The Scorched Desert's Sand Mage (Novel) - Chapter 100

Chapter 100

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Translated by Pratt

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Zeon was a powerhouse of the desert. In the desert, there was nothing Zeon feared. Neither the demonic beasts roaming the sands nor the unknown monsters dwelling underground could inspire fear in him. But this megacity, which he was experiencing for the first time, gave Zeon a vague sense of fear. The giant wall surrounding Neo Seoul had always been, to Zeon, a wall of absolute despair that could never be crossed. He had known that beyond that wall there existed a new world.

But he had never been granted the qualification to pass through that enormous gate.

That was why Neo Seoul had felt like a mirage.

The fact that he was now inside that Neo Seoul still did not feel real.

It felt like that hazy state just before waking from a dream.

But Zeon quickly regained himself.

“I’ve become sentimental too.”

With a faint laugh, Zeon resumed walking.

The Neo Seoul he saw with his own eyes was immense.

It was far bigger and more dazzling than he had vaguely imagined from outside.

The streets stretched straight like a checkerboard, and every block was packed full of tall buildings.

Large and small vehicles moved along the roads, while colorful signs and dazzling electronic displays filled his vision.

For someone entering for the first time, it would have been the perfect place to lose their destination and wander.

But Zeon walked without hesitation.

That was because he had already learned the geography of Neo Seoul through Mandy and Kim Sang-sik.

Neo Seoul was broadly divided into five districts.

There was the central district where City Hall stood, along with the east, west, south, and north districts.

The central district, where City Hall stood, was the true heart of Neo Seoul.

Every road in Neo Seoul led toward this central district, and from the central district, roads spread out like a web into each district.

There were no fixed official borderlines between the districts.

People simply understood them implicitly, in the sense of “this is the northern district” or “that is the southern district.”

The place Zeon was headed to was the boundary region between the central district and the eastern district.

This area, crowded with apartment buildings, was where ordinary citizens mostly lived.

Apartments, whether in the past or now, offered optimal conditions for ordinary citizens to live in.

That was because they were structures capable of packing the largest number of ordinary people onto limited land.

At a glance, they did not seem much different from the buildings in the slum.

But in terms of convenience, security, and comfort, they were incomparably superior.

“So this is the place.”

Zeon walked toward one of the towering apartment buildings.

“You there, stop.”

But before he could even pass the main entrance, someone blocked his way.

It was one of the guards protecting the apartment.

The guard was armed with a personal firearm.

It would not be very useful against demonic beasts or Awakened, but it was more than enough to intimidate ordinary people.

Guards like this were stationed in every apartment complex and public area.

They strictly controlled access.

Looking Zeon up and down, the guard said, “I’ve never seen your face before. What business do you have here?”

“I’ve come to meet someone.”

“Who?”

“Mandy Systein. She lives in this apartment.”

“Do you have a prior appointment?”

“No.”

“Then you can’t enter.”

“Could you contact her for me?”

At Zeon’s words, the guard frowned and answered, “Unless someone contacts us directly from inside, I cannot let anyone in.”

“I’m an acquaintance of hers. If you contact her, she’ll definitely tell you to let me in.”

“Hmph. There are no exceptions.”

The guard snorted dismissively.

At a glance, it was obvious he was looking down on Zeon.

Within an apartment complex, the authority of the guards was fairly great.

If a guard responsible for safety did not permit entry, one simply could not get in.

Zeon wore a troubled expression.

He had not anticipated running into an obstacle right at the entrance to the apartment building.

He could have subdued the guard and entered, if he wished.

But that would attract attention from the surroundings.

“Tsk.”

It was just as Zeon clicked his tongue and glanced around.

Boom!

Suddenly, flames shot up not far from the apartment, along with an explosive roar.

At once, the guard’s expression changed completely.

“Fuck. Again?”

“What do you mean, again?”

“You don’t know? It’s a district war.”

The guard snapped irritably at Zeon’s question.

“A district war? You mean the districts fight each other?”

“Fuck. Are you asking because you really don’t know? This happens every day here.”

“Hm.”

Zeon’s gaze sank deeply.

To be honest, from the slum, Neo Seoul had looked extremely peaceful.

It had seemed like the kind of place where no conflict could possibly exist.

But this too was a place where humans lived.

Just like in the slum, conflicts between humans were happening here as well.

The only places where such conflicts were allowed, however, were the four districts of east, west, south, and north.

No power and no human was permitted to cause trouble in the central district where City Hall stood.

If trouble broke out in the central district, Awakened directly under City Hall would be dispatched immediately to suppress it.

And if the problem was judged severe, the execution squad directly under the Mayor would move.

The moment the execution squad moved, a bloody storm swept through Neo Seoul.

No matter how powerful the rulers of the four districts were, they could not ignore the execution squad.

The execution squad was made up of Awakened from at least A-rank up to S-rank, each possessing extraordinary traits.

That was why even the rulers of the districts found the execution squad unsettling.

Boom!

Another huge explosion erupted.

The flames that shot high into the sky dyed the heavens of Neo Seoul red.

But this explosion occurred much closer than the one before.

The guard stared tensely toward the source of the blast.

“Fuck. What if this fight ends up dragging all the way over here?”

The guards existed to block outside threats, but they had no ability to stop battles between Awakened.

At that moment, another explosion went off.

Bang!

“Kraaak!”

“Ugh. That crazy bitch… Run!”

After that came the urgent screams of people.

A little while later, the commotion suddenly died down as though it had never happened.

“Is it… over?”

Loosening his grip on his gun, the guard muttered.

By now, his whole body was soaked in sweat.

That was how tense he had been.

Just then, “Damn it. What a mess because of those bastards.”

Grumbling, someone walked over from that direction.

A woman approached, wiping blood from her hair and shoulders, with a large spear in her hand.

When she touched the shaft of the spear, the spearhead folded inward and it transformed into a short baton.

After hanging the baton behind her waist, she briskly wiped the blood off herself with her hand.

“This is disgusting. First thing I’m doing is taking a bath.”

Still complaining, she approached the apartment entrance where Zeon and the guard were standing.

A smile touched Zeon’s lips.

“Long time no see.”

“Who? Huh! Why are you here?”

The woman’s eyes widened into circles as she looked at Zeon.

Zeon walked up to her.

“Mandy. Or is it Eloy right now?”

“Wow. Fuck. So it really is you. I’m not seeing things.”

“Then it’s Eloy. So the fight just now really was yours.”

“Ah. I had a clash with some elf bastards. More importantly, how’d you get in here?”

“I came to see you.”

“Really? Then let’s go inside first.”

Eloy led Zeon toward the apartment entrance.

Gulp.

Seeing that, the guard swallowed dryly.

That was because if Eloy found out he had blocked Zeon, there was no telling what sort of wrath would fall on him.

At a glance, Eloy looked strong.

Those wild eyes, the overwhelming force radiating from her whole body, and the blood staining her from head to toe were far too intimidating for an ordinary guard to handle.

At that moment, Zeon lightly patted the guard’s shoulder.

“Relax. Nothing’s going to happen.”

“Y-yes. Yes, sir.”

“I can go in now, right?”

“Of course.”

The guard answered loudly.

Smiling slightly, Zeon passed him.

Eloy asked Zeon, “Did something happen here?”

“No.”

“Hmph. Really?”

“More importantly, you said you fought with elves?”

“Yeah. Those bastards have been causing problems more and more lately.”

“Is the northern district the problem?”

“Who knows. I don’t know whether the Ice Queen is leaving it alone, or whether they’re acting on their own outside her control, but it’s true they’ve been causing a lot more trouble lately.”

When she spoke of the elves, Eloy’s eyes flashed sharply.

Her hatred toward elves remained as strong as ever.

Click.

“This is my home.”

She said it as she opened the apartment door.

Eloy’s home was about the same size as Zeon’s.

The inside was bare, without common decorations.

Only the furniture and appliances strictly needed were there, making it feel bleak.

“Not much to look at, is it?”

At that moment, Eloy’s tone changed.

A different personality had surfaced.

But Zeon was not surprised.

“Mandy?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry for dropping by so suddenly.”

“It’s alright. But what brings you all the way here?”

“I came because I have a favor to ask.”

At Zeon’s polite words, Mandy wore an intrigued expression.

That was because the Zeon she knew was not someone who asked favors lightly.

“What sort of favor?”

“Find out about a man named Tajik for me.”

“Tajik? Is that a person’s name?”

“Yes.”

“Anything else?”

“At present, that’s all I know. Just the name.”

“Hmm.”

Mandy furrowed her brow.

More than twenty million people lived in Neo Seoul.

To find someone named Tajik among them was close to impossible.

That would have been true for an ordinary person, at least.

Mandy was not ordinary.

She was acknowledged for her abilities even within Neo Seoul and worked as a supervisor.

If she wished, she could access the central district database at any time.

Of course, she would have to accept a certain amount of risk.

After organizing her thoughts for a moment, she answered carefully, “Alright. I’ll look into it.”

“Really? Thank you.”

“I owe you a debt too.”

If not for Zeon, she would never have survived in the desert.

It felt easier to repay that debt through this opportunity.

“How long do you think it’ll take to find out?”

“It shouldn’t take very long. If he’s an important or dangerous person, his information will be in City Hall’s records.”

“Really?”

“At the latest, I’ll find out by tomorrow afternoon. Stay here until then.”

“I can’t impose on you that much. Is there somewhere nearby I can stay?”

“Two blocks north, there’s a fairly large hotel. As long as you don’t go into the casino in the basement, it’s a decent enough place to stay.”

“A casino? They have something like that too?”

“It’s mostly the people who can afford to eat and live comfortably who go there. Then they ruin themselves. So the best thing is not to go in there in the first place.”

“Understood. Then I’ll stay at the hotel, so contact me as soon as you find out anything.”

“I will.”

After giving Mandy a slight bow of thanks, Zeon left.

He headed toward the hotel Mandy had told him about.

Two blocks to the north, a beautiful building made entirely of reinforced glass came into view.

It was the hotel Mandy had mentioned.

Zeon entered the hotel.

A great many people were moving about the hotel lobby.

Since there was a casino in the basement, it naturally drew a fair number of visitors.

It was just as Zeon made his way through the crowd toward the front desk.

“Hm?”

A strange light entered Zeon’s eyes.

What caught his eye was a group of Awakened walking toward him.

A middle-aged man carrying a huge claymore on his back, a cynical-looking man following behind him, a blue-haired woman, and an enormous giant.

Zeon recognized them at a glance.

‘The world really is small.’