Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 193

The villagers called this place the Steel Fortress.

It was a bastion carved out of a red sandstone mountain.

They had spent their entire lives in this secluded environment, leading to an extreme wariness of outsiders.

The elders debated for a long time, occasionally raising their voices as they argued.

Finally, a conclusion was reached. The elder representing the group stepped forward.

“Fine. It’s late, and you did save the children, so we will allow all the outsiders inside. However, you must promise not to cause any trouble and stay within the designated areas. Do you agree to our conditions?”

“Yes.”

Zeon answered without hesitation.

Night had fallen during the elders’ deliberation.

It was too troublesome to find another place to stay. Resting in the village, however stifling, was the better option.

Moreover, Zeon was curious about this village.

Colonies and villages like this existed, but he had never seen one so tightly sealed off.

He wondered what had led them to such isolation.

An elder commanded a guard.

“Lower the basket.”

“Yes!”

A large basket connected to a pulley system was lowered from the village entrance.

Without the basket, it was impossible to reach the entrance, which was seventy meters above the ground.

Jacob and Lucy climbed into the basket first.

“Get in.”

The basket was large enough to accommodate Zeon’s entire group.

Creak!

Once everyone was in, the basket was pulled up.

The village entrance, located seventy meters above the ground, was buffeted by strong winds, a reminder of its height.

Clunk!

The pulley stopped, and they reached the village entrance.

Inside, out of sight from below, stood a dozen guards armed and ready to attack if necessary.

The guards, like Jacob, wore armor made from monster hides. The villagers wore similar attire, indicating the village’s living standards.

‘This is comparable to the Middle Ages or early modern times.’

While Neo Seoul represented an advanced civilization, most colonies and villages Zeon had visited were at this level.

At that moment, the elder who had spoken before approached.

An old man with long hair down to his shoulders and a beard reaching his chest.

He had a fierce gaze and thin lips, giving him a stubborn appearance.

“My name is Gawen. I am the head elder of Steel Fortress. In our village, all decisions are made by the elders’ council. Now that you are here, you must abide by our decisions. Disobey, and you will be expelled immediately. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Since you saved the children and it’s late, I’ll arrange a place for you to stay.”

Gawen gestured to a guard, who approached Zeon’s group.

“Follow me.”

“No, you step aside. I will guide them.”

Another elder stepped forward, addressing the guard.

“Elder Holt?”

“They saved Jacob and Lucy. We should show some courtesy.”

“Understood.”

The guard agreed and stepped back.

The old man called Elder Holtran introduced himself to Zeon.

“My name is Holtran, the second elder. I’ll take you to your quarters.”

“Thank you.”

Holtran led them inside the fortress, while Gawen watched with a disapproving look.

‘There’s tension between the two elders.’

Zeon observed but kept silent.

No colony was free from internal strife.

Even in Neo Seoul, Mayor Jin Geum-ho and the four district leaders constantly vied for power, maintaining a balance.

Zeon assumed Steel Fortress was no different.

The villagers’ intense gazes were filled with a mix of curiosity and suspicion, scrutinizing Zeon’s group closely.

“They came from outside?”

“It’s been twenty years since we had outsiders.”

“Look at their clothes. Not made from monster hides.”

“Where did they come from?”

“Elder Gawen allowed outsiders in?”

“He had no choice after his stubbornness led to the sunflower expedition’s disaster.”

Though they tried to speak quietly, Zeon’s awakened senses picked up every word.

‘Looks like Elder Holtran spoke for us, while Elder Gawen opposed.’

Zeon quickly grasped the dynamics of Steel Fortress.

Understanding human relationships was crucial in such situations.

Steel Fortress was a massive underground cavern carved out of the sandstone mountain by the villagers themselves, using no advanced equipment.

Inside the cavern were hundreds of houses.

‘If each house holds four people, that’s at least two thousand residents.’

A minuscule number compared to Neo Seoul, where a single building in the slums housed that many people.

But surviving with two thousand people in the desert was a remarkable feat.

‘How do they manage their water supply? Two thousand people need a steady source of water to survive.’

Holtran’s voice interrupted Zeon’s thoughts.

“This is the house.”

The house was on the village outskirts, making interaction with villagers difficult. Observation posts nearby made privacy unlikely.

Zeon looked around and commented.

“It’s quaint and cozy.”

“It originally belonged to someone else.”

“Who?”

“Matthew. He went to gather sunflowers with Jacob and Lucy.”

“He’s dead then.”

“He was a good friend. I hope he finds peace in the next life.”

“This place is good enough, isn’t it?”

“Steel Fortress is… an isolated island. Rest well. The children will bring you food.”

With that, Holtran left the house.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Zeon watched Holtran leave before entering the house.

The interior was clean, with two rooms, enough for the four of them to sleep comfortably.

Eloy sat on a chair, murmuring.

“I never imagined a village carved out of a mountain. No ordinary monster can approach this place.”

“With the entrance seventy meters high, only flying monsters could get in.”

Levin agreed.

Brielle, looking around with curiosity, said.

“But how do they get water? No matter where I look, I can’t see where the source could be.”

“Indeed. It’s intriguing.”

“Do they draw it from underground?”

“How?”

“Well…”

Watching Brielle and Levin seriously debate, Eloy chuckled.

“They’re so energetic. What do you think?”

“About what?”

“This village. Doesn’t it seem divided? The elders don’t seem to agree.”

Eloy’s keen observation had also noted the village’s internal strife.

Zeon nodded.

“Gawen and Holtran appear to have differing opinions.”

“Factional fights are a problem everywhere.”

“It’s human nature to establish hierarchy, even when survival is at stake.”

“It’s pathetic! They should be uniting to survive, not fighting for power….”

“Indeed.”

Zeon agreed with Eloy’s frustration.

Humans tend to unite during crises but start power struggles once things stabilize.

Zeon smiled.

“We’re leaving tomorrow anyway. Don’t worry about it and get some rest.”

“Alright.”

Eloy nodded, acknowledging the need to rest.

Even a highly capable Awakened like her needed rest to maintain peak performance.

Eloy went to one of the rooms to sleep.

Brielle and Levin, after their intense discussion, also went to their room to rest, leaving Zeon alone in the living room.

Zeon’s eyes sparkled as he noticed a plant on the living room shelf. It had dried flower petals attached.

Jacob and Lucy had mentioned going out to gather sunflowers.

“Is this a sunflower?”

Zeon picked up the plant, inspecting it closely.

After a moment, he frowned.

“This is a corrupted herb.”

To confirm, he chewed on one of the petals.

A sharp taste hit his tongue, and his mind quickly became hazy.

Zeon spat out the petal immediately, but his tongue was already numb, and his consciousness was fading.

Using his mana, he expelled the petal’s toxins from his body, clearing his mind.

“It’s definitely a corrupted herb.”

Zeon’s expression turned serious.

Corrupted herbs grew from the corpses of monsters, absorbing their poison and blood.

While they could temporarily enhance human abilities, they caused hallucinations and severe addiction. Anyone who fell into their grip could never escape.

The villagers seemed to use corrupted herbs under the guise of sunflowers.

“Using children to gather corrupted herbs. This place is far from decent.”

No respectable community would send children on such dangerous missions.

“Tsk!”

As Zeon clicked his tongue—Knock! There was a knock on the door.

When Zeon opened it, he saw a familiar face—Jacob.

Jacob held a tray of food.

“Elder Holtran asked me to bring this.”

“Would you like to come inside?

“Yes.”

Jacob entered with the tray, looking around the house with a somber expression.

Thinking of Matthew, the house’s original owner, weighed heavily on him.

Matthew had been the first to die in the Sandworm attack, devoured in an instant.

The only solace was that Matthew likely hadn’t suffered. But that didn’t ease the guilt.

Guilt was the burden of the survivors.

Jacob, struggling with his emotions, placed the tray on the table.

“This is dinner. I wish we had better food, but this is all we have.”

The food, made from an unknown monster’s meat, had a pungent smell that made Zeon grimace.

“The situation in the fortress doesn’t seem good.”

“……”

“If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine. It’s just my guess.”

“It’s… not great. But we manage.”

“Really?”

“Yes. And thank you for saving us. I wanted to say that.”

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Thank you. And… be careful.”

Zeon looked at Jacob’s face for a moment before nodding.

“I will.”

[Translator – Peptobismol]