Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 186

A man sat on a metal chair connected by numerous wires and cables.

His skin and muscles had a metallic appearance. This man was none other than Kim Hyun-soo, the ruler of the West District.

Kim Hyun-soo sat in his chair, staring at the distant City Hall.

His mechanical eye provided a clear view of the building.

It had been decades since he had settled in the West District.

During that time, he had advanced the area, creating a highly developed technological civilization. However, there was still a significant gap between his district and the City Hall.

This gap was intolerable for Kim Hyun-soo.

“Jin Geum-ho, what on earth are you thinking? What is he planning?”

He knew that Jin Geum-ho, the Mayor of Neo Seoul, was up to something.

Various sources had brought him this information.

But the source he trusted the most was the supercomputer Triox Five.

Combining the brain of an ancient golem and a computer, Triox Five could process vast amounts of information in an instant. Its analyses were far superior to any human’s.

Despite this, they had gleaned little about Jin Geum-ho and Neo Seoul.

The City Hall was protected by a near-impenetrable security system, even for Triox Five.

“Neo Seoul belongs to the Koreans. How long will we let these foreign races and outsiders run rampant?”

He was a staunch Korean nationalist.

He took great pride in his pure Korean blood, even though most of his body had been replaced by machinery.

At that moment, Triox Five’s voice echoed.

―Master.

“What is it?”

―Cha Jin-cheol has just died.

“What?”

Kim Hyun-soo jumped to his feet, the news shocking him.

―This is a report from Hyeonmu.

“Cha Jin-cheol is really dead?”

―It is confirmed.

“Hmm!”

Kim Hyun-soo sank back into his chair, deep in thought.

Cha Jin-cheol was equipped with Hyeonmu, a downgraded version of Triox Five’s AI.

Triox Five and Hyeonmu were connected via an Ego network.

Thanks to this connection, Kim Hyun-soo could receive information from Hyeonmu even at this distance.

“How did Cha Jin-cheol die?”

―That detail is unknown.

“Did Hyeonmu suffer any damage?”

―Before Cha Jin-cheol’s death, Hyeonmu activated the return protocol.

“Was the situation that dangerous?”

Hyeonmu wasn’t a living entity.

It operated through a chip implanted in Cha Jin-cheol’s head, a fragment of Triox Five.

Triox Five could retrieve Hyeonmu at any time.

It was a precaution in case those equipped with downgraded AIs betrayed or underperformed.

Conversely, for the downgraded AI to initiate its return protocol, a complex process was required.

This was known as the return protocol.

Hyeonmu had activated this protocol to return to Triox Five, severing all external contacts to await retrieval.

Until the retrieval was complete, not even Triox Five could determine what had happened to Hyeonmu.

Triox Five asked.

―Shall we retrieve Hyeonmu?

“Yes, begin immediately.”

―Initiating retrieval process.

“When will it be completed?”

―It will take at least a day.

Retrieving a downgraded AI was no easy task.

Upon activation of the return protocol, the AI stored all its data in mana particles and released them into the atmosphere.

Triox Five would then collect these particles.

Without an intermediary, this process took considerable time.

However, once Hyeonmu’s data was collected, there was no need for further analysis. It would be absorbed directly into Triox Five.

―I will report back as soon as Hyeonmu is absorbed.

Kim Hyun-soo nodded, contemplating.

‘The combat power of Cha Jin-cheol with Hyeonmu was not weak. How did he get defeated? What could have taken him down?’

* * *

“Aaargh!”

The Knight Commander’s desperate screams echoed through the fortress.

His entire body was charred beyond recognition.

Even his armor, once a protective shield, was blackened and deformed.

This was the aftermath of Lee Ji-ryeong’s most powerful skill, the Thunder God’s Hammer.

The Knight Commander had previously endured several strikes from the Thunder God’s Hammer, thanks to his immense defensive power.

If Trigion hadn’t died, the Knight Commander might have continued to withstand Lee Ji-ryeong’s attacks.

However, with Trigion’s death, the Knight Commander’s mental strength wavered, and at that crucial moment, Lee Ji-ryeong ascended in rank.

He had become a true S-rank.

The countless battles and accumulated experiences had culminated in this breakthrough.

As an S-rank, the power of the Thunder God’s Hammer had transformed.

Not only did it shatter the Holy Shield cast by the Knight Commander, but it also dealt irreparable damage to his core.

Lee Ji-ryeong had finally reached the realm of the Thunder God.

Proving his newfound power, an immense current of electricity flowed from his body.

Even the Awakeneds of the Pegasus Raid Force kept their distance, fearing they might get shocked.

“Haa!”

Lee Ji-ryeong exhaled, retracting all the electricity he had been emitting.

“Waaa!”

“The captain has become S-rank!”

“We’ve won!”

The Pegasus Raid Force’s Awakeneds cheered.

The Knight Commander was the last obstacle.

The undead knights had already been dealt with.

The fortress now belonged to them.

But their time was limited.

Rumble!

The fortress began to shake precariously.

With the death of the Knight Commander, the core, the fortress started to collapse.

Bronson, the Raid Team leader, shouted.

“Damn it! We don’t have much time. Gather the corpses and collect the items. Grab everything valuable!”

Nearly four hundred members had participated in this dungeon raid.

More than two-thirds of them had perished.

Only a little over a hundred survived, most of whom were Pegasus Raid Force Awakeneds.

The mercenaries and West District Awakeneds had mostly died.

The losses were staggering.

The cost of conquering this dungeon had been too high.

However, the items obtained from the dungeon would more than compensate for the losses.

The greatest gain was Lee Ji-ryeong’s ascension to S-rank.

This alone made the dungeon raid a success.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

“Take the armor and weapons from the undead knights. They’re valuable.”

“Jackpot! There’s a hidden vault here.”

“A hidden vault?”

A cry from one of the Awakeneds sent many rushing to the secret vault that had been discovered.

The vault was filled with numerous items, all of which looked extraordinary at a glance.

These items seemed more than sufficient to cover the losses incurred during the raid.

“We don’t know when the dungeon will collapse, so move quickly. Take everything valuable first.”

“Yes!”

The Awakeneds moved busily.

There was no time or luxury for them to mourn their fallen comrades.

The best way to honor the dead was to provide generous compensation to their families, which meant taking every possible valuable item out of the dungeon.

The Pegasus Raid Force had always taken care of the families of the deceased this way, contributing greatly to their reputation.

Lee Ji-ryeong stood still, checking his body.

His entire body felt revitalized.

It was as if lightning coursed through his veins instead of blood.

The euphoria of feeling like his entire body was made of lightning was a first for him.

Now, he felt capable of defeating Jin Geum-ho, the ruler of Neo Seoul.

As Lee Ji-ryeong reveled in his newfound power, he glanced at Zeon.

Zeon showed no interest in the items being taken from the secret vault.

His gaze was fixed on the pile of black ashes on the floor—the remains of Trigion.

Lee Ji-ryeong approached Zeon.

“You did well. Thanks to you, we were able to conquer the fortress.”

“You have… become an S-rank?”

“Yes. I was lucky.”

“Luck favors those who work hard.”

Lee Ji-ryeong nodded and said.

“It’s thanks to you. You were a great motivation.”

“Glad to hear.”

“Why are you staring at Cha Jin-cheol’s ashes? Are you worried Kim Hyun-soo will hold a grudge? Don’t worry about that. We all saw Cha Jin-cheol transform into something else. I’ll explain it to him.”

“That’s not really my concern.”

“Then why?”

Instead of answering, Zeon bent down and retrieved a small metal box from the ashes.

It was the chip implanted in Cha Jin-cheol’s head.

Zeon applied slight pressure, and the chip crumbled.

“Do you know what this is?”

“No.”

Lee Ji-ryeong shook his head, not finding it particularly strange.

Cha Jin-cheol was a Mechanized Awakened, someone who had the unique ability to replace parts of their body with machinery.

Finding a piece of metal in his remains wasn’t unusual.

“Why, does it concern you?”

“A little.”

“You think too much for someone with your power.”

“I’ve heard that before, but it’s in my nature.”

“A strong person doesn’t need to overthink. Set your goal and go all out. Let others handle the minor details and planning.”

“I lack the ambition you have.”

“Do you, really?”

Lee Ji-ryeong looked at Zeon with a meaningful expression.

Though the gaze was uncomfortable, Zeon did not avoid it.

As the two locked eyes for a while, a powerful tremor shook the fortress.

A large portal formed within the fortress, providing an exit.

“It’s the exit.”

“Waaaah!”

People cheered.

Only then did Lee Ji-ryeong look away from Zeon.

He addressed the Pegasus Raid Force.

“Good job, everyone. If we’ve collected everything, let’s get out.”

“Yes, sir!”

The Awakeneds responded and started entering the portal one by one.

Lee Ji-ryeong remained until everyone had exited.

The raid leader’s job was to be the last to leave, ensuring any unforeseen circumstances were managed.

Once all the Awakeneds had left, only Lee Ji-ryeong, Zeon, and his companions remained.

Zeon spoke to his companions.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, hyung!”

“Yeah!”

“Finally, let’s get out. I’m tired of this place.”

Levin, Brielle, and Eloy responded eagerly, tired of waiting for their turn.

As they approached the portal, Lee Ji-ryeong’s voice rang out unexpectedly.

“By the way.”

Zeon and his companions turned to look at him.

Flash!

In an instant, a massive lightning bolt struck them.

It was the Thunder God’s Hammer, Lee Ji-ryeong’s strongest skill.

‘Damn it!’

There was no time to dodge, and if Zeon evaded, Brielle and the others would take the full brunt of the attack.

Zeon crossed his arms and took the Thunder God’s Hammer head-on.

Boom!

With a loud explosion, Zeon was thrown to the side of the portal.

The power of Lee Ji-ryeong’s lightning skill, now that he had reached S-rank, was on a different level.

The Thunder God’s Hammer also electrocuted Brielle, Levin, and Eloy.

Zeon gasped for breath as he barely managed to lift his head.

Lee Ji-ryeong looked down at him and spoke.

“I thought about it, and even though my brother was a piece of trash, I should still avenge him.”

His words were merely an excuse.

Seeing Zeon kill the Knight King had triggered an explosion of inferiority within him.

The fear that Zeon might surpass him had driven Lee Ji-ryeong to act.

“But you did help with the raid, so I won’t kill you myself. You can meet your end with the dungeon.”

With that final remark, he entered the portal.

As the portal closed, the entire space began to break apart.

The dungeon was collapsing.

When a dungeon collapses, anything inside perishes with it.

Lee Ji-ryeong had intentionally attacked Zeon to leave him behind.

Zeon wiped the blood from his lips and struggled to his feet.

His entire body felt like it was burning, but his eyes shone sharply.

“Of course, there is no one in this world I can trust. But you made a big mistake. If you wanted me dead, you should have finished me yourself.”

[Translator – Peptobismol]