Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert
Chapter 364

Chapter 364

Realization soon becomes a skill.

However, just because one acquires a skill doesn’t mean it can be executed perfectly right away.

One must go through the process of fully internalizing the skill.

Though Brielle successfully obtained Wind Walking thanks to Floa, she couldn’t immediately perform it flawlessly.

During the process of mastering the skill, she fell countless times and swallowed her fair share of sand.

She stumbled dozens of times, and just as much sand entered her nose and mouth.

Anyone else might have given up by now, but Brielle never once uttered a single word of complaint.

Whenever she fell, she would dust herself off and rise, attempting Wind Walking again.

With each fall and recovery, Brielle’s Wind Walking became progressively more refined.

Even the dark elves—who rarely showed emotion—couldn’t hide their awe at her determination and rapid progress.

Among the dark elf villages, only a handful had ever mastered Wind Walking this quickly.

Once she grew accustomed to the technique, Brielle let go of Floa’s hand.

“I think I can manage without your help now.”

“It certainly seems that way.”

Floa nodded.

Now, Brielle could maintain Wind Walking without assistance.

From here on out, it would be a matter of her own persistence.

Given her tenacity and talent, it seemed likely she’d soon master Wind Walking completely.

As Floa had sensed, Brielle fully internalized the skill before the day was over.

She no longer fell or buried her face in the sand.

Levin chuckled as he watched Brielle now gliding with Wind Walking at a speed comparable to the dark elves.

“She’s having the time of her life.”

“Sure is.”

Zeon smiled along with him.

Even just looking at the back of her head, it was obvious how happy Brielle was.

Originally, she should have learned a similar skill from the High Elf clan. But having been captured by humans at such a young age, she had missed out on what should have been hers by right.

She always pretended it didn’t bother her, but it remained a source of regret deep in her heart.

Now that one of those regrets had been resolved today, it was no surprise Brielle was overjoyed.

She forgot her fatigue and kept performing Wind Walking.

But it came at a heavy price.

Huff! Huff!

Eventually, she collapsed, completely drained of mana.

She lay sprawled on the ground, panting and staring blankly at the sky—yet a smile still lingered at the corners of her lips.

Looking down at her, Levin spoke.

“You’re completely insane, you know that?”

“Shut up.”

“Do you like pain or something?”

“I said shut up, you ghost! You wouldn’t understand how I feel.”

“A ghost? That’s harsh.”

“You float around effortlessly while I’ve been dragging myself through the sand like a burden. Do you have any idea how frustrating that’s been?”

“Aww, poor thing. Anyway, congrats. You’ve finally pulled your weight.”

“I’ve been doing more than my share for a while now. Who do you think made that subspace backpack you’re carrying? Keep teasing me, and I won’t make you that mini subspace item you asked for.”

“Gasp! Please, no! I was wrong. I’ll get on my knees and beg!”

Levin dramatically knelt down and groveled.

His exaggerated behavior made Brielle laugh.

The dark elves watching them looked confused.

To see a High Elf so casually joke and chat with a mere human was incomprehensible to them.

The High Elves they knew were so lofty that they even looked down on other elves.

Let alone inferior humans—they were beneath notice.

Even after coming to Earth, that haughty temperament hadn’t changed.

But Brielle seemed to have cast aside everything that marked her as a High Elf, mingling openly with humans.

Zeon, Levin, Brielle—their mismatched trio somehow looked perfectly natural.

“Is it really possible for elves and humans to live together like that? Then why are we isolated out here in the desert, living in loneliness?”

Floa’s clan had lived in near-total seclusion from the outside world.

They occasionally encountered humans or other races but usually avoided them.

They had shut themselves off to avoid any potential trouble.

After over a century of isolation, their nature had grown deeply withdrawn.

Floa had never thought there was anything strange about it.

She assumed the whole world lived that way.

So did the other dark elves.

Living among other races was something they couldn’t even imagine.

After being deceived by the orcs and losing their autonomy, becoming little more than slaves, they had become even more distrustful.

But seeing the familial bond between Brielle and the humans, they started to doubt if they had it all wrong.

Sigh…

Floa let out a deep breath, her heart in turmoil.

Just then, Zeon approached her.

“Are we close to the village?”

“We’re almost there. Just past that large sand dune.”

“Then we should begin preparations soon.”

“Right.”

Along the way, Floa had briefed Zeon on the village—its size, layout, population, and other essential details.

She spoke now with urgency.

“The most important thing is rescuing the children. Then we take down Chuangka, that old orc. If we don’t kill him now, this will only happen again. We must end it this time.”

“The orcs will think you’re all dead. While they’re distracted, we’ll retrieve the children.”

“Don’t worry. Without the brands, the orcs are no match for us.”

Until now, the cursed brands had kept them powerless.

But with the brands gone, the dark elf warriors could finally unleash their full strength.

It was the perfect opportunity to repay all the humiliation they had suffered.

After a short rest, the group climbed the high sand dune.

Once at the top, the dark elf village came into view.

The village was unique.

While other elves lived in dugouts or homes built from sand bricks, dark elves used different materials.

Because sand was often the only available resource, most villages blended in with the desert, colored in monotonous yellow-brown hues.

But the dark elf village was far more vibrant.

Even the outer surfaces of the buildings looked different.

They gleamed like tanned animal hides, as if they were made from polished leather.

Zeon asked,

“Don’t tell me… you built those houses from beast corpses?”

“Yup! We used the bones of hunted monsters for pillars and their hides for roofs and walls.”

Floa replied proudly.

Dark elves were born warriors.

They hunted the giant monsters that threatened their village and used their hides to construct homes.

A single large monster hide was enough to build a spacious house for an entire family.

That’s why they risked their lives hunting massive beasts.

Over the past hundred years, they had continued to do so, and now the village was filled with such homes.

Some houses even had the monster’s head mounted as a trophy.

At a glance, it almost looked like giant beasts were huddled together, giving the village a grotesque feel.

Zeon looked slightly dumbfounded.

“I didn’t expect this. Building houses from monster hides, really?”

“We had no choice. There was nothing else to shield us from the elements. Still, thanks to that, our clan has survived until now.”

Whatever others might say, Floa and her people were proud.

They had accepted reality and adapted in order to survive.

Survival demanded relentless struggle and evolution.

The moment one stopped evolving, they were left behind—and the future of their clan would vanish.

Thanks to their adaptability, Floa’s clan had endured.

Even if they were now facing extinction at the hands of the orcs.

Floa pointed to the largest house.

“The children are inside that house made of mammoth hide. As agreed, when you cause a diversion, we’ll sneak in and rescue them.”

“No need to wait. Let’s start now.”

As Zeon summoned his power, the surrounding sands lifted into the sky, carried by the wind.

An enormous wave of sand quickly obscured all vision.

Floa and the dark elves were shocked.

“Just how powerful is he, to control this much sand…?”

“He’s a monster.”

They already knew Zeon was a sand mage.

But they hadn’t realized he could manipulate such a vast amount of sand at will.

The sand Zeon stirred surged like a tidal wave, crashing into the dark elf village.

Caught off guard by the sudden sandstorm, the orcs on watch panicked.

“Chwit! What is this?”

“A sandstorm…?”

Then—

FLASH!

A violet streak lit up the dense sandstorm like lightning.

It was Purple Lightning, now Levin’s signature move.

The violet electricity struck the orcs guarding the perimeter.

“Gyaaaah!”

“Guaahh!”

Caught off guard, the orcs screamed and collapsed under the electric blast.

Their bodies were charred black, trembling uncontrollably.

The ones who avoided the lightning shouted out.

“Chwit! We’re under attack!”

“Enemies!”

At their cries, orcs and dark elves poured out of the houses.

Levin, still ghosted in midair, unleashed another bolt of Purple Lightning.

FLASH!

The violet streak rained down from the sky.

This time, the orcs weren’t defenseless.

They raised shields to block the attack.

The shields, made from monster hides, protected them momentarily from the electricity.

Some currents seeped through the shields, striking the orcs, but they clenched their teeth and endured.

Their sheer physical durability was insane.

“Chwit! Get over here!”

“Stand before me. Don’t move an inch!”

The surviving orcs pulled dark elves in front of them.

Using them as meat shields.

Levin, still floating, clicked his tongue.

“Tsk. Those pigs are clever.”

Electricity flows through conductors.

Even if he aimed precisely at the orcs, nearby dark elves would be shocked too.

The branded dark elves wouldn’t survive his Purple Lightning.

As Levin hesitated, the orcs shouted.

“The human has stopped! Attack!”

SHSHSH!

The orcs threw bone spears, while the dark elves fired arrows.

Levin, still ghosted, weaved through the air to avoid their attacks.

Just then, Chuangka stepped outside.

“Chwiik! What’s this commotion?”

“We’re under attack, Chwit!”

“Attack?”

Chuangka looked up.

He saw Levin drifting through the air like a phantom.

“Kruk! That’s the one I saw at the Armored Ant nest…”

His eyes gleamed cunningly.

He barked orders.

“Chwit! He wouldn’t have come alone!”

“There are more humans?”

“Use the black elves. Make them find the other humans!”

“Yes, sir! Sniff!”

At Chuangka’s urging, the orcs moved swiftly.

Then—

RUMBLE…

A low, ominous sound came from the large sand dune in front of the village.

“What is that?”

“T-The mountain is groaning…”

The orcs froze, a terrible premonition gripping them.

KRAAAASH!

The sand dune collapsed, sending a massive wave of sand crashing down.

“Guaahh!”

“Get out of the way!”

The tidal wave of sand swallowed the outermost orcs and surged into the village.

Orcs and dark elves were swept away, screaming.

The dark elf village descended into utter chaos.