Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert-Chapter 167

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 167

The Awakeneds hurriedly got out of their vehicles and looked towards the rising dust cloud.

“What is it?”

“Where did these monsters come from all of a sudden…?”

“Were there any monster habitats around here?”

Confused voices erupted among the Awakeneds.

This area was three days away from the Mana Stone Mine, where monsters were periodically exterminated, so there shouldn’t have been any large groups of monsters nearby.

Naturally, the Awakeneds were somewhat at ease.

But now, a massive dust cloud was rising.

It was impossible for such a dust cloud to be caused by a small number of monsters.

It only occurred when a large horde of monsters was on the move.

Lee Ji-ryeong shouted.

“Prepare for battle, everyone!”

“Prepare for battle!”

The Pegasus Raid Force drew their weapons and got ready for combat.

Cha Jin-cheol smirked and gave an order.

“Let’s sweep them away in one go. Everyone, to the front lines.”

“Yes!”

The Awakeneds from the West District moved to the front lines at his command.

Levin, looking puzzled, remarked.

“Didn’t most of the Awakeneds from the West District replace their bodies with machinery? They look like ordinary people.”

Indeed, the Awakeneds from the West District at the front didn’t look different from other Awakeneds.

Mandy explained to Levin.

“That’s true for those below D-rank. Some C-rank and above purposely reveal their mechanical parts. But they can’t operate in the desert for long.”

“Because of the sand?”

“Exactly. The desert sand is deadly to Mechanized Awakeneds. So, they mostly operate within Neo Seoul. That’s the limit of the West District.”

“Then these guys?”

“They’re C-rank and above, suitable for desert activities with artificial skin covering their mechanized parts.”

“I see.”

“They’re not as powerful as fully Mechanized Awakeneds, but they can operate in the desert for extended periods.”

This was why the Awakeneds from the West District participating in the Pegasus Raid Force maintained a human appearance.

Despite this, they were strong, possessing physical strength far superior to typical Awakeneds.

This strength was why they were at the front, acting as tanks to block the enemy’s charge.

Rumble!

As the monsters approached, the ground shook violently.

Through the thick dust cloud, the silhouettes of the monsters became visible.

“What the…”

“Huh? Two heads?”

The Awakeneds at the front were astonished by the sight of the monsters.

Roar!

The monsters broke through the dust, revealing themselves.

They were giant bulls with two heads and four horns.

Their bodies gleamed like they were covered in steel, and their legs were thick and sturdy like metal pillars.

Zeon muttered as he identified them.

“Twin-Headed Buffaloes.”

“Nonsense! How can those be buffaloes?”

Brielle whispered, looking horrified.

The buffaloes were over three meters tall. With their immense size and weight, they could crush a normal human in an instant.

The problem was that it wasn’t just one or two Twin-Headed Buffaloes.

Hundreds, thousands of them were charging towards the Pegasus Raid Force like a tidal wave.

Bang!

“Keuuk!”

“Damn it!”

The Awakeneds at the front groaned in pain. It was impossible to withstand the impact of hundreds of buffaloes charging at once.

Crack!

Snap!

Limbs were broken, and spines snapped under the assault of the Twin-Headed Buffaloes.

Some Awakeneds managed to hold out briefly but were quickly swept away by the buffaloes’ charge.

This demonstrated the terrifying power of monster herds like the Twin-Headed Buffaloes.

A small group of Awakeneds could never stop their charge.

The only way to stop them was to bombard them before they could break through the Awakeneds at the front.

“Damn it! Attack now!”

“Full attack!”

The Pegasus Raid Force and the mercenaries behind the West District Awakeneds launched their skills all at once.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A massive attack struck the herd of Twin-Headed Buffaloes.

Roar!

Moo!

Many Twin-Headed Buffaloes fell, but it was only a fraction of the entire herd.

The surviving buffaloes charged towards the heart of the Pegasus Raid Force.

“You dare!”

At that moment, Lee Ji-ryeong and the elites stepped forward.

Crackle!

Electric currents crackled around Lee Ji-ryeong’s body.

Dozens of Twin-Headed Buffaloes struck by his lightning fell, charred black.

The attack team led by Bronson steadily took down the buffaloes one by one. But there were still countless Twin-Headed Buffaloes left, far too many to count.

Boom! Boom!

Heavy vehicles were pushed back or destroyed by the buffaloes’ mass assault.

“This can’t go on.”

Finally, Levin couldn’t hold back and jumped into the battlefield.

He shot violet lightning at the Twin-Headed Buffaloes.

Moo!

[Translator – Peptobismol]

With a mournful cry, a buffalo fell. Its corpse was trampled by other buffaloes charging forward.

Dust filled the air, blending with the screams of people and the cries of the buffaloes, making the scene resemble a hellish landscape.

To protect Mandy, Eloy’s persona suddenly emerged.

“Fuck! These bull bastards.”

She brandished her Mad Gumiho and leaped into the battlefield.

Zeon took Brielle to the top of the high transport vehicle.

Unlike Mandy or Levin, Brielle had almost no combat abilities. However, even the transport vehicle was not safe.

Bang! Bang!

Twin-Headed Buffaloes relentlessly rammed into the vehicle, causing it to dent and slide back.

Brielle, alarmed, asked Zeon.

“Ugh! Are they always in such large herds?”

“I’ve seen herds of hundreds before, but never thousands like this.”

Zeon replied, his brow furrowed as he watched the rampaging buffaloes.

Twin-Headed Buffaloes, despite being carnivorous monsters, generally had a calm disposition.

They did not attack unless provoked or hungry.

Additionally, when a herd grew too large, a new leader would emerge, leading a separate group.

The limit was around three to four hundred.

Yet, the herd attacking the Pegasus Raid Force now clearly numbered in the thousands.

This meant at least ten herds had merged, which was biologically impossible for Twin-Headed Buffaloes.

‘When something impossible happens, there is always a cause.’

Zeon thought, and this was why he hadn’t joined the battle yet.

He scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.

Despite the swirling sand obstructing visibility, it meant nothing to him.

The sand particles conveyed information to Zeon.

As he surveyed the area, his gaze fixed on something in the air.

A moment later, he spotted creatures hovering in the sky.

Beep!

They emitted cries that were inaudible to the human ear.

Each cry caused the Twin-Headed Buffaloes to panic and rampage.

Zeon turned to Brielle.

“Can you stay alone?”

“Of course. Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.”

“Then, I’ll be back.”

A gust of sand lifted Zeon’s body.

In an instant, he ascended high into the sky, unnoticed by any of the Awakeneds on the ground.

Zeon quickly rose to a height of a hundred meters. There, he could clearly see the creatures circling above.

They had heads resembling eagles, large bodies like lions, and a pair of wings on their backs.

Zeon immediately recognized them.

“Griffins.”

Griffins were B-rank monsters.

Despite their B-rank classification, their threat level was A-rank.

They were the rulers of the skies, comparable to Wyverns.

Griffins could dive from the sky at meteoric speeds, tearing apart even well-armed Awakeneds and monsters.

Griffins were the natural predators of Twin-Headed Buffaloes.

Now, Zeon understood why the buffaloes had gathered.

The Griffins constantly emitted threatening cries, driving the buffaloes into a panic.

Just like a sheepdog herding sheep, the Griffins’ cries had corralled the buffaloes into attacking the Pegasus Raid Force.

Beep!

The Griffins, spotting Zeon, let out threatening cries.

The sky was their domain, and they wouldn’t tolerate intruders.

The Griffins stopped herding the buffaloes and turned their attention to Zeon, attacking him.

Screech!

The Griffins swooped down at near supersonic speeds, seeing Zeon as an easy target hovering defenseless in the air.

But they were about to learn just how wrong they were.

“Sand Blaster.”

At Zeon’s command, highly pressurized sand shot out.

Whoosh!

The sand blaster relentlessly pummeled the Griffin’s massive body.

Though its protective barrier shielded it from serious harm, the Griffin was sufficiently stunned.

The Griffin tried to change direction and retreat from Zeon. However, Zeon did not let it escape.

“Claymore!”

Boom!

The sand particles floating around the Griffin exploded.

The Claymore tore through the Griffin’s barrier and wings with brutal force.

Screech!

A female Griffin lost its wings and plummeted with a scream. The male Griffin tried to rescue its mate, but she was falling much faster than he could fly.

Crash!

The female Griffin slammed headfirst into the ground.

Had its barrier been intact, it might have survived, but Zeon had neutralized it. Without its protective barrier, the Griffin’s body couldn’t withstand the impact.

The female Griffin lay in a broken heap, yet still alive.

The male Griffin landed beside her, letting out a sorrowful cry.

Griffins only have one mate for life. Once they pair up, they stay together forever, forming a bond deeper than any other monster.

Driven by this deep bond, the male Griffin descended in a desperate attempt to save its mate, which was a fatal mistake.

“Sand Mixer.”

With Zeon’s command, sand enveloped the Griffins.

Grrrr!

Before the male Griffin could escape, the sand began to whirl violently.

The sand, spinning like a blender, tore away at the Griffin’s protective barrier.

The male Griffin attempted to escape with frantic wingbeats, but it was futile.

The high-speed rotating sand particles ground down the Griffin’s steel-like body in an instant.

Screech!

The Griffins’ horrifying cries echoed from within the sandstorm. But the violent whirlwind of sand quickly swallowed even their screams.

It was the end of the Griffins.

[Translator – Peptobismol]