Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert-Chapter 318
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
Chapter 318
Romina was briefly startled—
But she quickly regained her composure and spoke with a calm expression.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“How long have you been in Neo Seoul?”
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“I don’t know what nonsense you’re spouting.”
“Oh, come on. We both know the truth.”
“If you’re going to keep babbling, I’ll be on my way.”
“You haven’t answered my question yet.”
Zeon casually stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
Romina’s face hardened.
“…How disappointing.”
“What is?”
“The famous Sand Mage picking a fight with an ordinary elf? Don’t you find that shameful?”
“You’re not an ordinary elf.”
Zeon smirked.
Romina, on the other hand, went completely expressionless—like she was wearing a mask.
“I never expected the Five Venoms Clan to have children with elves. Even more surprising… that one of them has been living in Neo Seoul for so long.”
“Haa…”
Romina let out a soft sigh and lowered her head.
When she looked up again, her entire demeanor had changed—
Her gaze, her expression, her presence—everything.
“You just had to ruin everything.”
“So you’re admitting it? That you’re a member of the Five Venoms Clan?”
“There’s nothing to admit. It’s the truth.”
“As expected.”
“But you’re mistaken about one thing.”
“Oh? And what’s that?”
“I don’t care about their legacy or revenge.”
“Is that so? I find that hard to believe.”
“My mother was captured and forced to bear me by the Five Venoms Clan.”
Romina’s voice was eerily calm.
“If you hadn’t wiped them out, I would’ve done it myself one day.”
“So that’s why you used Eli to raise the Gu?”
“She was stupid—easy to manipulate.”
A smirk crept onto her lips.
“Thanks to her, I had no trouble gathering and breeding them.”
“Tsk.”
Zeon clicked his tongue.
So it was her.
It was Romina who had introduced Eli to the existence of Gu.
Eli had always been obsessed with power—convincing her had been easy.
Romina had whispered in her ear, feeding her ambitions, emphasizing the need for Gu—
Until, eventually, Eli ordered her to raise them.
From that point on, everything had gone smoothly.
Using Eli’s name, she had acquired slaves—
And those slaves had been thrown into the Gu nests as food.
Countless people had died.
But Romina had felt no guilt.
Her mother had been brutalized by the Five Venoms Clan.
The world belonged to the strong—
And the strong made the rules.
To her, the suffering of the weak was not a crime.
It was natural.
She was a half-elf.
Not just any half-elf—
A half-elf who had inherited the legacy of the Five Venoms Clan.
She was meant to rule.
So what if she had killed a few people using Eli?
It wasn’t wrong.
It was simply her right.
Romina spoke.
“Let me go. I’ll forget my grudge against you.”
“…Grudge?”
“You slaughtered my entire clan, didn’t you?”
“So what? You left them when you were still a child and came to Neo Seoul.”
“That doesn’t matter. They were still my people.”
Zeon scoffed.
“You’re unbelievable. Twisting things however you please.”
“Enough with the talk. Answer me—what’s it going to be?”
“Hand over the container on your back, and I’ll let you go.”
“That’s not happening.”
Romina’s voice was firm.
Zeon’s eyes grew cold.
“So that is the real Gu, isn’t it? The genuine ones—not the rejects you’ve been using.”
“That’s right.”
Romina smiled, her eyes gleaming.
“The ones I released before? They were just prototypes. Failed experiments.”
“But these?”
“These are perfect.”
“With them, nothing in this world will be able to stop me.”
“…How many people do you plan to kill? You’ll need countless lives to breed them.”
“As many as it takes.”
A cold smile spread across her lips.
In truth, Neo Seoul was the best place to breed them—
Endless food supply.
But if she tried it there, the City Hall would intervene and wipe her out immediately.
That was why she had left.
Even in the desert, people existed.
She would find them—
And toss them into the nests.
In time, the Gu would multiply on their own.
It was only a matter of time.
She just needed to survive today.
Romina asked again.
“So you’re not going to let me go, then?”
“I will. Just hand over the container.”
Zeon extended his hand.
Romina stared at it, expressionless.
“…You’ve crossed the line, Zeon.”
“You crossed it first.”
“You’ll regret this. You forced me into this.”
Clank!
The wooden container creaked open—
But instead of Gu, there was only pitch-black darkness inside.
Zeon recognized it instantly.
“A subspace?”
“Yes. It’s an enchanted subspace. My children have been resting inside all this time …And now they’re awake.”
WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!
A deafening buzzing sound erupted from within.
Then—
A monstrous swarm burst forth.
The sky darkened with the sheer number of them.
Romina spread her arms wide.
“Let me introduce my children. The Seven Venomous Insect Gu. A masterpiece—created through the secret arts of the Five Venoms Clan.”
The insects circled around her, moving like a living storm.
A black hurricane.
Romina had spent years carefully selecting them.
Each of the seven had survived brutal fights against thousands of others—
Only the strongest had remained.
Each one specialized in a unique trait—Venom. Durability. Ferocity. Lethality. Stealth. Loyalty. Flight.
Individually, they were terrifying—
But together, they formed a perfect synergy.
She had let them devour each other, over and over again—
Until only the final seven remained.
And those seven now hovered around her, brimming with deadly energy.
“Hoho! A technique perfected over a thousand years… Isn’t my creation magnificent?”
“…It’s impressive.”
“Then you must realize—That you’ve made a terrible mistake.”
Zeon’s eyes narrowed.
“How many people did you feed to those monsters?”
Romina chuckled.
“Who knows? Over a thousand, at least. But I stopped counting. Why? Feeling sympathy for them? You’ve killed plenty of people yourself. Now you’re getting sentimental over a thousand deaths?”
Zeon swept his hair back with one hand and sighed.
“You’re right. I’ve killed a lot of people. I won’t pretend every single one deserved it. But most of them did. And now—I’ll add one more to the list.”
Romina burst into laughter.
“You’re insane. You really think you’re some kind of god, don’t you? You can’t kill my Gu with mere sand. This is my life’s work!”
Zeon smirked.
“You know… I’ve heard that before.”
“What?”
“The Five Venoms Clan. They also thought they had created the perfect Gu. But in the end—I wiped them out.”
Romina’s eyes widened in horror.
“Y-You defeated the original Seven Venomous Insect Gu…?”
“It was nothing special. Just like the failures you created.”
“Don’t insult my greatest creation!”
Zeon’s gaze darkened.
“The real tragedy here? All the innocent people you sacrificed for these worthless pests. A thousand lives—gone, just to feed insects.”
“Shut up! DIE!”
Romina let out a piercing scream, and the Gu surged toward Zeon all at once.
WIIIIIIIIING!
A deafening buzz filled the air as the swarm flapped their wings furiously.
It was like a massive black hurricane crashing down upon him.
These Gu had been locked away in the subspace for too long—
Their hunger had reached its peak.
Now, they were more vicious than ever, flying at Zeon with the intent to strip his flesh down to the bone.
WHOOSH!
A sandstorm erupted in front of Zeon, blocking their advance.
The swirling sand transformed into a colossal vortex, swallowing the swarm whole.
GRIIIIIIIIIIIND!
The storm spun violently, tearing through the Gu.
Romina sneered.
“Fool. My children are far too tough to be shredded by mere sand.”
Zeon smirked.
“I told you. I’ve heard that before. Your clan said the same thing. And yet—They met the same fate.”
WHIRL!
The sandstorm intensified—
Its rotation growing even more ferocious.
CRACK! CRACK!
Within the storm, sparks of friction ignited, and the Gu began to explode.
Romina’s eyes widened in horror.
“No… Impossible! Their shells are as hard as diamonds!”
Zeon’s voice was cold.
“My sand can grind diamonds to dust. So tell me—What makes you think your insects are any different?”
BOOM! BOOM!
The sandstorm raged on, devouring the Gu at terrifying speed.
Nearly half the swarm had already been obliterated.
The surviving ones desperately tried to break through, forcing their way toward Zeon.
A few even managed to get close—
CLACK!
Their massive mandibles snapped open, aiming for Zeon’s flesh.
These grotesque creatures, born from the twisted desires of a half-elf—
If even one of them escaped into the desert, it would reproduce uncontrollably, consuming countless lives.
Not a single one could be allowed to survive.
"Sand Gehenna."
The moment Zeon uttered the words—
A hellstorm of molten sand erupted around him.
The sheer heat melted the sand, transforming it into liquid fire.
WHOOOOSH!
Like a raging inferno, the molten sand spiraled forward, swallowing the Seven Venomous Insect Gu whole.
Romina shrieked.
“NO! STOP!”
But her cries could not save them.
CRACKLE!
The scorching heat engulfed the swarm—
Reducing every last one to nothing but ash.
“Th-This can’t be…”
Romina collapsed to her knees, her mind unable to process what had just happened.
The overwhelming despair crushed her.
“No… I spent years raising them…”
Her lips trembled.
She had never belonged—
Not to the humans, not to the elves.
She had been an outcast.
The Gu had been her answer.
With them, she could have ruled freely, leading a new race of her own—
But now, her wings had been torn away.
Because of him.
That damn Sand Mage!
Her despair twisted into rage.
"DIE!"
Romina lunged at Zeon, her eyes bloodshot, her rapier slicing through the air.
Her movements were so frenzied, so desperate—
That she looked like a nightmare given form.
But Zeon…
His expression remained indifferent.
“I’ll send you to join your precious children.”
WHOOOSH!
The Sand Gehenna surged once more—
And swallowed Romina whole.
The searing heat ignited her body instantly.
"AAAAAAAAHHHH!"
Her agonized screams echoed through the desert.
She flailed wildly, her body consumed by flames—
Like a puppet dancing in a firestorm.
And yet—
That dance did not last long.
SIZZLE!
Moments later, her body vanished into the molten sand.
Zeon let out a quiet breath.
“…Haa.”
A bitter taste lingered in his mouth.
The world was vast—
And filled with far too many people who had lost their sanity.
And in the end—
Most of those who died by his hand had been just like her.
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
