Sand Mage of the Burnt Desert-Chapter 105

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 105

“Ah! This damn scorching sun.”

Brielle grumbled.

Despite covering her face with a wide-brimmed hat, the sun reflected off the ground mercilessly striking her face.

It was unusually hot today, just when she decided to venture outside after a long time.

Everything seemed to be ablaze.

The buildings in the slums, the roads, even the air itself seemed to shimmer as if it would melt away any moment.

The residents of the slums, who never ventured outside during the day, were out in the alleyways seeking refuge from the heat.

They fanned themselves incessantly, trying to cool down.

Brielle glanced at them before shifting her stride.

Her destination was none other than the Goblin Market.

Despite Zeon being absent, she had frequented it enough that it now felt like home.

“Hmm, hmm!”

Brielle hummed a tune as she walked.

She was in a good mood.

Last night’s experiment was a success.

Though it wasn’t the mana amplification potion she had aimed for, she managed to create a potion that surpassed it.

It wasn’t intentional.

It was a byproduct stumbled upon during the process of making the mana amplification potion.

Despite being a product of chance, its performance was remarkable.

No, it was more than remarkable.

That’s why Brielle was heading to the Goblin Market.

Walking with a light step, carrying the good results with her, Brielle couldn’t help but feel a spring in her step.

But soon, a voice interrupted her mood.

“Hey, kid.”

“You with the wide-brimmed hat, come here for a moment.”

Instantly, Brielle’s expression twisted.

‘Ugh! Not again.’

This kind of neighborhood.

Whenever a girl walks alone, especially a young girl like her, inevitably, ominous voices would reach her ears.

The owners of the voices appeared to be in their twenties, looking like troublemakers.

Hidden in the alley shadows, they gestured Brielle to come closer.

There’s nothing as vulnerable as a young girl walking alone.

Their intentions were obvious to anyone.

Brielle sighed and approached them.

The troublemakers thought Brielle was coming out of fear and chuckled.

“Heh-heh-heh!”

“Come on, take off that hat.”

One of the troublemakers lifted Brielle’s hat.

One of the troublemakers wolf-whistled at her pale but pretty appearance.

“Weyoo!”

“She’s damn pretty. We won’t be bored for a while.”

At that moment, Brielle spoke in a chilling voice.

“You’d better keep your filthy hands off me.”

The troublemakers looked puzzled.

“What? Who does this little girl think she’s ordering around?”

“Fuck! She needs a beating to come to her senses.”

They raised their fists, intending to resort to violence.

At that moment, Brielle’s eyes gleamed ominously.

“Air Bind!”

Before they could finish their words, the air around the troublemakers suddenly constricted, immobilizing them.

“Ughh!”

“Kuhh!”

Under the strong pressure, the troublemakers couldn’t move and stiffened.

Their throats felt constricted as if ropes were tightening around them.

The troublemakers’ faces turned pale, tongues sticking out.

Brielle looked at them with an indifferent expression.

Though she ended up here after being caught by hunters, she was still an elf.

A noble High Elf at that, far superior to ordinary elves.

She could effortlessly wield magic that Awakened humans could barely muster.

As she gradually recovered from the aftermath of the drug, she was regaining her former magical prowess.

This level of magic became as easy as breathing for her.

The troublemakers writhed on the ground in agony.

“Ugh!”

“Please, we… spare…”

Even their pleas didn’t change Brielle’s expression.

Death was commonplace in the slums.

No one would bat an eye if they died.

Brielle pronounced their death sentence.

“You scum! Just die.”

“Whoa, whoa! Calm down.”

At that moment, a voice came from behind.

Turning around, Brielle saw a boy with a buzz cut, adorned with flashy earrings and piercings, looking at her.

Brielle recognized him at a glance.

“Levin!”

“Long time no see, Brielle!”

“You’re not taking their side, are you?”

“Of course not! I wouldn’t take the side of such trash. I just think you don’t need to soil your hands with their blood.”

“Why?”

“They’re fugitives who committed crimes in other areas and fled here. We’ll get a reward for catching them. It’s better to hand them over and collect the bounty.”

“Is that so?”

Levin didn’t miss the sparkle in Brielle’s eyes.

He chuckled and said.

“The bounty isn’t much. Barely five hundred sols. But it’s still money.”

“Will you take care of it instead, Levin?”

“Gladly!”

At Levin’s answer, Brielle released the magic.

Thud!

The troublemakers slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.

They were so exhausted from being on the brink of death that they couldn’t muster any strength in their limbs.

Of course, they didn’t have the courage to flee.

At Levin’s gesture, the boys at the alley entrance took the troublemakers away.

Brielle asked.

“Levin’s subordinates?”

“Friends!”

“Oh!”

“Brielle, where are you headed during the day?”

“The Goblin Market!”

“Perfect. I’m heading there too.”

“Why is Levin going there?”

“I’m looking for someone.”

“Who?”

“I’m not sure. It’s not precise.”

“I see.”

Brielle nodded thoughtfully.

She knew Levin’s circumstances, even who he was looking for.

He was still tracking down the murderer.

“Did you find a clue?”

“Some of the items he uses seem to be coming from the Goblin Market. So, I decided to sit tight there and watch.”

“Do you have the qualifications to enter?”

“That’s why I’m going with you. Is that alright?”

“Of course!”

Brielle nodded without hesitation.

The Goblin Market doesn’t open its doors to just anyone. Only those with strict verification of their status are granted entry.

Naturally, Brielle had the qualifications.

If Brielle vouched for him, Levin could also enter the Goblin Market.

As they walked together, Levin suddenly seemed to remember something and asked.

“What about Zeon?”

“He’s resting at home.”

Since returning from Neo Seoul, Zeon hadn’t gone out anywhere and stayed holed up at home.

“Where did he go? Haven’t seen him for a few days.”

“Yeah! He had some business to take care of.”

“I see.”

Levin didn’t pry any further.

Chatting along the way, they arrived at the Goblin Market without realizing it.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Thanks to Brielle, Levin was able to enter the Goblin Market safely.

Brielle said to Levin.

“We should part ways now. I need to go this way.”

“Thanks for getting me in. Take care of your business.”

“Sure!”

“See you next time.”

Waving goodbye, Levin disappeared into the crowd.

Brielle watched his retreating figure for a moment before turning around.

Her destination was none other than Yoo Se-hee’s residence.

Yoo Se-hee greeted Brielle with a smile.

“Long time no see.”

“It hasn’t been that long. Don’t exaggerate.”

Brielle grumbled as she took a seat.

“What about Zeon?”

“He’s resting at home.”

“He didn’t mention going to the Goblin Market?”

“No.”

“I see.”

She owed Zeon a great debt.

Partially due to pressure from Tajik, but still, she had pushed Zeon into the dungeon without sharing any information.

It was a shameful act unsuitable for a leader of the Goblin Market.

Because of that, she felt a sense of guilt towards Zeon.

Yoo Se-hee changed the subject.

“By the way, why come to my room? You can just buy the things you need from the merchants.”

“I’m selling something this time.”

“What?”

“I’ve made something.”

Brielle pulled out two bottles containing blue liquid from her sleeve.

“What’s this?”

“Detox potion!”

“A potion?”

Yoo Se-hee’s eyes widened.

Normally, a potion referred to a liquid form of medicine. However, in the current era, a potion held a special meaning.

It was the crystallization of modern alchemy, created by Awakened magic users.

Some potions could cure diseases, while others could restore mana.

Thanks to them, miracles that were once unimaginable became possible. However, very few Awakeneds knew how to make potions, and even they were tightly regulated in Neo Seoul.

They were strictly controlled, designated as strategic resources, and their import and export were strictly managed.

Various potions were released to the leaders in Neo Seoul depending on their interests and trades.

Potions that released various abnormal states were one of the good tools to attract the loyalty of subordinates.

Therefore, obtaining potions from the market was not easy.

It was even more difficult to obtain potions in the slums.

Although the Goblin Market dealt with potions, most of them were cheap and ineffective.

Real good potions were hard to find even in the Goblin Market.

Yoo Se-hee asked, trying to contain her excitement.

“What’s the effectiveness?”

“It can detoxify up to the venom of a D-rank monster.”

“That’s… a bit weak.”

“Do you really think so?”

Brielle stared intently at Yoo Se-hee.

Yoo Se-hee didn’t miss the disdainful gleam in her eyes.

‘This kid…’

Something surged within her.

She felt ashamed of the thoughts revealed to the child.

Most of the monsters hunted by Awakeneds in the slums were D-rank or lower.

Hunting monsters above that level was too dangerous, and the rewards were not worth the risk.

Many D-rank or lower-grade monsters had venom. If not detoxified in time, they could instantly kill Awakeneds.

In short, if the detox potion Brielle presented had that level of effectiveness, it could become the best item in the slums.

“Hah! You know we need to test it, right?”

“That’s why I brought two bottles. We’ll test it, and if the effectiveness is proven, we’ll make a deal then.”

“Got it. We’ll test it as fairly as possible.”

“If it passes the test, I’ll make the deal in Zeon’s name.”

“Not yours?”

Yoo Se-hee looked surprised.

It didn’t make sense to her why such an extraordinary product would be attributed to Zeon instead of Brielle herself.

“Yeah! I’ll do it in Zeon’s name.”

“Are you okay with the profits going to Zeon?”

“That’s what I intend.”

“Why?”

“I want to repay Zeon a little.”

“…”

“If it weren’t for him, I’d still be making drugs in the Crocodiles’ Den. I hate all humans, but he’s an exception.”

She made an oath to survive.

Unintentionally, she ended up tied to the string of the oath.

She fell into a position where she had to comply with whatever Zeon demanded.

Even if he demanded her body, she couldn’t refuse.

However, Zeon didn’t demand anything from Brielle.

Instead, he let her act freely.

“If you owe a debt, you should repay it. That’s our way.”

“You won’t regret it, right?”

“Never!”

“The kid’s unnecessarily serious… Alright! We’ll test the effectiveness, and if it’s confirmed, we’ll monopolize the production on our side. Will you hand over the recipe?”

“As long as the conditions are right…”

“Deal?”

“Deal!”

[Translator – Peptobismol]

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