Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Brielle sat on the mountainside surrounding the Mana Stone Mine.

From there, she could see the entire city.

The voices of people staggering under the colorful lights reached her even from this distance.

People were enjoying the night as if there were no tomorrow.

The strong scent of desire wafting up to her made her feel dizzy.

She had gotten used to it by now, but when she was first kidnapped into the human world, she thought she would go mad.

“Ha!”

She sighed.

“You’re gonna make a hole in the ground, kiddo!”

Levin’s voice came from behind.

Brielle turned to see Levin catching his breath and straightening his back.

He had been running around the Mana Stone Mine searching for her.

“How did you find this place?”

“Why did you come?”

“Do you think I’d let you run off on your own?”

“I can take care of myself.”

“I know that.”

“Then why?”

“Because we’re family. Family looks out for each other.”

“Family?”

Brielle’s eyes wavered at the unexpected word.

She had never thought of it that way. For her, family only meant the High Elves.

“Living together, seeing each other every day, taking care of each other… If that’s not family, what is?”

“Fa… mily.”

The word resonated deeply.

Brielle closed her eyes and repeated the word several times.

Levin watched her silently.

A breeze blew by.

Brielle stood up with a refreshed look, as if she had gained some realization.

“I’m fine. Let’s go.”

“Huh?”

“I said let’s go.”

“O-okay!”

Brielle smiled and started walking.

‘There’s no need to make a choice right now. This is my home and these people are my family. I need to focus on the present.’

Brielle liked Zeon.

Initially, they were bound by a pact, but over time, she grew fond of him.

It wasn’t a romantic feeling.

She was attracted to the human charm Zeon possessed.

Even though they might part ways someday, that time wasn’t now.

She didn’t want to waste the present worrying about a future that hadn’t arrived.

The mountainside was steep and rugged.

She hadn’t realized how steep it was while climbing up, but descending made the incline quite evident.

Levin cautiously moved, mumbling.

“They mine Mana Stones in these mountains?”

“How does a lone mountain like this stand in the middle of the desert?”

“Weren’t there mountains like this where you lived?”

“Not at all! Everywhere you looked was just sand. Only a tiny portion was habitable for elves.”

“That must have been tough.”

“When I was there, I didn’t even think it was tough. Everyone had adapted to the sand. But I don’t think I could go back.”

“Why not?”

“I’ve grown used to the city. I can’t imagine living without electricity.”

“Pfft!”

Levin burst into laughter at Brielle’s unexpected answer.

“What?”

“No, I feel the same.”

“Right? How did we live without electricity? If I could, I’d teach my people how to extract electricity from Mana Stones.”

“Someday that might happen.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yeah! Once the hatred between us lessens, there’ll be exchanges. Then you can teach them how to make electricity from Mana Stones.”

“Wow! Levin, you sounded mature just now.”

“Of course, I’m more mature than you. Kiddo!”

Levin pretended to knock Brielle on the head. She ducked and stuck out her tongue.

‘I’m glad she seems better.’

Levin thought, smiling as he looked around.

At that moment, a man caught Levin’s eye.

The man was in his mid to late twenties, dressed in shabby clothes.

He looked like an ordinary miner.

He was wearing mining clothes and knee-high boots.

It wasn’t unusual.

This was the Mana Stone Mine, and it was natural for miners to be around.

But Levin felt something off about the man.

‘What is it?’

Levin stared at the miner, trying to figure out why he felt this way.

Brielle, noticing Levin’s odd behavior, blinked.

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh, it’s just…”

At that moment, the miner disappeared into the crowd.

Levin tried to spot him but it was no use.

“Did I lose him?”

“What’s going on?”

“He looked odd.”

“Odd how?”

“His clothes were like a miner’s, but his behavior wasn’t.”

Levin finally realized what was bothering him.

People usually carry the atmosphere of their profession.

A beggar would naturally have a gloomy, cynical aura, and those doing hard labor would exude a tired air.

But the miner he saw didn’t have the demeanor of a miner.

There were no signs of hard labor on him, and his clothes were too clean.

He also had a face full of curiosity, like someone new to the place.

‘Who is he?’

Though it might not have been a big deal, it left a peculiar feeling in his heart.

Levin remembered the man’s face.

* * *

“Ugh! Who the hell was that kid? Did he notice something?”

The man disguised as a miner was catching his breath in a back alley.

“Man, I’m losing my touch. Almost got caught by a kid.”

“What do you mean, you almost got caught?”

A detached voice suddenly came from behind him.

“Gah! You scared me!”

The man jumped and turned around. Right in front of him stood a woman cloaked in a robe.

She had approached without him noticing.

If she had been an enemy, he would have been a dead man.

He pointed a finger at her and shouted.

“Fuck! How many times do I have to tell you to make some noise when you walk?”

“An assassin loses their credentials if they make noise.”

“Am I your target? I’m your ally. Ally!”

“So, did you get caught?”

“No! I didn’t get caught. Just some kid staring at me made me uneasy.”

“Really?”

“Don’t you trust me? I’m Aslan, the master of stealth.”

“The master of stealth almost got noticed by a kid?”

“I didn’t get noticed.”

Aslan shouted, but the robed woman ignored him and continued.

“So, what about the intel?”

“Yeah, I got it all.”

“Then let’s go.”

“Can’t we stay a bit longer? There’s so much to enjoy here. Why leave now?”

“The longer we stay, the higher the risk of getting caught. Didn’t you say you were noticed by a kid?”

“I said I didn’t get noticed.”

“Let’s go!”

“Damn it! Can’t you listen? I’m telling you, let’s have some fun first.”

“If you insist on staying, I’ll leave on my own.”

“Hey! Then how am I supposed to get out?”

“Not my problem.”

“Heartless woman. Fine, let’s go.”

Aslan finally surrendered. The woman gently picked him up and said.

“Hold tight. We’re going.”

“Hehe! I’m holding on tight.”

Aslan grinned and held her tightly. The soft sensation of her body soothed his anger.

The woman’s body, hidden under the robe, was quite voluptuous.

Even though being carried princess-style could be humiliating for a man, Aslan didn’t mind because of the woman’s physique.

The woman holding Aslan turned transparent.

This was one of her awakened abilities.

Invisibility.

For a short time, she could make herself and anything she touched invisible.

Using her invisibility, she quickly moved through the crowded streets.

They reached the city walls. The woman threw a rope.

The rope extended like a whip, wrapping around a pillar atop the wall.

She pulled herself up, flying over the wall.

There were guards on the wall, but none noticed her.

This was another of her abilities.

She deceived the eyes of the guards and descended into the desert.

In no time, she vanished into the darkness of the desert.

* * *

Levin and Brielle returned to their lodging.

Mandy was already asleep in her room, and Zeon was alone in the living room.

Seeing Brielle, Zeon spoke.

“We have a long journey tomorrow. Go to bed early.”

“Okay! You should go to sleep too, Zeon.”

“Sure.”

“Good night!”

Brielle cheerfully went to her room.

Zeon then spoke to Levin.

“Good job today. Get some rest too.”

“Hey, Zeon, there’s something…”

“What is it?”

“I saw someone strange earlier.”

“Really?”

“Actually…”

Levin described the miner he had seen.

“That’s certainly strange.”

“Right? It wasn’t just me, was it?”

“Miners at the Mana Stone Mine never wander around when there are this many people.”

The miners were worked to exhaustion at the Mana Stone Mine.

As long as they had the strength, they were put to work in the tunnels day and night.

When exhausted, they sought rest rather than wandering outside.

Especially when many Awakeneds arrived, miners stayed inside to avoid trouble.

“So what was it? He was definitely dressed like a miner.”

“I’m not sure.”

“Well, whatever. I’m going to bed.”

“Alright.”

After Levin went to his room, Zeon was left alone.

He pondered Levin’s words.

“A miner that doesn’t fit at the Mana Stone Mine…”

If anyone else had said this, Zeon wouldn’t have been as concerned. But since it was Levin, it was different.

Levin wasn’t an ordinary boy.

His experiences tracking down the murderer of his family had honed his observation skills, memory, and instincts.

If Levin felt something was off, there was likely a good reason.

“This dungeon raid won’t be easy.”

Nearly four hundred Awakeneds were mobilized, with over thirty vehicles.

An enormous expedition.

Logically, one would think no one would dare to interfere with such a large group. But Zeon knew that the world often defied logic.

The dungeon they were heading to was over three hundred kilometers from the Mana Stone Mine.

Though it seemed like a distance that could be covered in a few days, the harsh desert environment wouldn’t make it easy.

It wasn’t just the sun, sand, and monsters that posed a threat.

Humans were also a danger.

“Humans are the scariest of all.”

Zeon had lived in the desert for a whole eight years, but it wasn’t the monsters that troubled him the most, it was the humans.