Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 296

―Beep!

In the chaotic living room, Gaia zipped through the air.

“Ahaha!”

Brielle darted after Gaia, laughing.

Their impromptu game of hide-and-seek filled the house with noise and energy.

Gaia and Brielle were never bored for long.

When Brielle worked on her alchemy research, Gaia would sit beside her, seemingly pondering alongside.

Not that Gaia could actually help—she simply perched there, her presence alone sparking ideas for Brielle.

When Brielle’s short bursts of concentration ended, they would run around the room, playing together.

Watching Gaia flit about the small house, Zeon couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

A creature born to soar freely was confined to a cramped space—it was tragic.

Zeon stood up and spoke.

“Let’s go out today.”

“Huh? Where to?”

“Somewhere Gaia can fly freely, and you can run around to your heart’s content.”

“Is there such a place?”

“We’ll find one.”

“Then let’s go!”

―Beep!

Brielle and Gaia answered in unison.

Zeon chuckled as he donned his robe.

Brielle put on her pointed hat and robe, ready to leave.

Gaia slipped into Zeon’s subspace temporarily.

With everything prepared, they left the house.

The two quickly exited the slums and headed into the desert.

Once they were far enough that Neo Seoul was no longer in sight, Zeon opened his subspace to let Gaia out.

―Beep!

Gaia chirped happily, clearly delighted to be in the vast desert.

She flew circles around Zeon and Brielle, reveling in her newfound freedom. Watching Gaia, Zeon regretted not bringing it out sooner.

Brielle, too, laughed joyfully as Gaia darted through the sky.

“Gaia!”

Brielle spread her arms wide, chasing after her.

Gaia swished her tail and fins playfully, staying just out of reach.

Both were clearly enjoying themselves.

But this place was still too close to Neo Seoul.

There was a chance someone passing by could see them and report it to City Hall.

They needed to go somewhere completely out of sight.

Zeon said.

“Let’s go a bit farther.”

“Okay!”

―Beep!

Again, Brielle and Gaia answered in sync.

Gaia then turned its gaze to Brielle.

―Beep!

“Huh? You want me to ride on your back?”

―Beep-beep!

“Really? Are you sure?”

―Beep-beep-beep!

“Alright! But if I’m too heavy, you have to let me know.”

Gaia nodded her large head as if to say she understood.

Cautiously, Brielle climbed onto Gaia’s back.

Even with her weight, Gaia flew smoothly, unaffected.

Zeon used his Sand Stride to move ahead, and Gaia, carrying Brielle, followed behind.

On Gaia’s back, Brielle stretched out her arms, feeling the wind rush past.

“Woohoo! Can’t you go any faster?”

―Beep!

Gaia picked up speed, swiftly overtaking Zeon and soaring high into the sky.

Using some unknown principle, Gaia flew effortlessly, unaffected by gravity, as though she were swimming through water.

As she ascended higher, Gaia climbed rapidly into the sky.

“Whoa!”

Brielle felt the immense pressure bearing down on her, but it didn’t last long. Soon, breathing became easier.

It was clear Gaia’s powers were protecting her.

No longer bothered by the pressure or wind, Brielle hugged Gaia’s head and whispered.

“You’re amazing! Thanks, Gaia, for giving me such an incredible experience.”

―Beep!

“But we’re so high up now. Zeon might not be able to keep up. Let’s go back down.”

“I’m fine. Keep flying.”

Brielle turned in surprise at the sound of Zeon’s voice nearby.

To her shock, Zeon was flying alongside them, riding the sand currents.

“What? You can fly too?”

“As long as I ride the sand, I can.”

“That’s so unfair!”

Brielle couldn’t help but blurt out her feelings.

Just then, Zeon’s expression hardened.

“Monsters.”

“What?”

Brielle turned her gaze forward, startled.

In the distance, dark shapes sped toward them with terrifying speed.

Whirring!

Though still far away, the sound of their wings filled the air, ominous and loud.

Zeon furrowed his brow.

“Bullet Hummingbirds.”

“Bullet what?”

“Bullet Hummingbirds. Low-rank monsters that self-destruct like bombs when they hit their target.”

Bullet Hummingbirds, as their name suggested, flapped their wings at an incredible speed and lived hundreds of meters above the ground.

They never descended to the surface, so ordinary people didn’t even know they existed.

Even among Awakened, few knew about them. Zeon was one of the only exceptions.

The reason was simple—anyone who encountered them didn’t live to tell the tale.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Bullet Hummingbirds struck with the speed of bullets, colliding with Gaia and Zeon and exploding on impact.

Though individually weak, the sheer number of them made them deadly. Thousands of them striking like bullets could shred anything without a defensive barrier.

Thankfully, even as a juvenile, Gaia could deploy a protective field.

Thanks to this, Gaia and Brielle remained unharmed despite dozens of small explosions.

“What about Zeon?”

Brielle quickly looked toward him.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Explosions erupted around Zeon as well, but the Bullet Hummingbirds failed to harm him.

A swirling barrier of sand enveloped Zeon, stopping the attacks before they could reach him.

The hummingbirds collided with the sand shield and exploded harmlessly.

Zeon called out to Brielle.

“It’s too dangerous to keep flying at this height. Let’s go down.”

“Okay!”

―Beep!

Gaia and Zeon gradually descended toward the ground.

Once on solid ground, Brielle slid off Gaia’s back and clutched her chest in relief.

“Wow! I thought I was going to die!”

―Beep!

“Thanks, Gaia. You saved us.”

―Beep-beep!

“Who would’ve thought something so terrifying lived up there? I had no idea.”

Brielle looked up at the sky.

From the ground, the swarm of Bullet Hummingbirds was no longer visible.

Had she not experienced their attack firsthand, she wouldn’t have believed such dangerous creatures lived so high above.

She turned to Zeon.

“Do a lot of monsters live in the sky?”

“Monsters live at different heights depending on their strength.”

“What do you mean?”

“The lowest levels are inhabited by insect-type monsters. Higher up, you get things like those hummingbirds. The strongest monsters live at the highest altitudes.”

“Yikes!”

“In some ways, the monsters in the sky are more dangerous than those on the ground. They’re extremely territorial and hate intruders more than anything. Their territory is also much larger than ground-dwelling monsters’. It seems this whole area is part of the Bullet Hummingbirds’ domain.”

“Do they ever come down to the ground? Or do they spend their whole lives up there?”

“Those hummingbirds? They’re born in the sky and die in the sky.”

“How is that even possible? Don’t they ever need to rest on the ground?”

“I wonder about that too.”

Even for monsters, those that lived in the sky defied common sense.

Unlike ground or subterranean monsters, their ecosystem was a complete mystery.

This was why Zeon rarely used his ability to ascend into the sky.

There was no telling what might appear, and it wasn’t worth the risk.

For him, the vast skies remained an unknown frontier.

Zeon patted Gaia’s head and said.

“Until Gaia grows up, we should avoid flying too high.”

“Agreed.”

―Beep!

Once Gaia fully matured, even the most fearsome sky-dwelling monsters wouldn’t pose a threat. But who knew when she would reach the size of her parent, Moby Dick?

Brielle glanced around and asked.

“By the way, where are we?”

Caught up in their excitement, they had strayed far from Neo Seoul.

“We’re probably a few hundred kilometers away from the city.”

“Wow! We came that far in such a short time?”

―Beep?

Both Brielle and Gaia were stunned.

Zeon smiled.

“Don’t be so surprised. Flying cuts down time and distance.”

“So how do we get back? Are we flying again?”

“Gaia seems a bit shaken. Let’s walk back.”

“That’ll take ages.”

“We have nothing but time.”

“Well, I guess we can treat it like a picnic. Walking doesn’t sound so bad.”

Brielle nodded, agreeing with the plan.

For ordinary people, walking hundreds of kilometers would be a monumental challenge, but neither Zeon nor Brielle were ordinary.

They were also used to traveling through the desert.

“Let’s go!”

“Okay!”

The two started walking.

Zeon led the way, determining their direction.

Brielle followed, chatting endlessly with Gaia, ensuring the journey was anything but dull.

“That was amazing. The Bullet Hummingbirds were scary, but flying through the sky was unforgettable.”

―Beep!

“You want to go again?”

―Beep-beep-beep!

“Maybe when you’re a bit bigger. It’s too dangerous for now.”

―Beep!

“You think it’s fine? No way! We shouldn’t take unnecessary risks. Life is precious.”

Brielle gently comforted Gaia.

The sight of the little Elf chatting with the flying whale was endlessly endearing.

Even under the blazing sun, the walk wasn’t boring.

“Huh?”

Just then, Zeon sensed something strange.

A peculiar sensation tickled the soles of his feet, prompting him to stop and look down.

“What is it?”

―Beep?

Brielle and Gaia turned to him curiously.

Zeon tilted his head and replied.

“I think there’s a dungeon beneath us.”

“A dungeon?”

―Beep?

“Want to check it out?”

“Yes!”

―Beep!

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]