Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert-Chapter 564

Chapter 564

At first glance, the desert looked as though no living creature could possibly exist within it. But in truth, it harbored countless lives.

From enormous monsters to tiny insects.

Innumerable lifeforms survived upon the waterless sands in their own ways.

The Chameleon Mantis was one such insect that had adapted to the desert and endured.

True to the modifier “chameleon,” it could change the color of its body according to its surroundings.

Because of that, it was extremely difficult to spot the palm-sized insect.

Its camouflage was so remarkable that it was indistinguishable from the environment around it. Moreover, since it was not a being powerful enough to harm humans, no one paid it any attention.

Rustle!

A single Chameleon Mantis was diligently climbing a cliff.

The surface of the sandstone mountain was extremely slippery, but that posed no problem for the Chameleon Mantis.

At great speed, it climbed halfway up the sandstone mountain.

At the midpoint of the sandstone mountain was a large hole, and within it many people had built homes and were living.

It was the Steel Fortress.

After briefly surveying the interior from the entrance, the Chameleon Mantis began its exploration in earnest.

Clinging to the ceiling, it examined every corner of the Steel Fortress.

Originally, large vampire bats had inhabited the interior of the Steel Fortress.

Had the vampire bats still been alive and well, the Chameleon Mantis would have been devoured in an instant. But its natural predators had long since been exterminated, and thanks to that, the Chameleon Mantis was able to roam freely through the Steel Fortress.

After wandering through the interior for quite some time, the Chameleon Mantis discovered a passage leading underground.

Without hesitation, it entered the underground passage.

After descending for a long while, a vast underground lake came into view.

It was at the moment when the Chameleon Mantis widened its eyes at the enormous lake—something unseen anywhere in the desert—

“What is this? Why is there a mantis…?”

A woman’s voice was suddenly heard.

When the Chameleon Mantis raised its head, it saw a woman with a strong impression.

Even in the dark underground, her gaze shone sharply.

The Chameleon Mantis hurried to flee, but it could not escape her hand.

Grab!

The woman reached out and seized the Chameleon Mantis.

The mantis swung its sharp forelegs in an attempt to break free, but it was useless.

When the woman applied force, the strength drained from its entire body, leaving it unable to resist.

The woman examined the limp Chameleon Mantis with keen eyes.

“Well now.”

Her expression twisted.

Holding the Chameleon Mantis, she ascended to the residential area above.

“Urtian!”

The woman called her husband.

Her name was Deborah.

She was the wife of Urtian, the ruler of the Steel Fortress.

“What is it?”

Urtian appeared with a puzzled expression.

Deborah was not one to become agitated easily.

For her to call him so urgently meant a serious problem had arisen.

“Look at this.”

Deborah held out the Chameleon Mantis to Urtian.

“A bug! A mantis?”

“It’s a Chameleon Mantis. They don’t inhabit this area.”

“And what of it?”

“It’s a familiar.”

“A familiar? Don’t tell me…”

“Yes. Someone turned this Chameleon Mantis into a familiar and sent it to scout the interior of the Steel Fortress.”

Deborah was a tamer.

Using a Collar of Subjugation, she possessed the ability to command monsters she had tamed as familiars. That was how she realized the Chameleon Mantis was not an ordinary insect but someone’s servant familiar.

“Damn it! Those bastards from El Harun.”

Urtian immediately grasped the identity of those who had sent the familiar.

Fweeet!

When he let out a long whistle, all the awakeneds of the Steel Fortress rushed out.

Liala and Usran were among them.

Urtian raised the Chameleon Mantis high and said,

“It’s a familiar sent by those from El Harun.”

“A familiar?”

“Don’t tell me they’ve already examined the inside of the Steel Fortress?”

Anger flashed across the awakeneds’ faces.

It felt as though their space had been defiled by other races.

Urtian spoke to them.

“They will attack before long.”

His voice was filled with certainty.

At a glance, they might think it merely a fortress safe from monsters and remain cautious. But once they learned there was a massive underground lake, their thoughts would change.

It would become a place that must be secured at all costs.

Water was the most precious resource of this era.

The mere fact that stable drinking water could be secured gave the Steel Fortress immense value.

Anyone with even a bit of foresight would try to seize the Steel Fortress by any means necessary.

Urtian shouted,

“Prepare for battle. We must defend our home.”

“Waaah!”

The awakeneds roared in unison.

They immediately entered combat formation.

Having undergone countless drills, they already knew their roles and moved in perfect order.

After watching them briefly, Urtian approached Liala.

“What do you intend to do?”

“I will stand on your side.”

“You are certain of that resolve?”

“You know well that I am not one to speak twice with the same mouth.”

“Ah! Even so, I cannot help but worry. The fate of the Steel Fortress is at stake.”

“I have sent a messenger to those who came out with me.”

“A messenger?”

“Yes.”

Del Roa had ordered all races to search for the World Tree.

Finding the World Tree in the vast desert was no easy task.

Naturally, many personnel had been deployed.

Liala had also come out with many humans.

Even now, they were somewhere in the desert searching for the World Tree.

Liala had sent Jupiro to them.

Jupiro possessed a special means of contacting them.

“How many are there?”

“Four hundred.”

“Not many.”

“They are the elite. Though few in number, each is worth a hundred.”

“Will they truly fight for us?”

“They too feel disillusioned with El Harun. They endured only because the conditions for independence were not yet ripe.”

“I will trust them.”

“You will not be disappointed. I swear it on my name.”

“Very well.”

Urtian nodded.

Had any other human from El Harun spoken those words, he would never have believed them. He had once been abandoned by the elves of El Harun. Even so, he chose to trust Liala, because he knew her integrity was different.

Together, they headed toward the entrance of the Steel Fortress.

Since the entrance was located halfway up the mountain, the surrounding scenery was visible at a glance.

Even if someone appeared at the horizon, they would notice immediately.

Thanks to that, there was no need to dispatch separate scouts.

At the entrance, the awakeneds were already preparing for battle.

Until now, the Steel Fortress had steadily prepared for war.

They had crafted and installed weapons under the assumption of human invasion.

For Urtian believed that the greatest threat to the Steel Fortress was not monsters, but humans.

Ordinary monsters could not enter so long as they defended using the terrain’s advantage. Most monsters lacked even the concept of strategy.

But humans were different.

Humans who knew how to use strategy were more frightening than any monster.

Thus Urtian had placed numerous traps and weapons throughout the sandstone mountain to block humans.

They could not create advanced weapons like those of Neo Seoul, where magitech had developed, but they were still powerful enough to kill humans.

Gazing at the horizon, Urtian’s fighting spirit blazed.

“Come as much as you like. I will turn this place into your grave.”

It was then.

As though answering Urtian’s words, a great army appeared on the horizon.

They were the other races of El Harun.

Liala immediately recognized them.

“Beastfolk, Giant Dwarves, Zela, and Giants. Four races have joined forces.”

“All are races famed for their aggressiveness.”

“Yes. It will not be an easy fight. They are the kind who charge without regard for their own lives.”

“In aggressiveness, we are not lacking either. We will show them hell.”

Urtian bared his white teeth in a grin.

It was a particularly cruel smile.

＊＊＊

“So such a place existed.”

Taboaru’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

The Chameleon Mantis captured by Deborah had been Taboaru’s familiar.

He had enslaved it for the purpose of scouting.

What he saw of the Steel Fortress through the Chameleon Mantis’s eyes was truly shocking.

A spacious interior capable of housing tens of thousands, and abundant underground water sources.

If they failed to find the World Tree, relocating here would be worth considering.

Not all of El Harun’s population could enter, but at least the core members could be accommodated.

It was more than sufficient as a second option in case the World Tree could not be found.

Repo asked,

“Is there truly water inside?”

“There is. A massive underground lake.”

“An underground lake? Hard to believe.”

“Do you doubt me?”

“It’s not that. It’s simply that it’s that shocking.”

“Indeed. Even I find it hard to believe, though I saw it through my familiar.”

“If there truly is that much water there, we must secure it.”

“Of course. That is why we have gathered like this.”

Beastfolk, Giant Dwarves, Giants, and Zela.

Among the ten races that had ventured into the desert, the elites of four races had gathered here.

More than two thousand had assembled.

It was tremendous strength.

It would have been better if the other races had joined, but unfortunately contact had not been made with them.

They were too far away to be found.

But those present did not mind.

They believed they alone were sufficient to conquer the Steel Fortress.

At that moment, the Giant general Lamor stepped forward and spoke.

“The vanguard will be the Giants.”

“Our Zela will provide support from the rear.”

“Our Giant Dwarves will climb the right cliff.”

“Then the Beastfolk will climb the left. Whichever side achieves the greatest merit shall claim the largest share.”

At Repo’s words, the leaders of the other races all agreed.

Thus, on the spot, a scavenger force was formed.

Yet the other races themselves did not recognize it as such.

They did not consider what they were doing to be the plundering of scavengers.

Lamor shouted loudly,

“Forward! Let us seize the humans’ fortress and make it the territory of our Giants.”

“Uooo!”

“Uuu!”

The Giants let out their peculiar battle cries.

It was their ritual before entering combat.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The Giants charged powerfully toward the Steel Fortress.

For them, strategy did not exist.

Their way of battle was to push through with their powerful bodies and take by force.

Behind them, the Beastfolk led by Repo and the Giant Dwarves of Kelota began to move.

“Forward!”

“The fortress is ours!”

“Waaah!”

Raising clouds of sand, they rushed forward.

It was the beginning of a race war over the Steel Fortress.