Chapter 271

Pabilsa stroked Arkelon’s head.

“Arkelon!”

Arkelon closed his eyes as he felt Pabilsa’s touch.

The wrinkled old man and the aged turtle remained pressed against each other, sharing a deep communion for a long while.

Claire watched Pabilsa and Arkelon with her hands tightly clasped together.

Just witnessing a magical beast that had become a spiritual creature communicating with a human filled her chest with emotion.

Someday, she too wished to grow old while sharing such a bond with a magical beast like that.

‘Escaping this hellhole is the problem, though…’

She owed Jin Geumho and Sicheong a tremendous debt.

Whether she could ever repay it even if she worked her entire life was uncertain.

Until then, she had no choice but to do whatever Jin Geumho ordered like a slave.

Blue light flowed out from Pabilsa’s body and was absorbed into Arkelon, who had been sharing communion with him for a long time.

At once, a bit of vitality returned to Arkelon’s eyes.

Pabilsa had used the Cure skill to restore Arkelon’s life force.

It was a skill that only high-ranking tamers could use.

Just like Claire, Pabilsa also possessed the Cure skill.

‘Thank goodness. If the two of us take turns treating him, we can buy more time.’

It was impossible to care for such an enormous turtle alone.

Only if Pabilsa and Claire alternated using the Cure skill would they barely be able to reach their destination.

Of course, that assumed nothing unexpected happened along the way.

Pabilsa spoke to Zeon.

“Let’s depart before Arkelon’s stamina falls any further.”

“Yes! Let’s go.”

Zeon and the others followed Pabilsa and Kaylie onto Arkelon’s shell.

The Mote tribe, who originally lived in the village inside Arkelon’s shell, had temporarily relocated to the Iron Fortress.

Since they could not recklessly predict Arkelon’s fate, they decided to remain at the Iron Fortress and wait for his return.

For them as well, it was an unavoidable choice.

That was how dangerous Arkelon’s journey was this time.

Dangerous enough that no one could confidently say he would return alive.

“Amazing! To think an entire village exists inside a turtle’s shell.”

Lee Jeongho naturally let out an exclamation as he looked around inside Arkelon’s shell.

He had heard that Arkelon was a mobile fortress, but he had never imagined the village inside would be this vast.

He had already been amazed when entering the Iron Fortress, but the inside of Arkelon was even more astonishing.

It was so fully equipped that it was hard to believe it existed inside a living creature.

“No wonder they call it a mobile fortress.”

“They’re called the Mote tribe, right? I can understand how they’ve lived on Arkelon’s back for decades. I’m even jealous.”

Claire truly looked envious.

Pabilsa and Arkelon had long surpassed the relationship of tamer and tamed magical beast. They were like old friends.

Just by looking at the way they gazed at each other, one could tell how deep their bond was.

‘Someday, I hope I can form such a deep bond with a magical beast like Arkelon…’

Kuuwooooh!

As if saying he was ready, Arkelon released a massive roar.

“Alright! Let’s go.”

At Pabilsa’s words, Arkelon slowly began to walk.

Slow by Arkelon’s standards, but from a human perspective, it was incredibly fast.

Thud! Thud!

Every time Arkelon moved his massive legs, heavy booming sounds rang out and clouds of dust rose into the air.

“To think I’d ride on the back of a giant turtle in my lifetime.”

Lee Jeongho muttered while sitting in a chair.

It was so comfortable that it hardly felt like they were riding on a giant turtle. With a mount like this, it felt as though even the deepest desert could be crossed without hardship.

Zeon also sat by a window, gazing at the scenery outside.

Several windows had been built into Arkelon’s shell, allowing a clear view of the outside.

Normally they remained open, but in a crisis, the shell would shift and completely seal off the exterior.

In a way, it was the safest and most perfect means of transportation in the world.

Even the various vehicles made in Neo Seoul did not possess such durability and defensive capability.

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Zeon stroked Arkelon’s shell and murmured,

“How long can you endure? I hope you can hold on until the end.”

“He will endure.”

The one who answered was Kaylie.

The moment her eyes met Zeon’s, Kaylie immediately continued,

“Arkelon is strong. He’ll definitely endure to the end and recover.”

Someday, Arkelon too would grow old, fall ill, and collapse.

But not now.

Thud! Thud!

Even now, Arkelon continued walking with all his strength.

The thought of Arkelon collapsing midway was unimaginable.

***

As befitted a super-giant magical beast, Arkelon’s head was enormous.

It was large enough for three or four adults to sit around and eat on top of it.

Thanks to that, Zeon could sit comfortably on Arkelon’s head and rest.

Arkelon also did not seem to dislike Zeon sitting atop his head, merely blinking his eyes and occasionally glancing upward.

Gentle, clear eyes that hardly seemed like those of a magical beast.

Zeon wanted to drive away the shadow of death hanging over Arkelon’s face.

Suddenly, his gaze shifted to the scar on Arkelon’s face.

It was a wound inflicted by the black sea anemone.

Even Arkelon’s hide, tough enough to withstand almost any magical beast’s attack without a scratch, had shriveled badly.

It was evidence that his bodily fluids had been drained.

Only because Arkelon specialized in defense had he managed to endure it. Had it been an ordinary magical beast or a human, they would have instantly become a mummy.

“You must have been in a lot of pain.”

Kuuwooo…

Arkelon let out a low cry.

It almost seemed as though he was saying he was fine.

“Yeah! Let’s keep fighting together.”

Kuuuu!

Once again, Arkelon let out his distinctive cry.

At that moment, Claire climbed up onto Arkelon’s head.

“I didn’t know you were here. I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

At the sudden appearance of the uninvited guest, Zeon narrowed his eyes slightly and asked,

“What is it?”

“Ah! I’m about to use the Cure skill on Arkelon, so don’t be startled.”

“Is it already time again?”

“We’ve traveled quite a long way since leaving the Iron Fortress. I can feel this child struggling.”

“I see. Then go ahead and treat him.”

“Yes!”

The moment Zeon gave permission, Claire placed her palm on the crown of Arkelon’s head.

Just as Pabilsa had done, a brilliant light burst forth from her body and was absorbed into Arkelon.

In contrast, Claire herself looked utterly exhausted.

It was only natural, considering she had poured all her energy into treating the gigantic Arkelon.

If she borrowed the power of the Rainbow Pendant, she could display even greater healing power, but she refrained from doing so.

Because Lee Jeongho was watching her from one of the windows in Arkelon’s shell.

The Rainbow Pendant did not belong to her.

It was merely an item temporarily lent to her by City Hall.

It was not something she could freely use as she pleased.

Because of that, she had to treat Arkelon using only her innate power. Naturally, even after exhausting all her strength, all she could do was barely maintain his current condition.

“I’m sorry! Right now, this is the only amount of power I can use.”

At Claire’s apology, Arkelon blinked his large eyes as if to say it was alright.

Claire gently stroked Arkelon’s head.

“Thank you! For comforting me. You’re truly a good friend. I wish we’d met a little sooner. No… I wish I had been part of the Mote tribe…”

Zeon silently watched Claire’s shoulders tremble faintly.

He did not know what circumstances Claire carried, but it seemed she too was living a difficult life.

‘Well, there’s no such thing as a life without its own story…’

Zeon turned his gaze toward the desert.

There were as many lives in existence as grains of sand in the desert.

Magical beasts, humans, other races—none existed without a story of their own.

It was impossible to understand and embrace every one of those countless stories.

In the end, the owner of one’s life was oneself.

Whatever choices a person made, both the consequences and responsibility belonged to them alone.

Claire had made certain choices in Neo Seoul, and she was paying the price for them now.

It was not Zeon’s place to interfere.

He deliberately avoided looking at Claire.

At that moment, an unusual sight entered his vision.

Far away on the horizon, yellow dust was covering the skyline.

At first glance, it looked insignificant, but Zeon knew very well that it was anything but.

“It looks like a powerful sandstorm is coming. Tell everyone to prepare themselves thoroughly.”

“What?”

Claire looked toward the horizon Zeon pointed at with a puzzled expression.

To her eyes, it merely looked slightly more yellow than usual, no different from the desert’s ordinary scenery.

‘What about that is making him so tense?’

Since entering the desert, this was the first time she had seen Zeon look so nervous. Even so, because the warning came from him, she could not ignore it and relayed his words to Lee Jeongho and Pabilsa.

A short while later, Pabilsa, Lee Jeongho, and Kaylie climbed up onto Arkelon’s head.

Lee Jeongho’s reaction was not much different from Claire’s.

His expression clearly said he did not understand what problem a bit of yellow dust on the distant horizon could possibly be.

But Pabilsa and Kaylie reacted differently.

“The color’s insane.”

“Is it a big one?”

“A very big one. One of the largest I’ve ever seen…”

At Zeon’s answer, both of their faces stiffened.

“We need to prepare thoroughly. If Arkelon were healthy, we could’ve avoided it. How strong do you think it is?”

“CD-rank. The entire area will be overturned, and the terrain itself will completely change. Low-rank small-type magical beasts will all be swept away without leaving a trace.”

“CD-rank? That severe?”

Kaylie was so shocked she could not close her gaping mouth.

Lee Jeongho could not understand Kaylie’s reaction.

“Is that really so dangerous?”

“It is.”

“I don’t feel anything at all.”

Lee Jeongho had opened his Mind’s Eye.

Since it was a sense obtained by sacrificing his normal vision, it was naturally far sharper than ordinary senses, and its detection range was also far broader.

If that yellow dust were truly dangerous, he should have sensed the danger first. Yet he still felt nothing.

Zeon asked,

“How large is the area your Mind’s Eye can perceive?”

“That’s…”

Lee Jeongho shut his mouth tightly.

The range his Mind’s Eye could detect was a strictly guarded secret.

It was directly connected to his combat range, so there was no way he could tell Zeon.

Fortunately, Zeon did not press any further.

“That sandstorm is hundreds of kilometers away from here.”

“That’s a sandstorm? Not just ordinary yellow dust?”

“It only looks that way because it’s so far away. It’s far beyond the range your Mind’s Eye can detect, Mr. Lee Jeongho.”

“But I can’t imagine a mere sandstorm being able to do anything to a giant magical beast like Arkelon.”

“If it were an ordinary sandstorm, you’d be right. But that thing is a monster.”

“A monster?”

“Sometimes monstrous sandstorms appear. Those things unleash power beyond imagination.”

“Even with your abilities, you can’t stop it?”

“If I were alone, it wouldn’t matter. But right now, I’m not by myself.”

“Hmm…”

Lee Jeongho let out a low groan.

Even after hearing Zeon’s explanation, he still looked unconvinced.

As Zeon said, the phenomenon was occurring far beyond the range his Mind’s Eye could perceive, so it simply did not feel real to him.

Mind’s Eye was not omnipotent.

It was a skill specialized for combat.

No skill was more useful for understanding battles and reading flows, but it had nothing to do with detecting danger from natural phenomena occurring at such great distances.

More than anything, Lee Jeongho could not truly grasp the danger of the sandstorm Zeon was warning them about.

He himself had experienced quite a few sandstorms.

Neo Seoul was regularly struck by them as well.

Sandstorms were dangerous, certainly, but not enough to make a high-ranking awakened like him feel threatened.

However, it did not take long for him to realize just how mistaken that thinking was.

Kuhwoooooong!

When the storm that had blown in from hundreds of kilometers away reached Arkelon in less than an hour, Lee Jeongho’s face twisted.

“Damn it!”