Chapter 460

Ziiing! Thud!

Mechanical noises echoed across the desert.

They came from the bodies of the mechanized Awakeners every time they moved.

At the center of the desert, a camp of mechanized Awakeners was bustling with activity.

Tchhk-krrng!

Suddenly, a harsh grinding sound came from one of the Awakeners’ legs.

“Damn it! Again?”

The mechanized Awakener cursed and looked down at his leg.

Sand had gotten into the joint of the machinery, causing it to malfunction.

If left unattended, the joint would wear down and lose mobility.

“I sealed it tight, but it’s still like this.”

Every mechanical joint, not just the knees, was covered with artificial skin made from the leather of demonic beasts. Yet the harsh desert climate corroded the surface, letting sand seep in through the gaps.

The desert was hostile to all humans, but to mechanized Awakeners, it was even crueler.

No matter how tightly they wrapped or sealed themselves, the cursed sand would find its way in, grinding and damaging their metal parts.

That was why mechanized Awakeners had to prepare several times more thoroughly than any other raid team before venturing into the desert. And still, problems always arose sooner or later.

Just like now.

“Damn! My elbow’s stuck too.”

“My shoulder’s stiff. I’ll need maintenance.”

From every direction came reports of malfunctions.

“Phew. This won’t be easy again.”

A man in his early forties let out a faint sigh.

His name was Oh Jin-ho.

He was the leader of the Bloody Raid Team, one of the units operated by the Western Sector.

Except for his head and heart, every part of his body was mechanical.

It hadn’t been that way from the beginning.

He had fought countless battles—against scavengers, demonic beasts, and other Awakeners—and suffered many injuries.

Whenever he was wounded beyond recovery, that part of his body had been replaced with machinery, until only his head and heart remained human.

Now, he could hardly tell whether he was still human or already a machine.

Oh Jin-ho looked down at his mechanical hand.

Unlike his subordinates, his movements were smooth and flawless.

Despite being far more mechanized than the others, he had no issues—thanks to the cloak he wore.

At a glance, it seemed ordinary, but it was an item discovered in a dungeon.

Ironically, the cloak had only one function.

No increase in defense. No temperature regulation in extreme climates.

It had only a single enchantment—Cleanliness Magic.

It repelled all external dust and kept the wearer spotless at all times, the most basic of enchantments.

Yet, paradoxically, for a mechanized Awakener like Oh Jin-ho, it was a blessing.

Thanks to the cloak’s magic, he suffered no harm from the desert sand no matter how long he stayed here.

The cloak’s enchantment protected him completely from the desert’s corrosion.

So while the mechanics scrambled to repair the others, Oh Jin-ho could rest in peace.

He clicked his tongue as he looked around.

“Tch. Another wasted trip, maybe?”

This expedition had been a serious commitment.

No worthwhile dungeon had been found near Neo Seoul, so they had traveled hundreds of kilometers to search. Yet nowhere had they found anything promising.

Even for ordinary Awakeners, such expeditions were a heavy burden. But for mechanized ones, it was especially brutal.

Their mechanical parts constantly broke down from the sand.

That was why most mechanized Awakeners stuck to the dungeons near Neo Seoul. But the ones there were fiercely contested, and the rewards were poor.

For reasons unknown, the farther from Neo Seoul a dungeon was found, the greater the reward it offered.

Oh Jin-ho turned to one of his men.

“Has the scouting team returned yet?”

“No, sir. No contact so far.”

“Seems the dungeon isn’t showing up on their detectors again. If they come back empty-handed, we’ll return to Neo Seoul.”

“You mean… just head back?”

“What choice do we have? Look at everyone.”

He gestured to the Awakeners still being repaired by mechanics. His subordinate’s face darkened.

For now, the repairs would let them move. But the longer they stayed, the more parts would fail beyond repair.

If they didn’t find a dungeon soon, withdrawal was the only choice.

“Phew. The higher-ups will flip if we come back empty again.”

“We can’t just camp here forever. I’ll take responsibility. If the scouts return with nothing, prepare to withdraw.”

“Yes, Captain.”

The subordinate answered weakly.

Raid teams earned their worth by conquering dungeons.

Repeated failure would destroy their credibility.

Oh Jin-ho was already under pressure from the upper ranks, and this might make things worse.

Then it happened.

“Captain!”

A mechanized Awakener standing guard at the perimeter called out.

“What is it?”

“There’s someone coming. A human.”

“What?”

“For real. A person is walking toward us.”

The absurd report made Oh Jin-ho leap to his feet and head for the perimeter.

Standing beside his subordinate, he saw it—someone was really approaching.

“A straggler?”

He muttered in disbelief.

Their exploration had confirmed it: within tens of kilometers, there were no other humans but them.

To reach this place from beyond that range, one would have to pass through territories swarming with demonic beasts.

An Awakener abandoned alone could never survive that.

There was a reason Awakeners traveled the desert only in teams.

No one could handle the dangers of this wasteland alone. Yet the person walking toward the Bloody Raid Team’s camp was alone.

His stride was calm and unhurried, too relaxed to belong to someone desperate or lost.

It was almost like a man taking a stroll through his neighborhood.

Oh Jin-ho barked an order.

“Suspicious target approaching. Everyone prepare for combat.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Damn!”

The Awakeners undergoing maintenance rushed to his side.

In the desert, an unknown figure almost always meant an enemy.

The silhouette drew closer.

When the face came into view, one of the mechanized Awakeners suddenly shouted,

“Huh? That’s Zeon!”

“Zeon?”

“It’s the Sand Mage, Zeon! I saw him when he entered the Western Sector.”

At his subordinate’s confident words, Oh Jin-ho frowned.

“You’re sure that’s really him?”

There wasn’t a single Awakener in Neo Seoul who didn’t know the name Zeon.

Ordinary citizens might not, but every Awakener did.

The Sand Mage had enormous influence over Neo Seoul’s Awakener society.

His movements alone could shift the balance between sectors.

Recently, the Southern Sector had suffered humiliation because of him.

Zhao Lun’s subordinate, Jang Woo-hang, had infiltrated the mana-stone power plant to steal classified data, and Neo Seoul could have been devastated—if not for Zeon’s intervention.

That incident crushed Zhao Lun’s reputation and raised Zeon’s standing to new heights.

Even though Zhao Lun later resolved it through backdoor deals, the South’s prestige never recovered.

Because of that, every sector now watched Zeon warily.

And now, that same harbinger of chaos had appeared before the Bloody Raid Team. Caution was only natural.

Oh Jin-ho gave his order.

“Hold position. No one moves until I’m done speaking with him.”

“Understood.”

His men nodded stiffly.

Meanwhile, Zeon approached the camp and stopped before Oh Jin-ho.

“Ah, I must’ve startled you. My apologies—I didn’t mean to intrude so suddenly.”

“Are you truly Zeon?”

“Yes, I am.”

“I’m Oh Jin-ho, captain of the Western Sector’s Bloody Raid Team.”

“Ah, Captain Oh Jin-ho. My apologies for the sudden visit.”

“May I ask why you came to us?”

Seeing Oh Jin-ho’s guarded expression, Zeon gave an apologetic smile.

He understood their wariness.

If someone unknown had approached his camp, he would have reacted the same.

So, calmly, he explained his situation.

“I was returning to Neo Seoul after some work up north when I spotted your group. I was glad to see familiar faces and approached without thinking.”

“So you’re just on your way back. May I ask what brought you north?”

“I went to investigate the disappearance of several Goblin Market raid teams.”

“Did you find them?”

“I couldn’t, but I discovered the cause of their deaths. I’ll report it to the Market soon.”

“A great deed, indeed. Please, come inside the camp.”

Oh Jin-ho relaxed slightly and led him in.

Anyone who acted for the sake of lost comrades deserved respect—and Zeon had no reason to lie.

“Thank you.”

Zeon entered the camp with a polite nod.

“My apologies, but as you can see, we mechanized Awakeners can’t offer much hospitality.”

Mechanized Awakeners could eat, but only small amounts.

Their main energy source was refined mana stones.

So in their camp, there was little food suitable for ordinary humans.

Zeon smiled.

“It’s fine. I brought my own provisions.”

“That’s a relief. Please, have a seat.”

Oh Jin-ho gestured to a chair.

Zeon accepted and sat down.

Inside the camp, he felt at ease.

Even alone in the desert, he rarely felt threatened—ordinary beasts couldn’t touch him, and the stronger ones he could sense and avoid easily.

As long as there was no direct hostility, he had no need to fight. That was how he had reached this place without trouble.

Still, it was comforting to meet people from Neo Seoul again.

At least they didn’t glare at him with open hatred like the nonhumans of Elharun.

That alone made him feel almost home.

Oh Jin-ho asked,

“How far did you travel?”

“Much farther than the distance between this place and Neo Seoul.”

“You went that far alone?”

“Yes.”

“My God…”

Oh Jin-ho shook his head.

For someone like him, a mechanized Awakener, such a feat was unimaginable.

Even reaching this far required countless repairs and assistance, and still they were breaking down.

To travel even farther, alone—it was something no one could hope to do.

No mechanized Awakener, no ordinary one, could manage it.

Only the Sand Mage, Zeon, could.

Once again, Oh Jin-ho was reminded of how monstrous Zeon truly was.

This time, Zeon asked,

“So the Bloody Raid Team came all this way to clear a dungeon, I assume?”

“Yes. There aren’t any decent ones left near Neo Seoul.”

“You have my respect. That’s tough work.”

“Well, it’s the job.”

Oh Jin-ho gave a weary smile.

Then—

“Sir! The scouting team is returning!”

A voice shouted from the perimeter.

In the distance, the explorers were marching back proudly.

Just from their expressions, everyone could tell.

“They found a dungeon.”

A smile crept across Oh Jin-ho’s face.