.
Even in places he was clearly visiting for the first time, he could instantly identify where magical beasts lived and what kind they were.
He was the perfect guide.
Only then did Mandy understand why Zeon traveled the desert alone.
With abilities like his, there was no need to bother moving around with others.
The more people there were, the easier it was to be detected by magical beasts.
With Zeon, that wasn’t a concern.
It was as if he was moving along the boundaries of the beasts’ territories.
Still, following him wasn’t easy.
The sand, which swallowed their feet up to the ankles, drained their stamina, and the blazing sun overhead sucked the moisture from their bodies.
Especially for Kim Sang-sik, an ordinary person, the suffering was incomparable to Mandy’s.
Even with Zeon accommodating them, he had reached his limit and was gasping for breath.
His lips were cracked and peeling, and his eyes had long lost their focus.
Even riding a Bactrian camel didn’t help.
For an ordinary person with no abilities, the desert was simply too harsh an environment to survive in.
Mandy glanced at Kim Sang-sik.
“Ha… ha…”
He swayed weakly atop the camel like a puppet with its strings cut.
It was unfortunate, but there was nothing more she could do for him.
At that moment—
Zeon, who had been walking at the front, suddenly stopped and examined the sand beneath his feet.
Mandy carefully asked,
“What is it?”
“From here on, we need to be cautious.”
“Huh?”
“This is the kind of sand that sandworms prefer. They like sand that’s soft and fine-grained like this.”
The finer the sand, the more even the smallest vibrations were amplified.
It was the perfect terrain for creatures like sandworms, which detect surface vibrations to hunt.
Mandy asked with a puzzled expression,
“There are different types of sand?”
“Yes.”
“You can tell them apart?”
“You can, if you survive long enough in the desert.”
“Seriously…”
Mandy shook her head.
If just anyone could do that, the desert would have already been conquered by humans. The fact that it hadn’t meant it still belonged to magical beasts.
Only Zeon could do such a thing.
Now Mandy understood that clearly.
“We’ll move along the outer edge of the sandworms’ territory. The chances of being detected are low, but still, be careful not to make noise.”
Zeon spoke as he started moving again.
If he had been alone, there would have been no need to be this cautious.
The desert was his domain, and sandworms were no match for him.
But since he was traveling with Mandy and Kim Sang-sik, he had to be careful.
One thing Zeon had realized while wandering the world for seven years was that most people harbored jealousy and envy.
They wanted to tear down anyone better than them and, if possible, drag them down to their own level.
He wasn’t afraid of such people—but dealing with the resulting trouble was something he absolutely despised.
It was while Zeon was walking along the outskirts of the sandworms’ territory—
“Hm?”
Something unusual entered his field of vision.
In the distance, something half-buried in the sand could be seen.
“What is it?”
Mandy asked, puzzled.
“It looks like a body… but…”
“A body?”
She followed Zeon’s gaze.
After focusing for a while, she was finally able to make out what he was seeing.
“That’s definitely the uniform of Team 7.”
Mandy frowned.
It was too far away and partially buried in sand to tell who it was.
Zeon said,
“Let’s go closer and check.”
“Okay.”
Mandy nodded and followed behind him.
Behind her, the Bactrian camel carrying Kim Sang-sik followed along.
After walking for nearly twenty minutes, the three finally reached the fallen figure.
Only then could they clearly see the person’s face.
Mandy’s eyes widened.
“Anika?”
It was unmistakably Anika, the only woman in Team 7.
At that moment, Anika suddenly snapped her eyes open.
“Hehe! Got you.”
She sprang to her feet as if she had never been lying there.
Mandy stared in shock.
“What the—?”
“What do you mean what? You walked right into our trap. Hehe!”
Anika stepped back with a laugh.
At that moment, people who had been hiding in the surrounding sand sprang out.
Zahar, Felix, Darren, Seido—the entire Team 7 had been lying in wait.
They surrounded Zeon’s group.
Zahar looked at Mandy and said—
“You’re surprisingly still alive.”
“Team Leader Zahar… what is the meaning of this?”
“What do you mean? Judging by your complexion, it looks like you’ve been eating and drinking well. We’re just asking to share. As you can see, we haven’t eaten properly for days.”
Team 7 looked like a mess.
Their faces were gaunt, their skin dry and peeling.
They had managed to escape the shelter, but it was clear they hadn’t been able to find food and had been starving.
They had rationed their emergency supplies, but those had run out two days ago.
Since then, they had been going hungry.
Then, Mandy and Kim Sang-sik—alive and relatively well—entered their sight. Unlike them, Mandy still had color in her face.
It was obvious they had food.
Zahar looked at Zeon.
“You’re the one carrying the food and water, aren’t you?”
With Mandy and Kim Sang-sik’s abilities, there was no way they could survive in the desert on their own.
That left Zeon as the only variable.
“Abandon them and come over to our side. It’ll be better for you.”
Though he spoke politely, his eyes were vicious.
They had been starving for two days already—nothing else mattered anymore.
If it meant obtaining food and water, they would even kill their own parents.
“If you give us food and water, you’ll be richly rewarded in Neo Seoul.”
Zahar’s gaze resembled that of a poisonous, cornered beast.
The same went for the rest of his team.
They had even cast aside their pride and hidden in the sand to lure Zeon’s group.
Zeon let out a faint chuckle.
“If I give you food and water, will you really let us live?”
“Of course. We’ll escort you safely to Neo Seoul.”
“I don’t believe that at all.”
“You don’t have a choice anyway. Taking our hand is the only way you have even a slight chance of survival.”
As Zahar spoke, Felix and Darren quietly moved behind Zeon’s group.
They were ready to use their skills at any moment.
At that moment, Mandy stepped forward.
“Do we really have to do this? Aren’t we all on the same side?”
“Same side? I’ve never once thought of anyone outside my team as family.”
“So that means you don’t intend to accept him into your team either, right?”
Mandy’s words made Zahar’s expression stiffen.
He had fallen into her trap.
The moment he realized persuasion was no longer an option, he gave the order.
“Kill them all.”
“Kill them!”
“Haaah!”
Darren and Seido, both martial-type Awakeners, charged first, while Felix and Anika supported from the rear.
Darren’s mechanical arm and Seido’s sword struck at Zeon, while Felix’s curses and Anika’s magic poured toward Mandy.
“As if I’d just take that!”
Mandy, now completely provoked, unleashed the skill she had kept hidden all this time.
Her body split into five in an instant.
It was Mirror Image, an illusion spell.
Thud!
Felix’s curses and Anika’s magic struck Mandy’s illusions.
Meanwhile, the real Mandy moved behind Anika.
“I didn’t like you from the start.”
She tried to cast magic at the defenseless Anika—but Zahar moved faster.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Thud!
His strike landed squarely on Mandy.
“Aaah!”
She was sent flying with a scream.
True to his position as team leader, Zahar’s attack was powerful.
Mandy collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood. Seeing her like that, Anika’s killing intent flared.
“Damn it, I almost died, you bitch!”
She spat out curses without restraint.
Zahar left Mandy to Anika and turned his attention to Zeon.
Meanwhile, Darren and Seido were still attacking Zeon relentlessly.
But Zeon was narrowly dodging every single attack.
“He’s pretty skilled.”
Darren and Seido were among the most capable Pathfinders.
Their teamwork was especially flawless, leaving many in despair.
Darren overwhelmed with brute force, while Seido’s blade struck like lightning.
Together, they pressed Zeon perfectly, as if they shared a single mind.
Zeon, unable to counter, continued to evade—but his movements were strange.
It was as if someone was pulling him with invisible strings, letting him glide freely across the sand.
In contrast, Darren and Seido sank ankle-deep into the sand with every step.
Because of that, despite their overwhelming advantage, they couldn’t subdue Zeon and only wasted time.
‘He’s used to fighting on sand.’
Zahar clenched his lips.
If this dragged on, unpredictable variables could arise.
They needed to subdue Zeon before that.
“You bastard!”
Zahar joined the fight.
Boom!
His punch exploded through the air.
Naturally, his target was Zeon—but Zeon dodged it by a hair’s breadth.
As he continued attacking, Zahar spoke,
“The more you resist, the harder it’ll be for you. You’d better surrender.”
“And you’ll spare me if I do?”
Zeon replied with a smile.
Even under the combined assault of three opponents, he looked completely at ease.
That expression irritated Zahar.
“I’ll rip your limbs off and throw you to the beasts!”
“If you like beasts that much, I’ll call some for you.”
“What?”
BOOOOM!
At that moment, Zeon stomped the ground hard.
With a thunderous explosion, fine sand particles burst into the air.
A powerful vibration traveled far through the sand.
It wasn’t an ordinary stomp.
Using his control, Zeon sent the vibration over a vast distance—
And he shaped it into the exact frequency that sandworms loved most.
The effect was immediate.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
Sandworms from afar reacted to the vibration and rushed toward them.
Zahar and his team couldn’t sense it—but Zeon could clearly feel their approach.
“What kind of trick is this?!”
“Die!”
“You bastard—!”
Just as Zahar, Darren, and Seido attacked Zeon again—
BOOM!
Massive creatures burst through the sand behind Zeon.
They were sandworms.