Chapter 188
“Haah! Haah!”
Brielle staggered forward across the sand, breathing roughly.
Ahead of her walked Zeon and Levin, while Eloi followed behind.
Her face was flushed red under the blazing sun, and her breath was ragged, but she no longer accepted Levin’s help.
She knew that relying on others would only hinder her growth. Even if she collapsed along the way, she had resolved to walk on her own.
Levin occasionally glanced at her with concern, but he respected her decision and didn’t offer his hand.
His gaze then shifted to Zeon.
That morning, Zeon had said—
Though he couldn’t determine the exact distance, they were currently west of Neo Seoul, so they needed to head east.
He had deduced it from the constellations the night before, but he didn’t mention that part.
From behind, Eloi muttered,
“This is strange. The dungeon was definitely north of Neo Seoul, yet we ended up in the west.”
“Well, dungeons are places where common sense doesn’t really apply.”
“Who said I didn’t know that? I’m just saying it’s strange, you brat!”
“Who are you calling a brat? Then why don’t you let Mandy come out instead?”
“Mandy wouldn’t survive in this environment.”
Eloi answered firmly.
The surface temperature of the sand was easily over fifty or sixty degrees.
No matter how skilled an awakened was, it wasn’t an environment one could endure for long—let alone while walking on foot.
The fact that they were still moving was only because of their own resilience. If it had been Mandy, she would have collapsed long ago.
Eloi looked at Zeon walking ahead.
Even in such a harsh environment, he walked as if it cost him no effort at all.
It almost looked like the sand itself was carrying him.
‘What an enviable ability… a man loved by the sand…’
She didn’t envy any other awakened’s abilities—but Zeon’s was different.
Just then, Zeon suddenly stopped.
Eloi frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s an oasis.”
“An oasis? Where?”
She quickly looked around—but saw nothing.
“What? There’s nothing.”
“It’s not there yet, but it will appear soon.”
“What kind of nonsense is that…?”
Eloi looked at him with disbelief, but Zeon’s expression didn’t waver in the slightest.
“It’ll appear soon. Let’s rest for a bit.”
“Yes, hyung!”
“Yeah! We’re saved.”
Levin and Brielle believed him without a hint of doubt.
They dropped to the ground and began massaging their swollen legs.
“Whatever… I’m sitting.”
In the end, Eloi also plopped down beside them.
Whether Zeon was right or not, resting was welcome.
Levin took out some jerky from his bag and handed it around.
It was made from cultured meat, but perfect for a break like this.
As they chewed on it—
Bubble…!
Suddenly, the sand in front of them began to churn.
Like boiling water, bubbles rose up, and the sand started to part.
“What—? Is an oasis really forming?”
Eloi’s eyes widened.
Unbelievably, an oasis was actually appearing before them.
The sand receded, replaced by clear water.
“It’s an oasis!”
“Waaaa!”
Levin and Brielle shouted in excitement and ran toward it.
They had believed Zeon—but seeing it with their own eyes overwhelmed their reason.
They just wanted to plunge into the cool water and wash away the heat.
Splash!
The two jumped into the oasis almost simultaneously.
Eloi followed right after.
The water was astonishingly cold and clear.
Just immersing themselves in it felt like all the heat was leaving their bodies.
As the three swam—
they noticed something strange.
A pale white light.
It looked like a moon floating beneath the water.
Mesmerized by the sight, their eyes grew unfocused.
Even Eloi, despite her experience, was entranced.
Drawn to the light, they swam closer.
As they approached, its true form was revealed.
A massive body as large as a giant fire hyena,
a huge mouth that took up more than half its body,
and from its forehead, an antenna-like appendage tipped with a large, round lump of flesh.
The glowing orb they had mistaken for a light was that very appendage.
As the three drifted closer under its lure—
the creature opened its enormous mouth.
Unaware of the danger, they were about to be swallowed—
“Sand Maw! Snap out of it!”
Boom!
With Zeon’s shout, a thunderous impact rang out.
He had already leapt in and struck the monster that was about to devour them.
The Sand Maw, heavily hit, tried to flee into the depths—
but Zeon didn’t let it.
He rushed forward at incredible speed and delivered a powerful blow to its forehead.
Boom!
With an explosive sound, the creature’s head shattered.
Only then did the three come to their senses.
“Gasp!”
“W-what was that?!”
“A monster…!”
They scrambled out onto the sand, gasping for air.
Their faces had gone completely pale.
The realization that they had nearly been eaten alive by such a grotesque creature threw them into panic.
Just then, Zeon rose from the water.
He tossed something onto the sand.
Thud!
With a heavy sound, it slammed onto the ground—
the corpse of the Sand Maw that had nearly devoured them moments ago.
“Urgh!”
“Ugh!”
“We jumped into a place where something like that was living?”
Seeing the true form of the Sand Maw made them feel even more nauseated.
As Zeon stepped out of the water, he said,
“It’s a Sand Maw. As you saw, it’s a magical beast that creates miracles in a desert devoid of water.”
“So you’re saying that monster created the oasis?”
“That’s right. Normally, it swims through the sand, and occasionally it creates an oasis like this to lure in prey.”
“What kind of monster is that…?”
Eloi shuddered in disgust.
Her personality might have been rough, but she was still a woman—just looking at the corpse of the Sand Maw made her recoil.
“It may look grotesque, but it’s useful in many ways. Its belly hide, in particular, is soft and tough—if you make a robe out of it, it performs exceptionally well.”
“That’s…”
Just as Deioden had once taught Zeon, Zeon was now teaching them.
Brielle had already stopped retching and was staring at the Sand Maw with sparkling eyes.
“Really? It’s that good if you make something from its belly hide?”
“It’s top-tier.”
“Then give it to me. I’ll make a robe.”
“Go ahead.”
“Nice!”
Brielle cheered.
Zeon skinned the Sand Maw and handed the belly hide to her.
She carefully stored it away like a precious treasure.
Zeon then proceeded to dismantle the rest of the Sand Maw.
Levin watched the process with great curiosity.
Zeon cut the creature into manageable pieces and laid them out.
“There’s almost nothing to waste on a Sand Maw. Among them, the gallbladder is the best part. There’s no better medicine for strengthening bones and muscles. Who wants it?”
“You expect us to eat that? Ugh! No thanks.”
“I’ll pass too.”
Eloi and Brielle immediately refused.
Zeon turned to Levin.
“Is it really that good?”
“You’ll be surprised after you try it.”
“Then… I’ll eat it.”
Levin answered with a firm expression.
During this dungeon raid, he had realized how lacking he still was.
He needed to become stronger.
And to do that, he was willing to endure even worse.
Zeon handed him the large gallbladder.
“Eat every last bit.”
“All of this…?”
“Yes.”
The gallbladder Zeon had eaten in the past had been several times larger.
It was likely from a Sand Maw that had lived much longer.
Levin made a reluctant face—but soon hardened his resolve and began eating.
Like all gallbladders, it was intensely bitter.
Fortunately, it didn’t require chewing.
The moment it entered his mouth, it melted like ice cream.
It didn’t even make him feel full.
Thanks to that, Levin managed to eat the entire thing.
“All of that actually went in? That’s… weird.”
Even Levin looked at his stomach in disbelief.
Then—
A terrifying heat suddenly surged up from within him.
“Aaagh!”
Writhing in agony, Levin collapsed and screamed.
Brielle asked cautiously,
“Is he going to be okay?”
“He’ll be fine. He’ll sleep it off and be better afterward. In the meantime, let’s eat.”
“Okay!”
Zeon took out a pot from subspace and placed the freshly cut Sand Maw meat inside.
It was an enchanted item that heated itself without the need for fire.
Eloi crouched beside him and asked,
“We’re really eating this?”
“It looks like this, but it’s actually pretty tasty.”
“Wow… living long really makes you eat all kinds of things. A Sand Maw, seriously… By the way, now that it’s dead, what happens to the oasis?”
“In a few days, it’ll disappear without a trace.”
“So it won’t appear again?”
“A new one will be born and take its place soon enough. They always lay eggs in advance.”
“I see…”
Eloi nodded, learning something new.
Traveling with Zeon had taught her many things she never knew.
No one in Neo Seoul likely even knew such creatures existed.
Zeon knew countless secrets of the desert that most people never would.
She suddenly wondered just how many secrets were contained in that seemingly small head of his.
Sizzle—
In the meantime, the Sand Maw meat began to cook.
Zeon sprinkled a few spices over it, making the aroma even richer.
“Wow…”
“That smells insane.”
The two women were captivated by the savory scent.
Zeon handed them the cooked meat.
Brielle and Eloi immediately dug in, eating eagerly without hesitation.
The food Levin had brought was good—but it couldn’t compare to freshly cooked meat.
“Wow… it’s delicious. Who would’ve thought something so ugly would taste this good?”
“Guess you really can’t judge by appearance.”
Brielle and Eloi patted their full stomachs, smiling in satisfaction.
“Grrgh! Ugh—!”
Meanwhile, Levin was still rolling on the ground, screaming in pain.
Zeon chewed on the meat as he watched him.
It was a pain Zeon himself had once endured.
A pain that felt like his entire body was being torn apart and reconstructed.
But once it passed, Levin’s body would be completely transformed.
‘Endure it. This pain will make you stronger.’