Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert-Chapter 196

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 196

Holtran stared intently at Zeon.

He had been shocked when Zeon burst into the meeting, but even more shocking was the news that Zeon had been ambushed by men sent by Gawen.

Holtran had never expected Gawen to attempt to kill Zeon so openly; he had thought that any assassination attempt would occur after Zeon left Steel Fortress.

Gawen had always dealt with visitors to Steel Fortress in such a manner, so Holtran had planned to warn Zeon before he departed.

“Ugh! Gawen’s tyranny has gone too far. I apologize on his behalf.”

“I’m not looking for an apology from you, Elder Holtran. We’ll be leaving in the morning anyway.”

“Then?”

“I wanted you to know the situation so you could prepare.”

“If I had the power, I would have done so long ago. But as you know, Gawen has complete control. He holds all the Awakeneds and the water supply, leaving me powerless.”

“Would you be able to take full control of Steel Fortress if Gawen were gone?”

“Are you offering to help?”

“Whatever the reason, the fact is that he tried to kill us.”

“Hmm.”

Holtran let out a sigh.

He fell silent, deep in thought.

Watching Holtran’s indecision, Zeon realized he was unlikely to act.

Opportunities rarely came easily, and grasping them required readiness.

Holtran didn’t seem prepared, and Zeon had no interest in persuading someone unprepared with a hundred words.

Zeon stood up.

“It seems you have no intention of restoring Steel Fortress.”

“This isn’t a decision to be made lightly in just a few minutes. Give me more time. And how can we trust you?”

“What?”

“This could be a trap set by Gawen to lure us in. We need time to verify.”

Eloy and Levin looked incredulous.

“No wonder this fortress is in such a state with leadership like this.”

“Exactly.”

“Indecisive leaders are always the problem.”

Even Brielle joined in.

Holtran’s face flushed with embarrassment.

His loyal followers began to rise in anger, but just then, a faint noise came from outside.

Thud.

Only Zeon heard it.

Zeon frowned and listened carefully.

“Ugh!”

He heard a faint, muffled groan, so quiet that without focused attention, it would have gone unnoticed.

Eloy looked puzzled.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think there’s trouble outside.”

“Trouble?”

Zeon opened the door and stepped outside.

He saw a shadowy figure quietly emerging from a nearby house, holding a blood-dripping sword.

Their eyes met.

“…”

For a moment, there was silence between them.

The figure, not expecting Zeon’s appearance, looked visibly startled but quickly rushed toward Zeon with alarming speed.

Swoosh!

The figure was Duduyan, moving like lightning, sword in hand. She had been silently assassinating potential threats within Steel Fortress.

Before the Red Storm launched their full attack, she was eliminating as many key targets as possible.

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Already, she had killed three Awakeneds, and Zeon would have been her fourth.

With that, she could boast to Urtian.

Clang!

But unfortunately, her assassination attempt failed.

Eloy intervened, deflecting her attack.

Seeing Duduyan’s dark skin and pointed ears, Eloy frowned.

“A Dark Elf?”

“Hmph!”

Instead of responding, Duduyan attacked Eloy again, aiming for her neck.

Swoosh!

“Die!”

“You filthy….”

Eloy growled, swinging her weapon, the Mad Gumiho.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sword and spear clashed rapidly.

After a brief clash, Eloy paused.

“Who are you? Dark Elf.”

“And you too have elven blood.”

“Why are you attacking people? Are you one of Gawen’s men?”

“Gawen? Is he the master of this fortress? He’s just another target.”

“So you’re from outside?”

“Enough talk, half-elf!”

Without further ado, Duduyan attacked again, and Eloy met her blow for blow.

Boom! Boom!

Explosions erupted from various parts of the fortress.

Holtran looked bewildered.

“What is this?”

“It seems we have more uninvited guests.”

Zeon’s eyes turned cold.

Fires began to break out, and the screams of the people echoed through the night.

The inhabitants, deep in sleep, were unprepared for such a sudden assault.

The Awakeneds existed for times like this, but many were intoxicated and incapacitated at Gawen’s house.

By the time Gawen and the Awakeneds stumbled out, the Red Storm’s raid was in full swing.

“What? How did outsiders get in? Where are the guards?”

Gawen trembled with anger.

His kingdom was crumbling before his eyes.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

He kicked a drugged Awakened and shouted.

“What are you doing? Stop them!”

“Yes? Yes!”

The drugged Awakened staggered toward the Red Storm.

Not running, but walking.

A Red Storm member looked at him in disbelief.

“What are you?”

“I am the guardian of Steel Fortress.”

“Guardian, my ass. Just another druggie.”

Without further ado, the Red Storm member swung his weapon.

The drugged Awakened couldn’t defend himself.

Slash!

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Others fared no better.

The Awakeneds who went to stop the Red Storm fell without putting up much of a fight.

Gawen screamed in despair.

“No, this can’t be!”

The drugs he had used to control them were now their downfall.

The Red Storm was unstoppable.

They roamed Steel Fortress, killing Awakeneds as they went.

“Argghhh!”

“No!”

The mournful cries of the Awakeneds echoed throughout Steel Fortress.

“What, why are they so weak?”

“More than half of them are druggies.”

“Damn idiots! Being cooped up in safety has made them soft.”

Even the Red Storm members shook their heads in disbelief.

In the desert, they had to protect their families from monsters and sand. They couldn’t afford to be intoxicated.

“They don’t deserve this fortress.”

“Kill them all and take everything.”

The Red Storm went on a rampage.

“How could this happen?”

Holtran muttered, eyes wide.

Seeing the supposedly impregnable Steel Fortress being ravaged by the Red Storm was surreal.

It was an unreal sight.

“Elder Holtran, give us orders!”

“Elder!”

Holtran’s followers urged him for a decision, but he stood there, paralyzed.

Even the Awakeneds didn’t know what to do and were in disarray.

Zeon sighed.

“It’s a complete mess.”

“To be honest, they deserve to fall.”

“How could they rot to this extent?”

Even Levin and Brielle shook their heads in disbelief.

Just then, Jacob and Lucy approached Zeon.

“Please help us.”

“We beg you.”

The children, no more than ten-years-old, knelt before Zeon, pleading.

They had seen Levin easily kill the Sandworm, and even Levin deferred to Zeon, so they believed Zeon must be incredibly powerful.

Tears streaming down her face, Lucy pleaded.

“Not all adults are bad. Some of them are good. Please save them.”

Zeon remained unmoved by the children’s plea, but Brielle was different.

She turned to Zeon.

“Are you just going to watch? I know you don’t like intervening recklessly, but you can’t let children die.”

“They’re not much younger than you.”

“That’s not the point. I’m talking about basic human decency.”

Brielle’s words made Zeon chuckle.

A pureblood High Elf speaking of human decency seemed amusing to him.

At that moment, a voice interrupted.

“What’s this? There are Awakeneds here too.”

“Kill them!”

Red Storm members spotted Zeon and attacked without hesitation.

A Martial Arts Awakened swung an axe while a magic-type Awakened launched a Wind Cutter.

Their attack was immediate, without a second thought.

It showed how experienced they were in such matters.

But their attack never reached Zeon.

Zeon swung his right arm, launching a Fire Missile.

The Fire Missile intercepted both the Wind Cutter and the axe.

Boom!

“Argh!”

“Gah!”

The Awakeneds attacking Zeon screamed as they were thrown back.

Any ordinary Awakened would have been severely injured by Zeon’s counterattack. But these men were tough and resilient.

They quickly got up and launched another attack.

“Damn you, bastard!”

“I’ll kill you.”

They used even stronger skills against Zeon.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Their attack hit Zeon directly.

The Red Storm raiders thought Zeon must have been gravely injured. But their expectation was shattered.

Swoosh!

Zeon’s image vanished like a mirage, and their attacks hit only the wall and floor behind him.

The Awakeneds widened their eyes.

“An illusion?”

The Zeon they had attacked was merely an afterimage.

Zeon had moved so fast that it left a mirage.

“Where is he?”

“Could he be…?”

At that instant, they felt a chill on their necks.

They sensed someone behind them.

It was Zeon.

“Fuck!”

“Shit!”

The Awakeneds tried to turn and counter, but Zeon was faster.

Crack!

His punches landed on their jaws and temples.

They flew back like broken dolls and collapsed, unconscious from Zeon’s strikes.

The Red Storm members in the distance saw this.

“What? Will and Bohem were taken down.”

“How dare you…”

They rushed at Zeon.

Zeon brushed his disheveled hair back and muttered.

“I really didn’t want to get involved.”

[Translator – Peptobismol]