The party’s leader was Hwang Cheol-woo, a Martial Arts type Awakened. He fought by channeling aura into his massive claymore, a combat style focused on tearing his enemies to shreds.
The woman who had frozen the scorching sand was an Ice Magic Awakened named Ha Yoo-ri.
The one who had used the Vibration attack was Kang Jin-woo. As the party’s second-in-command, he possessed a keen eye and a brilliant tactical mind.
Finally, the giant who had shattered the Sandworm’s head was called Ma Dong-cheol. Despite his mild appearance, his true nature was exceptionally ruthless; his brutality in ripping apart desert monsters was infamous even within Shin-Hanseong.
This party, led by Hwang Cheol-woo, was on its way from Shin-Hanseong to the Yeongseok Gwangsan.
Hwang Cheol-woo’s gaze cut into Yoon Ji-han like a blade. “How did you survive?” he asked, his voice low and sharp. “Everyone else became food for the Sandworm. How are you the only one left?”
“I-I don’t know,” Yoon Ji-han stammered. “When I came to, I was just… lying on the sand.”
Hwang Cheol-woo’s stare grew colder. “Did you Awaken? Ha Yoo-ri, check the bastard’s wrist for an insignia.”
The blue-haired woman, Ha Yoo-ri, stepped forward and grabbed Yoon Ji-han’s arm. Yoon Ji-han grunted as she twisted his wrist, the pain sharp and sudden.
Ha Yoo-ri examined his skin closely. “Look,” she said, holding his wrist up for Hwang Cheol-woo to see. “There’s nothing here.”
Just as she said, Yoon Ji-han’s wrist was bare.
Hwang Cheol-woo muttered, “So you didn’t Awaken. Just lucky, then?”
When a person Awakened, seven thin lines appeared on their wrist, like a tattoo. The design resembled old military rank badges, which was why people called them awakening insignias. A light on the bottom line signified F-rank; a light on the second meant E-rank. Three lines lit up for D-rank, and four for C-rank.
The color of the insignia also varied depending on the Awakened’s category. Magic users were blue, Martial Artists were red, and those who integrated with machines were black. On rare occasions, someone Awakened into a different category. These deviants were called irregulars, but even they bore the insignia on their wrist.
The insignia was both proof of awakening and a shackle. There was no more certain way to identify an Awakened than to see it. On Hwang Cheol-woo’s own wrist, a red light shone brightly, marking him as a Martial Artist. Ha Yoo-ri, Kang Jin-woo, and Ma Dong-cheol all had insignias as well.
Yoon Ji-han’s wrist, however, was clean. There was no sign of an awakening insignia, let alone any other evidence of power.
“He’s just a guy with insane luck,” Kang Jin-woo commented.
“To be the sole survivor isn’t just luck,” Hwang Cheol-woo countered.
“What should we do, Leader?” Ma Dong-cheol asked.
“We’re heading to the Yeongseok Gwangsan anyway. Put him in the car.”
“Heh. A lucky man, indeed,” Ha Yoo-ri said with a small laugh. But Yoon Ji-han felt no humor in the situation.
Can they really not see this?
To Yoon Ji-han’s eyes, the insignia on his wrist was perfectly clear. It was just the bottom line, marking him as a mere F-rank, but it was undeniably there. For some reason, it seemed to be completely invisible to others.
What’s going on? he wondered, glancing down at his arm. Why can’t they see my rank? Now that I look at it, the light is… different.
It was a deep orange, the color of desert sand bathed in a crimson sunset. He had never heard of an Awakened with an insignia of this color.
Furthermore, the ability Yoon Ji-han had Awakened was the manipulation of sand. In moments of crisis, the sand around him would move according to his will. It wasn't very powerful, being only F-rank, but he could control the grains within a certain radius.
Yoon Ji-han’s eyes flickered across the landscape. As far as he could see, there was nothing but an endless desert of sand.
After the five great extinctions of the Ordovician, Devonian, Permian, Triassic, and Cretaceous periods, a sixth had suddenly arrived. In some ways, this one was the true apocalypse. Ninety percent of all life had vanished, and most of the Earth had turned to desert. Rivers and seas were gone, leaving the world buried in sand. Nature was struggling to recover, but there was no telling when, or if, the planet’s former lushness would ever return.
In a world like this, to have the ability to freely manipulate sand… The entire desert was his stage.
Only then did Yoon Ji-han realize how extraordinary his power was. And his long experience in the slums had taught him one thing: abilities that didn't fit the norm could bring disaster.
If they find out about my power, who knows what they’ll do? I could be dragged to a lab and dissected.
He had Awakened, but he was still just an F-rank—a commoner in the world of the powerful. To survive, he had to grow stronger, to enhance his abilities. It was the only way to raise his odds.
It’s one thing after another. Damn it.
Yoon Ji-han bit his lip. The reality of having to hide his newfound power was suffocating, but it was still infinitely better than being completely helpless. He forced himself to think positively.
Ma Dong-cheol’s gruff voice broke his thoughts. “Hey, kid! Get on the cargo carrier.” When Yoon Ji-han hesitated, Ma Dong-cheol’s eyes narrowed. “Got a problem with that?”
“No! N-Not at all. The cargo carrier is fine,” Yoon Ji-han said, quickly scrambling onto the back of the vehicle. The others climbed into the cab.
Powered by a Magic Stone, the vehicle surged forward, kicking up a plume of sand as it tore across the desert. Yoon Ji-han crouched on the carrier bed, watching the landscape fly by.
Before long, the sun sank toward the western horizon. The desert at dusk was a far fiercer and more intimidating place than it was by day. Even a remarkable party of Awakened couldn't be guaranteed survival in the desert at night.
That was why Hwang Cheol-woo was in a hurry. Pushing the vehicle hard, they managed to reach the mines just as the last light of sunset faded from the sky.
“Is this the Yeongseok Gwangsan?”
Yoon Ji-han stood up on the carrier, gazing at the sight before him. A massive rocky hill rose from the flat expanse of the desert, and deep within it lay the mines. A tall fortress wall had been built at the hill’s entrance, high enough to prevent the approach of Sandworms. Awakened guards stood watch atop its ramparts. The only way inside was through the main gate.
As Hwang Cheol-woo’s party approached, the guards at the fortress gate swung it open. The vehicle glided through and entered the compound.
Inside the walls was a small city. As a major hub supplying Magic Stone to Shin-Hanseong, the rocky hill housed a surprising number of people and facilities. It was nothing compared to Shin-Hanseong, but it had most of the necessary amenities.
When their vehicle came to a stop, an Awakened guard approached. The moment he saw Hwang Cheol-woo’s face, the guard’s expression soured with recognition.
Why is this piece of human trash here?
Hwang Cheol-woo’s nickname was the Do-salja. His notoriety was widespread, not just in Shin-Hanseong, but in the Yeongseok Gwangsan as well.
“Long time no see,” the guard said, his tone strained. “What business do you have here?”
“Mind your own business.”
“I said, mind your own business. What good would it do you to know?”
The guard’s face flushed with anger at Hwang Cheol-woo’s disdain. He clenched his fists, but before he could do anything else, Ma Dong-cheol stepped forward, his massive frame eclipsing the guard.
“Why?” Ma Dong-cheol rumbled. “You want to try something?”
Faced with Ma Dong-cheol’s enormous presence, the guard could only unclench his fists. True to his name, Ma Dong-cheol was not only huge but possessed tremendous strength—far more than a low-rank Awakened could ever hope to challenge.
The guard took a step back. “I hope you don’t cause any trouble during your stay.”
“I’m not interested in your mines, so don’t worry,” Hwang Cheol-woo chuckled. Though strong enough to earn the name Do-salja, he wasn’t foolish enough to start a fight in a place managed directly by Shin-Hanseong. His goal lay out in the desert; this was merely a stopover.
“Oh, by the way,” Hwang Cheol-woo said, pointing at Yoon Ji-han. “Take this guy.”
“The bus that was heading here got attacked by a Sandworm. He’s the sole survivor.”
“You mean the bus carrying the miners?”
“Exactly. By the time we arrived, the Sandworm had eaten everyone else. This one was the only one left.” Hwang Cheol-woo gestured dismissively toward Yoon Ji-han on the cargo carrier.
The Awakened guard furrowed his brow. “Hah. The manpower shortage is already critical…”
The Yeongseok Gwangsan were perpetually undermanned. Plenty of people applied, but just as many died. The work deep underground demanded exceptional physical endurance, making it nearly impossible for those with average stamina. That was why they were always desperate for labor, accepting anyone regardless of their past.
The guard approached Yoon Ji-han. “You volunteered as a miner, right?” Yoon Ji-han nodded. “Then follow me. I’ll show you to your quarters.”
Yoon Ji-han hopped down from the vehicle. “Thanks for saving me,” he said, giving a polite nod to Hwang Cheol-woo before following the guard.
Hwang Cheol-woo watched Yoon Ji-han’s retreating figure, his eyes sharp.
“What is it, Leader?” Ha Yoo-ri asked, looking puzzled as to why he was staring so intently at a seemingly ordinary person.
“Something feels off.”
“Isn’t it strange?” Hwang Cheol-woo said. “Everyone else died, but he survived.”
“But we confirmed he’s not Awakened.”
“A Sandworm isn’t a monster you can escape with just luck,” he insisted.
Ha Yoo-ri sighed. As Hwang Cheol-woo finally turned to move on, she glanced one last time at Yoon Ji-han’s disappearing form and muttered under her breath. “If that paranoid Do-salja hadn't been breathing down my neck, I might have sensed what's really going on with him. A shame.”
The place the guard led Yoon Ji-han to was the miners’ barracks. He pointed to an empty room, devoid of any furniture. “This is your lodging.”
“It’s spacious. How many people sleep in here?”
“Twenty.”
“Twenty people?” Yoon Ji-han was stunned. The room was large, but it would still be cramped with that many men. Worse, the faint, sour smell of sweat already hung in the air. He couldn't imagine what it would be like with twenty miners sleeping in here together.
The guard chuckled at Yoon Ji-han’s contorted expression. “I said twenty people, but it’s not like they all sleep here at once. Accidents happen every day. A few of them probably won’t be coming back tonight.”
“Is the work that dangerous?”
“That’s why they send people with no abilities, like you.”
For a moment, Yoon Ji-han imagined punching the guard in the face. But that would only get him killed or thrown out. For now, he had to keep his head down.
“Stay quiet,” the guard said, his voice turning cold. “You cause trouble, and I’ll cut you into pieces and feed you to the monsters.”
“Are there many monsters around here?”
“Plenty. If this place wasn’t a rocky hill, it’d be their paradise.”
His words weren’t an idle threat. While giant Sandworms were rare, smaller monsters were a common sight nearby. Corpses left in the desert gave off a scent that drew scavengers from all over, like ghosts materializing from the sand. They would pick the bones clean, leaving not a single fragment behind. The bodies of those who died in the Yeongseok Gwangsan all became food for the Giant Horn Hyenas, vanishing completely from the world.
The guard grinned, a cruel, cold smile. “I’m sure you have your reasons for seeking refuge in a place like this. But you’ll soon realize what a foolish choice you’ve made.” With that, he turned and left.
Yoon Ji-han, now alone, stared at the closed door.
He might be right, Yoon Ji-han thought. If I hadn't Awakened.
He snapped his fingers.
At the gesture, the sand on the floor stirred, its grains dancing in silent obedience.