Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

Chapter 464
Creak! Creak!
As Atlas’s massive body was loaded onto the specially designed transport vehicle, the reinforced frame groaned as if it would collapse at any moment under the immense weight.
“Phew!”
“At least we managed to load it.”
The mechanized awakeners let out sighs of relief.
The greatest reward of this dungeon was none other than the golem Atlas’s body.
Its entire frame was forged from a special metal, and countless magic circles for its operation were engraved across it. Even though its core had been destroyed, remnants still remained.
Analyzing just that would be of immense value to the West District.
That was not all they had brought out from the dungeon.
They had also collected the corpses of the metallic beasts.
The metal harvested from a dungeon was a precious resource.
Even after filling every inch of their remaining transport vehicles, a great deal still remained.
The leftover corpses of the metal beasts were given to Zeon.
That was all he had requested as his reward.
Oh Jin-ho had no reason to refuse.
If they left it behind, it would be buried in the sands, impossible to retrieve anyway. Besides, they owed Zeon a reward, and compensating him with these corpses was more than fair.
“Thank you, Sir Zeon! Thanks to you, we were able to secure an S-class golem!”
Oh Jin-ho’s face was flushed with excitement.
It was the first time they had ever secured a complete S-class golem.
An S-class golem would bring tremendous advancement to the West District.
That alone was enough of a reward for Oh Jin-ho.
Zeon shook his head lightly.
“The credit for slaying the S-class golem belongs to all of you. I only lent a small hand.”
“We know you went easy on us, Sir Zeon. We’re truly grateful.”
“It was fortunate that the golem had weakened. Otherwise, we would have suffered far greater losses.”
“Wait, are you saying that wasn’t its full power?”
“Yes. Both the barrier and the metal’s hardness were subpar. I believe the damage to its magic circles prevented it from displaying its full strength.”
“That’s… unbelievable.”
Oh Jin-ho’s jaw hung open.
The golem that had pushed the Bloody Raid Team to the brink of annihilation wasn’t even at full power. Just the thought made him shiver.
“Would it be alright if I examined the golem on the way back to Neo Seoul?”
“Huh?”
“I’m just curious. I’ve always wanted to understand how golems function.”
“That won’t be a problem.”
Oh Jin-ho readily agreed.
Analyzing a golem’s magic circles wasn’t something just anyone could do.
Even in the West District, only a few master craftsmen possessed the skills to interpret such magic.
It was a feat only possible for those with highly specialized abilities.
No matter how closely Zeon examined the golem, there was no way he could uncover its operational principles without such skills.
“Thank you. Then I’ll ride with the golem.”
“Very well. Let’s move out immediately.”
Oh Jin-ho signaled to his subordinates.
“Let’s go!”
“Back home! Yeah!”
The mechanized awakeners cheered as the convoy began to move.
The line of vehicles headed toward Neo Seoul.
Riding in the largest transport truck, Zeon began his inspection of Atlas in earnest.
He focused on the joints.
During the battle, he hadn’t noticed the magic circles densely engraved into each joint.
As Oh Jin-ho had guessed, Zeon couldn’t decipher their workings.
But Zeon wasn’t interested in learning their principles anyway.
His purpose was to understand how the golem moved—so that he could find an efficient way to counter it.
It would take over ten days to return to Neo Seoul with this massive golem in tow.
He had plenty of time to study it.
“Hmm.”
Zeon meticulously examined every magic circle etched across Atlas.
Several days passed before he realized something important.
“There’s a single magic circle that connects all the ones in the joints.”
It was the one engraved on Atlas’s abdomen.
Looking closely, faint red lines extended from that circle to each of the others at the joints.
He hadn’t seen those lines during the battle.
It seemed that the pattern only revealed itself when the core was inactive.
“This must be the mana conduit.”
Zeon memorized the entire pathway in his mind.
Next, he turned his attention to Atlas’s core.
The shattered remnants were visible through the damaged left shoulder.
No mana flowed from it any longer.
It had completely lost its power.
“It looks like it was crafted from a top-grade mana stone…”
Zeon touched the remnants with his hand.
Its surface was smooth like polished crystal.
He picked up a small fragment and infused mana into it.
Vmm—
To his surprise, the fragment resonated.
It was reacting to his mana.
“So it doesn’t have to be its original mana source.”
Zeon thought it might be worth researching further.
He had plenty of time.
Like a child with a new toy, Zeon toyed with the fragment, intrigued.
---
“Look! There it is!”
“Neo Seoul!”
“Finally, we can rest.”
As Neo Seoul came into view, the Bloody Raid Team erupted in cheers.
Smiles spread across their faces.
They had crossed the desert for ten long days, but none of them looked tired.
The bounty they were bringing home was too great for exhaustion to matter.
Just seeing the massive golem loaded on the transport filled them with pride.
Once they handed the golem and the metallic beast corpses over to the West District, they could rest for months if they wanted.
A faint smile touched Zeon’s lips as well.
He had been away from Neo Seoul far longer than the Bloody Raid Team.
It was only natural that his feelings were even stronger.
He turned to Oh Jin-ho.
“You’ll be heading straight into Neo Seoul, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then I’ll get off here and head to the slums.”
“You won’t come to the West District with us?”
“I don’t really feel like it.”
“I understand. Then please, take care.”
Oh Jin-ho didn’t press him.
He wanted to get back to the West District and rest as soon as possible himself.
The Bloody Raid Team’s vehicles kicked up dust as they sped off toward Neo Seoul, leaving Zeon behind.
“I wonder if Brielle has returned.”
Zeon murmured softly as he began walking toward the slums.
“Whoa!”
“They did it! They hunted a golem!”
Cheering erupted in the distance.
The residents had seen the Bloody Raid Team’s spoils.
People flocked toward the main gate of Neo Seoul to catch a glimpse of the golem.
Thanks to the commotion, Zeon was able to return to the slums quietly, without drawing attention.
The streets of the slums were unchanged from when he had left.
The familiarity eased his heart.
It truly felt like coming home.
Zeon went straight to his house.
When he opened the door, an empty room greeted him.
There was no sign of Brielle anywhere.
“Seems she hasn’t returned yet.”
Zeon frowned slightly, then relaxed.
Her absence was disappointing, but just being home lifted his spirits.
He sat down on the sofa and gazed blankly out the window.
---
“What did you just say?”
“The Bloody Raid Team reportedly hunted an S-class golem.”
“You’re sure this isn’t nonsense?”
“Yes, sir.”
At his subordinate’s answer, Kim Hyun-soo’s face twisted in disbelief.
He was the ruler of the West District.
Naturally, he knew better than anyone the limits of his subordinates.
The Bloody Raid Team’s leader, Oh Jin-ho, was an exceptional mechanized awakener, and his men were among the elite. But to say they had slain an S-class golem? That was difficult to believe.
At best, A-class was their limit. So to hear they had successfully hunted an S-class monster—it was shocking.
“That’s even possible?”
“They said they had help.”
“Help?”
“They ran into Zeon in the desert.”
“And Zeon assisted them with the dungeon raid?”
“Yes.”
“Then it makes sense.”
Kim Hyun-soo knew very well how strong Zeon was.
If Zeon had helped, then the Bloody Raid Team slaying an S-class golem was entirely plausible.
He had the power to do it.
“Did Zeon return with them?”
“He went back to his home.”
“I see. Take me to the Bloody Raid Team.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kim Hyun-soo immediately headed to the underground facility where the team was waiting.
As he entered, Oh Jin-ho bowed deeply.
“You’ve arrived. The Bloody Raid Team has returned from the mission. We lost five men.”
“Well done. I hear you captured an S-class golem?”
“Yes. We had no choice but to destroy the core, but the body remains intact.”
“A metal golem, then.”
“Yes, sir. A metal golem.”
“You’ve achieved something incredible.”
At his praise, Oh Jin-ho’s face lit up with pride, but he quickly composed himself and replied humbly.
“It was nothing, sir.”
“Nothing? We’ve hunted many stone golems, but never once have we captured a metal golem in one piece. This is truly an extraordinary feat.”
“Thank you.”
Kim Hyun-soo approached Atlas.
The golem had been lowered by crane, lying motionless on the floor.
Even in that state, its presence was overwhelming.
If it was this imposing without a core, he could only imagine its power when whole.
Kim Hyun-soo summoned Samjoko.
‘Samjoko.’
―Yes, Master.
‘What do you make of it?’
―I sense divinity. This is no ordinary golem. It bears holy power. It must have been a guardian of a temple.
‘Is that so?’
Kim Hyun-soo’s eyes gleamed with desire.
Divine power was an unexplained force.
They had hunted countless golems before, but never one imbued with holiness.
For the first time in the history of the West District, they had captured the body of a golem bearing divine energy intact.
It was an astonishing accomplishment.
By studying it, they might uncover the secrets of divine power. Applying that energy to their mechanical bodies would make them even stronger.
Kim Hyun-soo turned to the researchers.
“Study it as intact as possible. Focus especially on the core.”
“Yes, sir!”
The researchers answered with barely contained excitement.
Their faces already showed a hint of madness—this new discovery had ignited their thirst for knowledge.
Kim Hyun-soo smiled faintly.
‘Samjoko.’
―Yes, Master.
‘Assist in their research—but only offline. No direct contact allowed.’
―Understood.
Samjoko’s voice carried a tinge of disappointment, but Kim Hyun-soo ignored it and looked back at Oh Jin-ho.
His gaze fell upon Oh Jin-ho’s severed left arm.
It was time to give a reward.
“Go to the fifth floor. I’ll upgrade you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“And I’ll assign you a support AI.”
“Truly? Thank you so much!”
Oh Jin-ho’s voice trembled with emotion.
Receiving a support AI was every mechanized awakener’s dream.
It meant he was now recognized as one of Kim Hyun-soo’s closest aides.
Kim Hyun-soo clenched his fist and muttered,
“Our District will grow even stronger.”