Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 281

The small baby whale, with softer curves than Moby Dick, floated in the air just like its mother.

Freshly born, amniotic fluid was still trickling down the milky-white body of the newborn.

Its eyes not yet open, the baby whale responded sensitively to sounds around it, turning its head in reaction.

Though panting heavily, Moby Dick drew its fins close, intent on protecting its young.

Only then did Lee Jung-ho and Claire realize why Moby Dick had claimed this area as its territory.

“It must’ve come here to nest, to give birth.”

“When any creature gives birth, it’s at its most vulnerable, so it must’ve created a safe zone to protect itself.”

The beasts, too, must have instinctively sensed Moby Dick’s weakened state, prompting their onslaught.

Roar!

In that instant, the Grey Ogre and the other beasts attacked Moby Dick in unison.

With time, Moby Dick would regain its full strength. Once that happened, the beasts’ chance to devour Moby Dick would be lost forever.

This was their final opportunity.

The Grey Ogre struck Moby Dick’s massive body with its aura-infused club, while the Crimson Drake assaulted it with Fire Breath, and the Giant Spider bound Moby Dick’s huge form tightly with its webs.

In response, Moby Dick swung its immense tail.

At a length of 120 meters, Moby Dick’s sheer size made it a formidable weapon in its own right. But it could only move defensively, restricted by the need to shield the newborn resting beneath its pectoral fin.

The Grey Ogre and the Giant Spider seized this opening, pressing their attack.

Their target was the baby whale.

All young were vulnerabilities to their parents.

By threatening the baby, they aimed to split Moby Dick’s attention—and the tactic worked.

Moby Dick could no longer swing its tail with full force, instead pivoting its body to shield its offspring.

As Moby Dick struggled to protect its child, the three A-rank beasts and several B-rank creatures focused their assault on its body.

Crack! Thud!

Moby Dick’s thick hide was torn open, chunks of flesh ripped away.

Despite the agonizing pain, Moby Dick tenaciously shielded its young.

Having depleted its strength while creating the territory and birthing its young, Moby Dick was utterly exhausted. It couldn’t even muster a force field or use any magical abilities.

It had no choice but to withstand the beasts’ attacks with its bare body.

Screech!

The baby whale let out a feeble cry.

Although it couldn’t see or fully comprehend the danger, it instinctively sensed that both it and its mother were in peril.

Moby Dick desperately swung its tail, doing all it could to protect its child.

Crash!

The Grey Ogre, struck by Moby Dick’s tail, was sent flying and crashed into the ground. But it got back up as if nothing had happened, charging once more at Moby Dick.

The same went for the Giant Spider.

Unlike Moby Dick, the beasts’ force fields remained intact.

The fields absorbed most of the impact, allowing them to rise unscathed and resume their attack.

Again, they charged at Moby Dick.

Bang! Crack!

With every blow, more wounds appeared on Moby Dick’s body.

Roar!

Moby Dick let out a cry of pain.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Then, suddenly, Archelon moved.

With its massive frame, it intercepted the Grey Ogre and Giant Spider’s attacks.

Crash! Boom!

Archelon endured a series of blows more powerful than any it had taken before, each one drawing pained cries from the giant turtle.

The once-impenetrable shell that had protected the Mort tribe for generations began to shatter, fragments scattering in all directions.

Alarmed by the intense impacts, Pavilsia and Kailey, who had been hiding in Archelon’s shelter, rushed out.

“No!”

“Archelon, why?”

To anyone watching, it was clear that Archelon was trying to protect Moby Dick.

There was no known connection between the two creatures, no reason for Archelon to defend Moby Dick. Yet, here it was, sacrificing itself to shield the great whale.

The fragments of Archelon’s shattered shell fell to the ground.

Inside, the village nestled within Archelon’s shell was also in ruins.

Everything was being destroyed. But Archelon didn’t retreat a single step.

It was as if it had resolved to protect Moby Dick with its very life. But Archelon alone couldn’t fully shield Moby Dick from the relentless assault of so many beasts.

Roar!

The Crimson Drake’s Fire Breath struck both Archelon and Moby Dick.

Under the scorching heat of the magma-like flames, the remnants of Archelon’s shell and Moby Dick’s hide began to melt.

Even Pavilsia and Kailey leapt from Archelon’s back to escape the unbearable heat.

Thud!

The moment the two jumped down, Archelon collapsed, no longer able to withstand the punishment.

Moby Dick, too, was nearing death.

In contrast, the beasts’ confidence only grew as they continued their assault on Moby Dick and Archelon.

Watching this unfold, Lee Jung-ho turned to Claire.

“This is the perfect chance.”

“But if we do this, Moby Dick will…”

“If we’re going to take Moby Dick’s heart, we have to kill it anyway.”

Claire shut her eyes tightly at Lee Jung-ho’s cold words.

She didn’t want to harm such a magnificent and mysterious creature. But she had no other choice.

Lee Jung-ho pushed her again.

“Do it.”

“…Fine.”

In the end, Claire closed her eyes and focused on the Rainbow Pendant hanging around her neck.

The Rainbow Pendant was an S-rank item.

It could temporarily boost Claire, a mere B-rank tamer, to an S-rank level.

Drawing on the power of the Rainbow Pendant, Claire attempted to tame Moby Dick.

As her consciousness reached out to Moby Dick’s mind, she was taken aback.

‘Its willpower is overwhelming. If it hadn’t been weakened from giving birth, even the power of the Rainbow Pendant wouldn’t have been enough to tame it.’

The Rainbow Pendant’s power was immense. In the past, it had even forced a Queen Ghost Dragonfly into metamorphosis.

But even with the Rainbow Pendant, taming Moby Dick in its prime would have been impossible.

As Lee Jung-ho had said, if they didn’t do it now, they’d never get another chance to tame the enormous beast.

Drip!

Blood trickled from Claire’s nose.

Focusing so much power and concentration was taking a toll on her body.

Claire endured the pain, drawing even more strength from the Rainbow Pendant.

The S-rank item activated, emitting a vibrant red glow.

Despite using the full power of the Rainbow Pendant, Moby Dick continued to resist.

Then, the Grey Ogre leaped into the air, using Archelon’s fallen body as a springboard. Putting all its strength into one final strike, it brought its club down on Moby Dick.

Boom!

The impact was greater than any before, sending a shockwave through Moby Dick’s body.

In that fleeting moment when Moby Dick’s consciousness faltered, the Rainbow Pendant shone with an especially bright light.

At the same time, Moby Dick’s eyes turned red.

Claire had finally succeeded in taming Moby Dick.

“It… worked.”

“Now, make it rampage.”

“But…”

“Don’t make me tell you twice.”

“…Understood.”

Claire gritted her teeth and gave Moby Dick the command to go berserk.

Boom!

In an instant, a dark aura erupted from Moby Dick’s body, like the explosion of a cosmic event.

The powerful black energy surged towards the attacking beasts.

The moment it touched the Grey Ogre, its left arm was blown off. Four of the Giant Spider’s legs were severed.

The Crimson Drake, who had been breathing fire from above, lost both wings and plummeted to the ground.

The B-rank beasts were even less fortunate.

The dark energy caused them to evaporate almost instantly, leaving no trace behind.

The destruction was catastrophic.

This was Moby Dick’s unique ability—“Death’s Dominion.”

Though it bore the same name as the power wielded by Deioden, Moby Dick’s Death’s Dominion was stronger and far more immediate.

The ability, which converted Moby Dick’s life force into pure death energy, was its final defense.

After expending all its energy using Death’s Dominion, Moby Dick fell from the sky.

Crash!

The massive creature’s body slumped lifelessly to the ground.

—Screeeech!

The baby whale, having barely managed to avoid its mother’s falling form, let out a sorrowful cry.

Finally freed from the control of the Rainbow Pendant, Moby Dick turned to look at its child.

Even in its dying state, Moby Dick’s gaze held nothing but warmth for its offspring.

Then—

Roar!

The beasts, grievously wounded by Moby Dick’s power, roared and clawed their way toward it.

Though they had lost limbs, wings, and even sustained life-threatening injuries, they charged at Moby Dick with the belief that devouring it would nullify all their suffering.

A cold smile appeared on Lee Jung-ho’s lips.

This was the scenario he had been aiming for all along.

Moby Dick at death’s door, the beasts weakened.

He could already foresee the end.

“Now, destroy each other. Go ahead and tear yourselves apart, you monstrous beasts.”

“You’ve caused quite the disaster in my absence.”

A voice suddenly came from behind him. Yet Lee Jung-ho showed no surprise.

“Zeon!”

It was Zeon, who had finally arrived.

His expression hardened as he took in the brutalized forms of Moby Dick and Archelon.

With tears welling up in her eyes, Kailey turned to Zeon and spoke.

“Zeon, Archelon tried to protect Moby Dick and…”

Even without finishing, the situation was clear.

Moreover, Zeon had witnessed Claire forcibly tame Moby Dick and drive it to a rampage from afar.

In truth, he wasn’t entirely against using Moby Dick for their objective. After all, Lee Jung-ho’s goal was to obtain Moby Dick’s heart.

The problem, however, was Archelon.

Zeon knew that Archelon had come here for its sake and Pavilsia’s, yet it had been left to suffer grievous injuries without a second thought.

Zeon shot a piercing glare at Lee Jung-ho.

“I won’t be letting this go.”

“Oh? And if you won’t?”

Lee Jung-ho returned Zeon’s gaze, taunting him with an unflinching look.

His eyes, lacking any focus, glimmered with a sinister bloodlust.

Just looking at them was enough to send chills down one’s spine.

But Zeon met that gaze head-on, refusing to look away.

“There will be consequences.”

“You think you can make that happen?”

“It’s not impossible.”

“You overestimate yourself.”

“Do I?”

“That’s how it looks from where I stand.”

“And it seems to me that you put too much faith in your own abilities.”

A vein twitched in Lee Jung-ho’s forehead.

Zeon’s words had struck a nerve, challenging his pride.

While he acknowledged that Zeon, as a Sand Mage, held an undeniable advantage in the desert—having seen it with his own eyes—he didn’t believe that made Zeon invincible.

Everything had a counter.

Even the strongest had weaknesses, and every attribute faced resistance from others.

If Zeon specialized in large-scale attacks, Lee Jung-ho was a swordsman skilled in single combat.

They were complete opposites, like two sides of a coin.

While Zeon was a calamity to others, to Zeon, ‘he’ was the disaster.

The arrogance with which Zeon carried himself, unaware of this truth, almost made Lee Jung-ho pity him.

“Maybe it’s worth teaching you a lesson before I retrieve Moby Dick’s heart.”

“A lesson?”

“That’s right. A lesson in death.”

Swish!

The moment his words left his mouth, Lee Jung-ho’s sword flashed with terrifying speed. It was a lethal strike aimed at Zeon’s throat.

The sword was mere inches from Zeon’s neck when—

Boom!

Suddenly, a column of sand shot up beneath Lee Jung-ho’s feet.

The massive pillar of sand launched him far into the distance.

Effortlessly dispatching the interference, Zeon turned his gaze toward Moby Dick.

The beasts had resumed their brutal assault, tearing into both Moby Dick and Archelon.

Zeon glared coldly at the monsters.

“Sand Mixer!”

Whoooosh!

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]