Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 254

One of the reasons Neo Seoul was able to become a hyper-advanced civilization in a ruined world was its problem-solving capabilities.

When clearing dungeons or crossing deserts, countless challenges arise.

Unexpected traps, completely new types of monsters, powerful barriers, and beasts with unimaginable strength.

Each time, Neo Seoul accumulated data and worked tirelessly to solve these problems.

There were times when they failed, but there were also times when they succeeded.

Through repeated failures and successes, vast amounts of data were gathered, and research produced results.

The barrier that the murderer had set up in the basement of the restaurant was one of those results.

Although it was not widely known, twenty years ago, a Neo Seoul exploration team was nearly wiped out while attempting to clear an unnamed dungeon.

The dungeon boss at the time was a Specter.

A new type of monster, immune to all physical attacks.

Without any knowledge of Specters, the raid team was almost completely annihilated. Only one survivor remained, the lowest-ranking member of the team.

He had only survived because he was at the very back of the group.

He reported the tragedy to Neo Seoul, and naturally, the city began research to find a way to deal with Specters. After years of study, they developed a barrier to neutralize them.

The barrier Neo Seoul created would form an invisible wall around the Specter, trapping it. Not only that, but it also disrupted the mana within the barrier, causing it to clash with the Specter’s own mana.

As the mana collided, it would destabilize the Specter from within, leading to its collapse.

In short, it forcibly destroyed the creature.

Using this method, Neo Seoul successfully killed the Specter and cleared the dungeon.

Since then, no dungeons with Specters as bosses had appeared, and the barrier was locked away in a Neo Seoul research facility, forgotten by most.

After being humiliated by Levin, the murderer researched how to fight him.

Already unhinged, the murderer became obsessed with finding a way to counter Levin. Eventually, he discovered the long-forgotten barrier in the city’s archives.

“This thing…”

Levin’s face hardened as he tried to escape the barrier.

He could feel the mana clashing within his body.

Whenever he attempted to move in his ghost form, the internal and external mana would collide, causing damage to his body.

The larger his movements, the more violent the mana clash became.

“Ugh!”

As blood trickled from Levin’s lips, the murderer smiled wickedly.

“How does it feel? Like your entire body is being torn apart?”

“You son of a bitch!”

“That name always sounds so sweet. A name bestowed by someone else.”

“How messed up do you have to be to end up like this?”

“Messed up? I was made this way from the start.”

“Who did it? Who made you…?”

“Oh, planning to get revenge if you find out?”

“Yeah, I’ll kill whoever created you along with you.”

“Heh heh! Big ambitions. I like that. Maybe you’re more like me than you think.”

“You sick freak! Stop talking nonsense.”

“Stop? I’ve only just begun.”

The murderer pulled a large blade from behind his back.

It was a crude, oversized weapon that resembled a long cleaver, with jagged saw-like teeth lining the edge.

“This is another masterpiece made in Neo Seoul. It’s a weapon designed for hunting large monsters. It’s called the Titan Killer. Pretty impressive, right?”

“Shut up, you son of a bitch!”

Despite his words, Levin was on edge.

In his ghost form, a weapon like that wouldn’t have posed a threat. But with his phasing ability sealed, it had become a serious danger.

Levin suddenly smirked.

“Damn it! Since when did I ever rely on ghosting?”

Before his awakening, he’d fought countless battles.

He may not have faced monsters like the murderer, but he had plenty of experience fighting humans.

His muscles had been torn, his bones broken more times than he could count.

And he had endured all that pain without relying on any special abilities.

Since awakening his ghosting power, he hadn’t experienced such brutal fights in a while, and he had forgotten just how fiercely he had lived.

“You son of a bitch! Go ahead and start digging your grave now. I’m not letting you leave alive.”

Levin deactivated his ghosting ability.

Seeing Levin solidify, the murderer grinned maliciously.

He had successfully sealed his opponent’s greatest weapon.

As he approached, the murderer spoke.

“I’ll carve you up nice and pretty.”

“Keep dreaming, you freak.”

Levin mocked him as he walked toward the murderer.

Luckily, the barrier didn’t seem to affect physical bodies, as Levin felt no hindrance.

Now, the conditions were even.

It would be a fight to the death, where only the stronger, tougher man would survive.

“Heh heh! Let’s begin, pretty boy!”

Whoosh!

The murderer grinned wickedly as he swung the Titan Killer.

Levin ducked, narrowly avoiding the blade. A chill ran down his spine as the Titan Killer passed by.

Had it even grazed him, it would have ripped his flesh apart instantly.

It was a truly vicious weapon.

Levin immediately counterattacked.

Crackle!

As he unleashed his Purple Lightning, the murderer’s body sparked with electricity.

The artificial arm the murderer wielded had its own built-in electrical generator.

Zap! Zap!

Purple Lightning clashed with white electricity, causing all the electrical systems in the basement to short out.

Levin was a B-rank Awakened.

On the other hand, the murderer was only a D-rank at best.

Though he claimed his rank had increased, it was likely only up to C-rank.

By all accounts, Levin should have been able to overpower him. Yet, the murderer was holding his own against Levin’s Purple Lightning.

Levin quickly realized why.

“You’re decked out in gear.”

“Heh heh! Took you long enough to figure that out.”

The murderer sneered at Levin.

Every piece of equipment the murderer wore had been specially crafted in a workshop. Made from the remains of monsters and advanced materials, the gear had extremely high resistance to electricity.

That was why Levin’s attack had barely affected him.

“This son of a bitch…”

Levin gritted his teeth.

He was dealing with a truly deranged, yet frighteningly intelligent enemy.

It was the worst combination.

Levin found himself wondering which lab had created this monster.

Thunk!

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his thigh.

The murderer had struck with the Titan Killer, tearing a chunk of muscle from Levin’s leg the size of a child’s fist.

Blood gushed out in torrents.

“Damn it…”

Cursing his carelessness, Levin retreated, trying to tear off his clothing to stop the bleeding. But the murderer wasn’t going to let him do that.

Like a hyena that had caught the scent of blood, the murderer relentlessly pursued Levin.

Still smarting from the beating Levin had given him before, the murderer wasn’t about to give him any leeway.

“Heh heh! Time to die!”

The murderer swung the Titan Killer at Levin again.

Levin rolled across the floor, unleashing another burst of Purple Lightning. But once again, the murderer was unaffected. Levin didn’t despair, though.

At least the attack bought him some time.

Crackle!

Levin used his own lightning to cauterize the wound on his thigh.

The acrid smell of burnt flesh rose as smoke curled from the seared skin.

Unable to properly stop the bleeding, he had resorted to burning the wound shut with high-voltage electricity.

The murderer’s face twisted in disbelief.

“This crazy bastard…”

“To catch a crazy bastard, you have to become one.”

By now, Levin’s face was twisted with madness.

His deranged expression was so intense that even the murderer flinched.

“You’re one tough son of a bitch.”

“Thanks for the compliment, you bastard!”

Levin launched himself at the murderer again.

Boom!

The two clashed once more.

* * *

Boom! Thud!

The entire building where Jung-hee’s Restaurant was located shook as if hit by an earthquake.

“What the hell?”

“Damn it!”

The people inside the building ran outside in a panic.

Thud!

The building looked like it was about to collapse at any moment, leaving the crowd outside in a state of shock.

Then it happened.

Boom!

With a deafening explosion, the wall of Jung-hee’s Restaurant was blown out.

Though the entire building didn’t collapse, the restaurant and the surrounding area were completely devastated.

“Ahh!”

“An explosion! Call for help!”

“Get the control room on the line!”

The sudden explosion sent the crowd into chaos, scattering in all directions.

Amidst the destruction of the restaurant, two figures emerged from the wreckage.

They were none other than Levin and the murderer, who had been battling in the basement.

Both men were barely standing, their bodies battered and bloody, as if they had been bathed in blood.

It was a wonder they were still alive after sustaining such severe injuries.

“Damn…”

With a thud, the murderer suddenly dropped to his knees, glaring at Levin. A massive sword had pierced his chest.

It was the very weapon he had been using, the Titan Killer.

After a brutal fight, Levin had managed to take the murderer’s own weapon and stab him through the chest.

“Hah… Hah…”

Levin, panting heavily, fell to one knee.

His body was in just as terrible a state as the murderer’s. It was a miracle he was still alive. Despite the pain, he kept his gaze fixed on the murderer.

He couldn’t afford to let his guard down, not even for a second. He had a feeling that if he did, the murderer would somehow escape.

The fight in the basement had been nothing short of grueling.

The fight in the basement had been relentless.

The murderer had rigged the entire space with traps and weapons, turning every moment into a deadly challenge for Levin.

At every critical juncture, the murderer had triggered traps to launch surprise attacks on Levin. Each time, Levin had come face to face with death.

But in the end, it was Levin who triumphed.

He had managed to wrench the Titan Killer from the murderer’s grasp and drive it through his chest.

The massive sword now impaled the murderer, and blood spilled from his mouth in thick spurts.

Despite the murderer’s tenacious, cockroach-like resilience, even he couldn’t survive such a grave injury.

“Hah… ha… ha…”

The murderer let out a raspy laugh, as though he couldn’t believe his own predicament. Blood bubbled from his throat, mixed with pieces of flesh.

Levin, crawling toward the murderer, cursed under his breath.

“You son of a bitch… Try running away again.”

“Heh heh… I don’t have… the strength left to run. You’ve won… kid.”

“Win? Do you think I fought to win? This wasn’t about winning or losing. This was about revenge, you son of a bitch.”

“You may feel that way, but I don’t. I had… fun… For the first time in a long time, I felt my blood boil.”

“Let me ask you one last time. Where’s the lab that made you?”

“Why…? So you can take revenge for me?”

“Revenge? You think you’re worth it? I’m just curious. I want to know which bunch of lunatics thought it was a good idea to create a monster like you.”

“Should I tell you…? Will you spare me if I do?”

At that moment, Levin grabbed the handle of the Titan Killer and twisted it sharply.

“Arrrgh!”

The murderer screamed in excruciating pain, his voice ripping through the air.

“No thanks! I’ll figure it out on my own, you son of a bitch.”

“Heh heh… damn it…”

“Go to hell.”

With that, Levin yanked the Titan Killer from the murderer’s chest. The jagged teeth of the blade tore through the murderer’s heart, causing blood to gush out in torrents.

The murderer, still smiling faintly, looked at Levin one last time before collapsing to the ground.

That was the end of him.

Levin used the Titan Killer as a crutch to pull himself to his feet.

For a moment, he stood there, gazing down at the murderer’s lifeless body.

Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he raised the Titan Killer high above his head, preparing to sever the murderer’s head.

Just then, a voice called out from behind him.

“That’s far enough.”

The voice was trying to stop him.

Without even turning around, Levin replied coldly.

“Fuck you.”

Shink!

With one swift motion, Levin swung the Titan Killer, slicing through the murderer’s neck.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]