Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert
Author: Woo-Gak
Chapter 469
Chapter 469
“I knew it. Did they really think I wouldn’t find something hidden like this?”
“They hid it well. If we hadn’t checked every detail, we might’ve been fooled.”
Levin and Zetoya looked down at the floor, wearing identical expressions of disbelief.
They were in the fifth floor of the building Zeon had received from the Western District.
A strange energy had been emanating from beneath the floor, and when they dug into it, a hidden magic circle was revealed.
“They carved a magic circle into the floor, then poured concrete over it. No wonder it was invisible. But to think they turned the entire building into an information transmission tower… that’s insane.”
“Well, it’s the Western District. Only they could pull something like this off. Imagine how much money this cost.”
The two shook their heads, visibly overwhelmed by the Western District’s scale and precision.
Just as Zeon and Levin had suspected, the building was full of hidden traps.
The Western District had turned the building’s steel framework itself into an antenna.
Information gathered by the magic circle on the fifth floor was transmitted directly to the Western District through the steel frame.
If Levin had gone ahead with renovations without noticing, every bit of data would have been funneled straight to the West.
Levin clicked his tongue, half in disbelief.
“They really are insane. To go this far just to dig up information about Zeon.”
“Tell me about it. Still, it’s a relief we found out before starting work. If we’d been even a little late, all our secrets would’ve gone straight to the Western District.”
“Destroy every magic circle and double-check everything. Who knows what else they might’ve hidden.”
“Got it, hyung.”
Zetoya nodded firmly.
It had been one of Zetoya’s men who first discovered the hidden circle in the building.
Recently, many newly awakened had appeared in Zetoya’s underground city.
Among them was a boy named Tenki.
Tenki was a rare detection-type awakener.
Sensitive to even the smallest fluctuations of mana, he missed nothing.
The moment he stepped into the building, he detected the Western District’s cleverly hidden magic circles.
Thanks to him, they managed to stop the information leak before construction even began.
Zetoya called out,
“Tenki!”
“Yes, hyung!”
“Check the whole building again. If anything feels even slightly off, report immediately.”
“Understood!”
Tenki gave a spirited answer and ran off.
It was his first time stepping onto the surface, and everything about the building fascinated him.
He wasn’t the only one. Every person from the underground city reacted the same way.
But just because someone had awakened didn’t mean they could all be brought up here.
This place would serve as the key link between the underground and the surface.
Only those who could be trusted were allowed access.
Thankfully, Tenki was one of them.
On the first floor, under the supervision of Aeron and Dominic, numerous workers were reinforcing the structure.
They were all people from the underground city.
Zetoya had carefully selected only those he trusted.
Since they lived underground, there was no risk of information leaking to the surface.
Besides, all the workers were awakeners.
Their ranks were low, but they were much stronger and sturdier than ordinary people, handling heavy labor with ease.
Thanks to that, the construction was progressing fast.
Then, it happened.
CRACK!
A bundle of construction materials tied by ropes slipped and came crashing down.
“Argh!”
A worker who couldn’t dodge in time was crushed beneath the falling load.
“Damn it!”
“Alonso!”
Levin and Zetoya rushed to the fallen worker.
Fortunately, despite being crushed under the heavy load, he was still breathing.
His martial-type awakening had given him a tough body, but he wouldn’t last long like this.
Just then, Lemura appeared.
“I’ll heal him. Move the debris quickly.”
“Got it.”
“Alright!”
The two immediately lifted the heavy materials off him, revealing a gruesome sight.
His lower body was completely mangled, bones piercing through flesh.
It looked like he could die any second.
At that moment, Lemura activated her healing skill.
Light flared around her body, then seeped into the worker’s wounds.
Color returned to his pale face, and his shattered lower body knit back together perfectly.
The onlookers gaped in astonishment.
“Whoa!”
“No matter how many times I see it, it’s unbelievable.”
“She really is the little saint.”
In the underground city, Lemura was known as the “Little Saint.”
She hated that nickname, but no one cared — they still called her that anyway.
“Th-thank you, Lemura!”
The worker who’d narrowly escaped death bowed deeply.
“It’s fine. Just be more careful next time.”
“Yeah… sorry for worrying you. I’ll be more cautious.”
“That’s enough then.”
Lemura smiled faintly.
The worker, fully recovered, immediately returned to work.
That was what made Lemura’s healing different from other healers.
Her restoration left no aftereffects, allowing immediate return to duty.
If she joined a dungeon raid team, awakeners could fight without fear of death.
Levin smiled at her.
“Good work.”
“It’s nothing, hehe.”
Lemura stuck out her tongue playfully.
Levin ruffled her hair once, then turned to the workers.
“Everyone, stay alert and avoid accidents. Getting hurt only slows you down.”
“Got it. We’ll be careful.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll watch ourselves.”
Even awakeners older than Levin followed his words without objection.
After that one accident, the construction became much more cautious — yet smoother as they gained experience.
In the end, the renovation was completed much sooner than expected.
In just three weeks, the building stood finished.
Levin and Zetoya toured the interior, faces filled with emotion.
The open space spanning the first through fourth floors was now filled with enormous storage racks. Supplies could be stocked in advance and sent down to the underground city whenever needed.
A new passage was also built, connecting the basement directly to the underground sewers.
A cargo elevator was installed along the passage for transport.
“Perfect.”
“Now we can move freely to the surface without worrying about being seen.”
Lemura and Zetoya’s eyes gleamed with emotion as they gazed at the completed passage.
Until now, they had to sneak up through sewer openings or manholes under the cover of night. But those days were over.
This route was clean, safe, and discreet — a priceless gift for those who lived below ground.
Levin turned to them.
“I’ll give you the sixth floor. Send up awakeners and management staff.”
“Really?”
“Zeon hyung already agreed. Use it for trade and supply work, or as an office for those who want dungeon experience.”
“Seriously?”
“Do you think I’d lie?”
“Thank you, hyung. We’ll never forget this.”
The biggest problem for awakeners from the underground city was the lack of combat experience.
There were no dungeons under Neo Seoul.
Back when the Crocodiles ran wild, they had gained experience fighting among themselves, but after Zetoya established order, such conflicts disappeared.
And with that peace, so did their chances to grow stronger.
There was no better place to build experience than a dungeon. But joining surface raid teams carried too much risk — exposure of their existence.
Now, with this building as their base, they could form their own teams, gain battle experience, and collect items safely.
“What about Zeon hyung?”
“Why?”
“I should thank him.”
“Later. He went to the Goblin Market.”
“Got it.”
Zetoya nodded and looked around the finished building.
* * *
“There are a lot more people here now.”
Zeon murmured as he walked through the Goblin Market.
Once, the market had been a secret black bazaar known only to those with the right connections.
But as Shinchon expanded and more awakeners arrived, the entry requirements loosened.
Now, any awakener without a record of serious trouble could enter freely.
Of course, anyone on the blacklist was still barred.
Thanks to that, the Goblin Market had grown into the largest awakener marketplace in the slums.
So many goods flowed through that even awakeners from Neo Seoul proper came here regularly.
Zeon strolled leisurely, observing the bustling stalls.
Then someone spotted him and called out.
“Mr. Zeon!”
A woman wearing a trench coat and fedora approached.
Zeon recognized her instantly.
“Captain Borin!”
It was Borin Stravach, commander of the Northern District’s elite unit, Blue Leaf.
Her sudden appearance made Zeon raise an eyebrow.
“How come you’re here?”
“I’m looking for someone.”
“Must be important, if Captain Borin herself is searching.”
“Yes.”
Her answer was brief — her tone left no room for more questions.
Zeon didn’t pry.
He had no interest in matters unrelated to him.
Sometimes, a little detachment was the best way to preserve peace of mind.
He simply wanted this moment of calm to last a bit longer.
Borin spoke first this time.
“You’ve been away, it seems. Haven’t seen you around lately.”
“Yes.”
Zeon gave a short reply.
There was no reason to tell an elf from Neo Seoul about his trip to El Harun.
The elves living in Neo Seoul and those of El Harun had long been separated — different environments, different cultures.
But they were still elves.
A shared bloodline meant an unspoken bond.
If Borin learned what was happening in El Harun, who knew how she or the other northern races would react.
He had no intention of stirring up trouble.
Borin studied Zeon’s face for a long moment.
She had met him several times, but he remained a complete mystery.
He possessed enough power to upend Neo Seoul’s balance of power, yet showed no ambition.
Even the chaos in the Southern District had been started by Shaorun, not Zeon himself.
To Borin, he was incomprehensible.
Humans she knew were all greedy — always striving to rise above others.
Zeon was nothing like them.
Then, suddenly—
— Captain! We’ve found the target!
A panicked voice came through Borin’s earpiece, a member of Blue Leaf’s special task force.
— Target is fleeing! Requesting immediate backup!
Borin’s expression hardened.
She gave Zeon a quick nod.
“I must go.”
“Of course. Until next time.”
No sooner had Zeon finished speaking than Borin leapt away, vanishing from sight in an instant.
Watching her disappear into the distance, Zeon muttered quietly,
“Hopefully, it’s nothing serious.”
“I knew it. Did they really think I wouldn’t find something hidden like this?”
“They hid it well. If we hadn’t checked every detail, we might’ve been fooled.”
Levin and Zetoya looked down at the floor, wearing identical expressions of disbelief.
They were in the fifth floor of the building Zeon had received from the Western District.
A strange energy had been emanating from beneath the floor, and when they dug into it, a hidden magic circle was revealed.
“They carved a magic circle into the floor, then poured concrete over it. No wonder it was invisible. But to think they turned the entire building into an information transmission tower… that’s insane.”
“Well, it’s the Western District. Only they could pull something like this off. Imagine how much money this cost.”
The two shook their heads, visibly overwhelmed by the Western District’s scale and precision.
Just as Zeon and Levin had suspected, the building was full of hidden traps.
The Western District had turned the building’s steel framework itself into an antenna.
Information gathered by the magic circle on the fifth floor was transmitted directly to the Western District through the steel frame.
If Levin had gone ahead with renovations without noticing, every bit of data would have been funneled straight to the West.
Levin clicked his tongue, half in disbelief.
“They really are insane. To go this far just to dig up information about Zeon.”
“Tell me about it. Still, it’s a relief we found out before starting work. If we’d been even a little late, all our secrets would’ve gone straight to the Western District.”
“Destroy every magic circle and double-check everything. Who knows what else they might’ve hidden.”
“Got it, hyung.”
Zetoya nodded firmly.
It had been one of Zetoya’s men who first discovered the hidden circle in the building.
Recently, many newly awakened had appeared in Zetoya’s underground city.
Among them was a boy named Tenki.
Tenki was a rare detection-type awakener.
Sensitive to even the smallest fluctuations of mana, he missed nothing.
The moment he stepped into the building, he detected the Western District’s cleverly hidden magic circles.
Thanks to him, they managed to stop the information leak before construction even began.
Zetoya called out,
“Tenki!”
“Yes, hyung!”
“Check the whole building again. If anything feels even slightly off, report immediately.”
“Understood!”
Tenki gave a spirited answer and ran off.
It was his first time stepping onto the surface, and everything about the building fascinated him.
He wasn’t the only one. Every person from the underground city reacted the same way.
But just because someone had awakened didn’t mean they could all be brought up here.
This place would serve as the key link between the underground and the surface.
Only those who could be trusted were allowed access.
Thankfully, Tenki was one of them.
On the first floor, under the supervision of Aeron and Dominic, numerous workers were reinforcing the structure.
They were all people from the underground city.
Zetoya had carefully selected only those he trusted.
Since they lived underground, there was no risk of information leaking to the surface.
Besides, all the workers were awakeners.
Their ranks were low, but they were much stronger and sturdier than ordinary people, handling heavy labor with ease.
Thanks to that, the construction was progressing fast.
Then, it happened.
CRACK!
A bundle of construction materials tied by ropes slipped and came crashing down.
“Argh!”
A worker who couldn’t dodge in time was crushed beneath the falling load.
“Damn it!”
“Alonso!”
Levin and Zetoya rushed to the fallen worker.
Fortunately, despite being crushed under the heavy load, he was still breathing.
His martial-type awakening had given him a tough body, but he wouldn’t last long like this.
Just then, Lemura appeared.
“I’ll heal him. Move the debris quickly.”
“Got it.”
“Alright!”
The two immediately lifted the heavy materials off him, revealing a gruesome sight.
His lower body was completely mangled, bones piercing through flesh.
It looked like he could die any second.
At that moment, Lemura activated her healing skill.
Light flared around her body, then seeped into the worker’s wounds.
Color returned to his pale face, and his shattered lower body knit back together perfectly.
The onlookers gaped in astonishment.
“Whoa!”
“No matter how many times I see it, it’s unbelievable.”
“She really is the little saint.”
In the underground city, Lemura was known as the “Little Saint.”
She hated that nickname, but no one cared — they still called her that anyway.
“Th-thank you, Lemura!”
The worker who’d narrowly escaped death bowed deeply.
“It’s fine. Just be more careful next time.”
“Yeah… sorry for worrying you. I’ll be more cautious.”
“That’s enough then.”
Lemura smiled faintly.
The worker, fully recovered, immediately returned to work.
That was what made Lemura’s healing different from other healers.
Her restoration left no aftereffects, allowing immediate return to duty.
If she joined a dungeon raid team, awakeners could fight without fear of death.
Levin smiled at her.
“Good work.”
“It’s nothing, hehe.”
Lemura stuck out her tongue playfully.
Levin ruffled her hair once, then turned to the workers.
“Everyone, stay alert and avoid accidents. Getting hurt only slows you down.”
“Got it. We’ll be careful.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll watch ourselves.”
Even awakeners older than Levin followed his words without objection.
After that one accident, the construction became much more cautious — yet smoother as they gained experience.
In the end, the renovation was completed much sooner than expected.
In just three weeks, the building stood finished.
Levin and Zetoya toured the interior, faces filled with emotion.
The open space spanning the first through fourth floors was now filled with enormous storage racks. Supplies could be stocked in advance and sent down to the underground city whenever needed.
A new passage was also built, connecting the basement directly to the underground sewers.
A cargo elevator was installed along the passage for transport.
“Perfect.”
“Now we can move freely to the surface without worrying about being seen.”
Lemura and Zetoya’s eyes gleamed with emotion as they gazed at the completed passage.
Until now, they had to sneak up through sewer openings or manholes under the cover of night. But those days were over.
This route was clean, safe, and discreet — a priceless gift for those who lived below ground.
Levin turned to them.
“I’ll give you the sixth floor. Send up awakeners and management staff.”
“Really?”
“Zeon hyung already agreed. Use it for trade and supply work, or as an office for those who want dungeon experience.”
“Seriously?”
“Do you think I’d lie?”
“Thank you, hyung. We’ll never forget this.”
The biggest problem for awakeners from the underground city was the lack of combat experience.
There were no dungeons under Neo Seoul.
Back when the Crocodiles ran wild, they had gained experience fighting among themselves, but after Zetoya established order, such conflicts disappeared.
And with that peace, so did their chances to grow stronger.
There was no better place to build experience than a dungeon. But joining surface raid teams carried too much risk — exposure of their existence.
Now, with this building as their base, they could form their own teams, gain battle experience, and collect items safely.
“What about Zeon hyung?”
“Why?”
“I should thank him.”
“Later. He went to the Goblin Market.”
“Got it.”
Zetoya nodded and looked around the finished building.
* * *
“There are a lot more people here now.”
Zeon murmured as he walked through the Goblin Market.
Once, the market had been a secret black bazaar known only to those with the right connections.
But as Shinchon expanded and more awakeners arrived, the entry requirements loosened.
Now, any awakener without a record of serious trouble could enter freely.
Of course, anyone on the blacklist was still barred.
Thanks to that, the Goblin Market had grown into the largest awakener marketplace in the slums.
So many goods flowed through that even awakeners from Neo Seoul proper came here regularly.
Zeon strolled leisurely, observing the bustling stalls.
Then someone spotted him and called out.
“Mr. Zeon!”
A woman wearing a trench coat and fedora approached.
Zeon recognized her instantly.
“Captain Borin!”
It was Borin Stravach, commander of the Northern District’s elite unit, Blue Leaf.
Her sudden appearance made Zeon raise an eyebrow.
“How come you’re here?”
“I’m looking for someone.”
“Must be important, if Captain Borin herself is searching.”
“Yes.”
Her answer was brief — her tone left no room for more questions.
Zeon didn’t pry.
He had no interest in matters unrelated to him.
Sometimes, a little detachment was the best way to preserve peace of mind.
He simply wanted this moment of calm to last a bit longer.
Borin spoke first this time.
“You’ve been away, it seems. Haven’t seen you around lately.”
“Yes.”
Zeon gave a short reply.
There was no reason to tell an elf from Neo Seoul about his trip to El Harun.
The elves living in Neo Seoul and those of El Harun had long been separated — different environments, different cultures.
But they were still elves.
A shared bloodline meant an unspoken bond.
If Borin learned what was happening in El Harun, who knew how she or the other northern races would react.
He had no intention of stirring up trouble.
Borin studied Zeon’s face for a long moment.
She had met him several times, but he remained a complete mystery.
He possessed enough power to upend Neo Seoul’s balance of power, yet showed no ambition.
Even the chaos in the Southern District had been started by Shaorun, not Zeon himself.
To Borin, he was incomprehensible.
Humans she knew were all greedy — always striving to rise above others.
Zeon was nothing like them.
Then, suddenly—
— Captain! We’ve found the target!
A panicked voice came through Borin’s earpiece, a member of Blue Leaf’s special task force.
— Target is fleeing! Requesting immediate backup!
Borin’s expression hardened.
She gave Zeon a quick nod.
“I must go.”
“Of course. Until next time.”
No sooner had Zeon finished speaking than Borin leapt away, vanishing from sight in an instant.
Watching her disappear into the distance, Zeon muttered quietly,
“Hopefully, it’s nothing serious.”