Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert - Chapter 357



Only Noblemtl

Episode 357

The driver, who had been concentrating solely on driving, stopped the bus and said:

“All the other cars have stopped. I guess I’ll rest here tonight.”

The bus driver still had no sight of Gaia.

Even though it was just a few meters in front of me.

Gaia also opened her eyes wide and waggled her tail, as if she was curious about the bus driver.

If the driver had taken just one more step, he would have entered the circle of reduced awareness. But he strictly kept to the line.

This is because I have heard from Kim Jin-su several times not to provoke Jeon.

Even if it wasn’t because of Kim Jin-soo, the driver had no intention of getting close to Jeon.

Because I know from long experience that excessive curiosity hastens one’s life.

He was a F-class Awakener, the lowest level.

As an F-class, you won’t be treated properly no matter where you go. You’re lucky if you don’t end up like a meat shield.

All you have to do is drive all the way to your destination.

There are few professions that suck this much honey from F-class Awakened users.

To keep this sweet job, you had to be very careful about what you did.

The bus driver who had said that went out first.

Only then did Zeon rise and speak to Gaia.

“Just stay alone for a moment. I’ll just eat and come back.”

-Beep!

“Yeah! It won’t take long.”

Zeon stroked Gaia’s head, feeling regretful.

Then I said to Brielle.

“I’ll stay with Gaia. You two can go out and come back.”

“What about food?”

“Hehehe! I got a lot of shit in the subspace.”

“Okay! Then Brielle stays on the bus.”

“huh!”

Zeon and Levin got off the bus, leaving Brielle and Gaia behind.

Levin chuckled as he stepped onto the sand.

“Is it really that good?”

“That’s right.”

“Would a person without whales live in sorrow?”

“Where can I kidnap a whale like Gaia?”

“Aww! That’s fine. I’m better suited to going out. With someone like Gaia, I’d have to stay home all the time.”

“I thought about it carefully. If Brielle hadn’t been here, I would have had a hard time raising Gaia.”

Gaia had a psychic connection with Zeon.

It is as if they are one with Zeon. However, the one who lives with Gaia is Brielle.

Gaia grew up to be a bright and cheerful whale, thanks to Brielle taking care of her like a friend and a younger sibling.

If Brielle hadn’t been there, Gaia’s personality would have been darker than it is now.

Thanks to that, I’ve become Brielle’s whale, but I don’t regret it at all.

Zeon and Levin went to where the people were gathered.

Kim Jin-su, the awakened ones, and the porters were gathered together preparing a meal.

Zeon looked around and said.

“Did you find a good place to camp?”

“Haha! After doing this for a few years, I’ve become quite good at finding campsites.”

Kim Jin-su whined and offered Jeon a seat next to him.

Jeon sat down next to Kim Jin-su without hesitation.

Kim Jin-su asked with a puzzled expression.

“Can’t you see the little girl?”

“I will eat inside.”

“Then should I bring you some food?”

“I have prepared everything you will eat. You don’t have to worry about it.”

“Is that so?”

Kim Jin-su was delighted.

When going on long distance expeditions like this, the things I worry about most are eating and sleeping.

It was extremely rare for armored buses to be mobilized like this.

Because armored buses were extremely valuable items even in Neo Seoul.

The armored bus was equipped with all sorts of amenities. However, it was easy for it to break down, and it was so expensive that it was not used very often unless there was a special occasion.

In fact, this was the first time that the first convoy led by Kim Jin-su mobilized an armored bus.

That was proof that Yoo Se-hee cared about Jeon.

Naturally, Kim Jin-su couldn’t ignore Jeon.

Among them, the one who was most concerned was Brielle.

In reality, she was a high elf, but most people, including Kim Jin-su, knew her as a human girl.

I was reluctant to have her join me because I knew how much of a headache it was when a little girl threw a tantrum over food.

But if she wanted to eat on her own, there was no reason to hesitate.

The food that the porters diligently prepared was preserved food prepared in advance. Like most preserved food, the preserved food prepared by the first convoy was not very tasty.

Actually, it has no taste at all.

Because it is designed to focus solely on filling your stomach and replenishing your energy.

There was no way a young girl would enjoy such food.

It was food that only those who had been through many hardships like Kim Jin-su and his subordinates could barely eat.

Zeon and Levin ate that food without saying a word.

Kim Jin-su nodded while watching her chewing thoroughly rather than forcing herself to eat.

‘They’re used to this kind of camping. I guess I don’t have to worry about it.’

Kim Jin-su ate his meal, distracted from Jeon and Levin.

While they were eating, night fell on the desert.

Kim Jin-su put down the bowl and spoke carefully.

“You said we had to go southwest for at least another week?”

“you’re right.”

“If you don’t mind, could you tell me what kind of monsters are usually inhabiting the direction we’re going? We’ve never been in that direction before.”

In the darkness, Kim Jin-su’s eyes were sparkling.

If we had been able to operate satellites and airplanes as we used to, we would have been able to identify the habitats of the demons and systematically classify them. However, after the world became this ruined, we couldn’t even think of launching an airplane, let alone a satellite.

Because of that, I had no choice but to find out the habitat of the demons by directly encountering them.

For those who frequently travel through the desert like a convoy, it was most important to identify the habitats of the demons in advance.

Because it is a matter directly related to life.

So, whenever I had time, whenever the opportunity permitted, I desperately tried to find out information about the habitats of the demons.

No one in Neo Seoul knows as much about the beasts that inhabit the desert as Zeon.

It may have been insignificant information to Xeon, but it was of utmost importance to Kim Jin-su, who had to risk his life to cross the desert.

That is why, despite my embarrassment, I ask Zeon for information about the demons.

Jeon didn’t hate Kim Jin-su like that.

He was not alone, but he was leading a group.

Anything was to be done for the survival of the group.

That was the job of the leader.

Zeon recalled his memories of when he passed by here.

After a while, information about the demon began to flow out of his mouth one by one.

“If you go southwest about seventy kilometers from here, you’ll find a pack of fire wolves. I think you know what the pack of fire wolves is like without me having to explain it to you.”

“Yes! I know the physiology of a pack of fire wolves and how to deal with them.”

“Okay. After the fire wolf, there will probably be a sandworm habitat.”

“Ah! Sandworms are a bit tricky… … .”

“I’ll take care of the sandworms.”

“thank you.”

Kim Jin-su was delighted.

Sandworm was a difficult beast to deal with for ordinary Awakened beings.

Because they move through the sand, they are difficult to detect and even harder to hit.

After that, Jeon told Kim Jin-su about the demons he would face in the future, and Kim Jin-su listened to him.

Kim Jin-soo’s subordinates also kept watch on the outskirts and listened to Jeon’s words. They knew very well how valuable this information was.

Jeon said to Kim Jin-su’s subordinates.

“There are no demons around here, so you don’t have to be so cautious.”

“Yes? But still… … .”

“I will let you know when the demons approach, so just rest comfortably while you eat.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Only then did Kim Jin-su’s subordinates let their guard down and gather around Jeon.

＊＊＊

The next day, Zeon and his party left the camp early in the morning.

Fortunately, the demons did not attack, so the people were able to sleep comfortably.

Thanks to that, everyone was in good condition.

Kim Jin-su’s subordinate in the buggy muttered.

“It’s so much fun hanging out with a sand wizard.”

“Very good?”

“Doesn’t it feel like you’re really sucking honey? I didn’t know you’d sleep so defenseless in the desert. I told you I slept soundly.”

“Yeah! I did that too.”

Kim Jin-su agreed with his words.

Camping didn’t feel uneasy at all just because Zeon, the sand wizard, was with us.

Whenever they went out on a convoy, they always had to spend the night feeling anxious.

I set up a night watch and installed all sorts of traps and alarm items. But I was still anxious and couldn’t sleep well.

That’s why they were prepared to lose sleep for several days when they went on a convoy. But they had no complaints. They were definitely paid for their hard work.

At that moment, the window of the armored bus running next to it opened, and Zeon stuck his head out.

Kim Jin-su also stuck his head out and shouted.

“Why are you doing that?”

“There’s a pack of flaming wolves a kilometer ahead. You’d better be prepared.”

“Thank you. Everyone, prepare for battle!”

Kim Jin-su immediately gave orders to his subordinates.

Although the Flame Wolf pack had not yet been seen, Kim Jin-su had no doubts.

After going about a kilometer further, a pack of flaming wolves appeared in the distance.

The pack of fire wolves also appeared to have spotted this side and were on alert.

“There appear to be at least three or four hundred of them.”

“Damn it! If they really try to rush in, they’re going to wreck a few cars.”

“Even if we have to abandon a few vehicles, we must make sure that the porters are safe.”

“Of course.”

The subordinate answered with burning determination.

If a car breaks down, you can fix it or buy a new one. But if a person dies, you can’t bring him back to life.

The porters accompanying the first convoy led by Kim Jin-su were all veterans.

I have a lot of experience not only in escorts but also in dungeons.

It wasn’t easy to find veteran porters like these in the slums.

I had to protect it somehow.

But the opponent was a pack of flame wolves numbering over a hundred.

It was never easy to completely protect the porters from them,

The porters driving the transport vehicles also could not hide their anxious expressions.

Even though the transport vehicle has as much protection as the armored bus, we know that it is impossible to completely block the attacks of that many packs of flaming wolves.

But now there was no way to run away.

If you leave the line to live alone, you are more likely to become a target of a pack of flame wolves.

The porters looked at the pack of flaming wolves ahead with solemn expressions.

That was when.

Squeak!

Suddenly, the door of the running armored bus opened.

Zeon came out through the open door and climbed onto the roof of the running armored bus.

Everyone looked surprised at Zeon’s sudden actions.

“Are you planning to fight directly?”

“Then I feel relieved.”

A look of relief appeared on the faces of the Awakened and the porters.

If Zeon himself had stepped forward, he wouldn’t have been afraid of a pack of flame wolves like that.

Zeon said to the armored bus driver.

“Don’t stop, keep moving forward.”

“all right.”

The bus driver nodded and continued moving forward.

The distance between us and the pack of flame wolves is rapidly closing.

If it were a normal pack of fire wolves, they would have attacked already. But for some reason, the fire wolves did not attack, but instead retreated slowly.

The Awakened and the porters looked puzzled at the behavior of the flame wolf that they had never seen before.

Even some fire wolves urinated with their tails between their legs.

“what?”

“Why those? No way?”

Kim Jin-su, who was staring intently at the flame wolves, soon realized what they were afraid of.

The flame wolves’ gazes were all fixed on Zeon.

The eyes of those looking at Zeon were filled with fear.

Krrrr!

Cool!

There were even some who fought among themselves in fear.

“Oh my god! The fire wolves are scared of humans? What on earth happened…?”