Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert-Chapter 479

Chapter 479

Even among pure-blooded vampires, there existed a hierarchy.

The closer one was to a Progenitor, the stronger they became—and the longer they could endure sunlight.

Some were so powerful that they could walk beneath the blazing midday sun without the slightest discomfort, like ordinary humans.

For a Progenitor-class vampire, sunlight was no longer a true obstacle.

It did impose a slight penalty, weakening their strength to a degree—but such a thing hardly mattered to them.

“Graaagh!”

With the appearance of those high-purity vampires, the first casualties soon followed.

A vampire emerged through the ultraviolet light and sank its fangs into an elf before vanishing into the darkness.

“Damn it! UV grenades are useless! Switch to melee combat!”

At Kartrak’s command, the raid team immediately ceased throwing their UV grenades and drew their blades.

Slash!

The elves’ swords cleaved through the vampire’s body and pierced its heart.

“GRAAAH!”

The creature let out a shrill, tortured scream, thrashing violently.

It swung its claws wildly, trying to wound the elves—but their armor, made of some special material, refused to yield. The vampire managed only to scratch the surface.

At that moment, a nearby werewolf slashed its claw clean through the vampire’s neck.

Splatter!

Vampire blood sprayed across the corridor.

High-ranking vampires did not turn to ash upon death.

Even with a silver blade lodged in their hearts and their heads severed, their flesh still writhed, struggling to regenerate.

Their regenerative power was monstrous.

“Burn them. Make sure there’s nothing left to heal.”

“Yes, sir!”

At Kartrak’s order, a magic-wielding awakened fired a fireball at the corpses.

“KYAAARGH!”

Only then did the vampires’ anguished screams echo through the dark corridor.

Zeon watched the scene unfold and nodded in admiration.

“Impressive. To deal with vampires that efficiently…”

Honestly, he had expected them to struggle a bit.

No matter how well-prepared one was, it was impossible to account for every variable.

And they were raiding a dungeon infested with unpredictable creatures like vampires.

Naturally, Zeon had assumed it would take a long time to clear.

But contrary to his expectations, Kartrak’s raid team was cutting through the dungeon with astonishing momentum.

Their tactics accepted casualties as inevitable—reckless, perhaps, but undeniably effective.

Grain muttered, “At this rate, they’re on par with the city’s official strike forces. Kartrak’s trained them well.”

Then—

Rumble!

A deafening noise shook the walls as a massive slab dropped from the ceiling, crashing down between Zeon’s group and Kartrak’s team, sealing the passage.

“Well, look at that. It’s trying to separate us on purpose?”

“Seems so. The Progenitor vampire must be watching from somewhere.”

“Figures. A cunning bastard, no doubt. Not that it’ll make any difference while I’m here.”

A cold grin tugged at Grain’s lips.

He was known as the Master of Gravity—one who could bend gravitational force at will.

For someone like him, such traps were meaningless.

Stepping forward, Grain said calmly, “From here on, I’ll handle this. You just watch.”

“That’s fine by me.”

Zeon shrugged and stepped aside.

If someone was willing to fight in his stead, there was no reason to argue.

Then—

Rumble, rumble!

A rapid pounding of footsteps echoed through the darkness.

“So, it begins.”

Grain focused his gaze toward the sound.

The darkness rippled, and the source revealed itself.

Bloodshot eyes gleaming with madness, jaws hanging open with rows of jagged fangs—

Despite once being human, they now ran on all fours like beasts.

Ghouls.

And not just a few—hundreds of them came charging madly toward the group.

―KRAAAH!

―GRRAAAH!

Their bestial screams filled the tunnel, an unnerving, hair-raising chorus.

But to Grain, their horrifying appearance meant little.

“Let’s see… maybe ten times normal gravity should do.”

He spoke almost playfully and flicked his finger.

―GUEEHH!

―KRRRRAA!

In an instant, the charging ghouls were flattened as though crushed beneath an invisible mountain.

Hundreds screamed in unison, their bodies contorting grotesquely.

“Excellent.”

Grain smiled in satisfaction at the gruesome spectacle he had created.

Then he flicked his finger once more.

CRACK!

Hundreds of ghouls were pulverized all at once—crushed as if a giant had stomped them into the earth.

Even after such a massacre, Grain’s expression remained calm.

He turned to Zeon and Tesserina, expecting shock or awe.

But both wore indifferent faces.

Not even Tesserina flinched.

Grain blinked in mild disbelief.

What? They’re not even surprised?

Zeon, he could understand. The man was a legend, tempered by countless battles.

But Tesserina’s composure—that was unexpected.

So she’s not an ordinary being after all…

His curiosity toward her deepened.

Just then, the darkness rippled again as another horde of ghouls surged forth.

Grain dispelled his thoughts and raised a hand.

CRACK!

―GRAAAH!

―KYYYAAA!

The ghouls’ death screams filled the air.

“Tsk, tsk. Send as many as you want, vampire—it won’t change a thing. You’re only wasting your own strength.”

Like a conductor leading an orchestra, Grain waved his hands playfully, crushing and dismembering ghouls with each motion.

His control over gravity was effortless.

Sometimes he unleashed it over a wide area, blanketing the entire corridor.

Other times, he focused it into a narrow point, maximizing its destructive power with surgical precision.

Even Tesserina, though she hid it well, found herself quietly impressed.

“Amazing. To manipulate gravity that freely isn’t easy. He’s definitely gifted.”

“I agree, that's a remarkable ability.”

Zeon said with a nod.

Watching Grain at work, Zeon couldn’t help but admire not the power itself, but the creativity with which he wielded it.

That kind of innovation wasn’t something just anyone could achieve.

It required complete understanding of one’s own ability—and a precise grasp of its limits.

Grain’s creative use of his skill even inspired Zeon, making him reflect on himself.

Up to this point, Zeon had focused solely on amplifying the power of his own techniques—developing stronger, more destructive skills.

But watching Grain effortlessly annihilate enemies with minimal force, Zeon realized brute strength wasn’t everything.

A new perspective… I like it.

A faint smile crossed his lips.

Finding a more efficient way to use his power was more satisfying than any victory.

Meanwhile, Grain continued eliminating the remaining foes with methodical ease.

CRRUNCH!

With one final crash, the last ghoul fell silent.

Not a single one remained.

“Is that all of them? Makes sense. Even for a dungeon like this, summoning any more would be absurd.”

Over a thousand ghouls lay crushed under his power.

No matter how high a dungeon’s rank, spawning that many was already excessive.

Thanks to Grain’s handiwork, the group was able to advance smoothly.

After a while—

A sharp, iron scent stung their noses.

“What’s this?”

For the first time, Grain frowned.

The stench of blood was so overwhelming that it made the air thick and suffocating.

This wasn’t the smell of one or two dead bodies—it was far, far more.

Zeon’s brows furrowed.

“This feels… wrong.”

“My head’s going to burst from the stench,” Tesserina muttered, even she wrinkling her nose in disgust.

The further they went, the heavier the scent grew.

At the end of the dark passage, a vast pool came into view.

“What the hell…?”

Grain’s voice was filled with disbelief.

The enormous basin before them wasn’t filled with water—but with blood.

A lake of thick, crimson blood.

“That can’t be… human blood, can it?”

Zeon stared into the blood-red surface, eyes narrowing.

Then—

The blood began to bubble.

Something massive stirred beneath it.

“What now?”

Grain’s eyes widened.

A gigantic form rose from the bloody depths—its sheer size towering over them, more than ten meters long.

Its serpentine body was covered in countless writhing tendrils, and dozens of eyes blinked across its flesh, each one glaring at the trio.

The air grew heavy with killing intent.

Tesserina’s voice dropped to a low murmur.

“That… that’s Croanos. Then this must be the Queen’s nest.”

“That monster’s name is Croanos?”

“Yes. The first son born from blood—the embodiment of sin itself, child of the Vampire Queen.”

“That thing is her child?”

Zeon’s expression twisted in disbelief.

The creature looked nothing like a vampire.

If the Vampire Queen truly took a human form, it was impossible to imagine something so grotesque being born from her.

Sensing his doubt, Tesserina explained further.

“The Progenitor Queen of Vampires was born from a god’s curse. She committed an unforgivable sin—and was condemned to live forever, unable to die, suffering without end.”

“Suffering?”

“Yes. An eternity of agony. Her soul ripped apart again and again, every moment of her existence.”

“But what does that have to do with that monster?”

“She found a way to escape her pain—by transferring all her sins to her firstborn.”

“That’s possible?”

“If it weren’t, how else could such a creature exist?”

“Hard to believe.”

“I only ever heard the story… this is my first time seeing it. They say Croanos became that way because he carries all the sins of his mother and their kind.”

“If that’s true, then that creature is… pitiful.”

“Indeed. He bears the burden of his mother’s and his entire race’s sins, with no choice in the matter.”

Tesserina nodded slowly.

The result of that burden was the hideous form before them.

A once-beautiful body twisted into a monstrous shape—bound eternally to blood.

If deprived of it, he would go mad, forcing the Queen and her kin to endlessly harvest blood to fill the pool.

Human, elf, beastkin, and countless other races had perished to keep that pool full.

Croanos lived by absorbing the tainted blood—each drop making him even stronger.

No one knew exactly how powerful he had become over the millennia.

Then—

“So that monster is the Vampire Queen’s child. That means… she must be here too.”

Grain’s voice came from the far end of the corridor.

While Zeon and Tesserina had been distracted by Croanos, he had quietly slipped away.

He opened a door leading deeper into the passage.

“That creature’s yours,” he said.

“Grain!”

“I have business with the Queen.”

With a teasing wink, Grain vanished into the darkness.

GRRRRR!

Croanos moved to block Zeon and Tesserina’s path, massive tendrils unfurling.

“Haaah…”

Zeon let out a long sigh.

Thanks to Grain, they’d made it this far with little trouble—but now, an enormous burden had been dropped squarely on his shoulders.