The desert crossing continued amidst unexpected chaos. As previously mentioned, the journey through the desert was expected to take about 3 to 4 days.
According to the plan, we would reach the halfway point by the evening of the second day, stay there for a while, and then head back.
It wasn’t that there were no threats along the way. Just as the guide had warned, venomous snakes and scorpions were ready to attack us.
However, none of the students were bitten by snakes or stung by scorpions. Just to clarify, that was not thanks to the guide’s efforts.
After all, a guide can’t handle every single threat coming from all directions.
Especially among snakes, there were some that had astonishing speed. One species, which had a sandy-colored mouth, was called the ‘Sand Mamba.’
“Now, if you look closely at this fellow, his mouth is nearly sand-colored. Not only is his speed extremely fast, but if he bites you—”
*Shwaaa!*
While the guide was explaining, the captured Sand Mamba flung its mouth open wide, looking threatening.
Its sharp fangs were on display, from which blue venom was dripping. Just looking at it was intimidating.
The guide seemed a bit startled by the Sand Mamba as well, slightly flinching before regaining composure to continue his explanation.
“Make sure to administer an antidote. If you don’t have one, severing the affected limb is also an option.”
“How potent is the venom?”
“Records indicate that a single Sand Mamba can kill ten adult men.”
But right now, it’s lunchtime for me.
Whether the Sand Mamba’s venom is strong or not, it’s just a snack in my eyes.
Every time the Sand Mamba approached, I snatched it up and popped it into my mouth.
“W-why are you eating that?! You shouldn’t eat it!”
“Oh, Sivar’s fine. His body is immune to the venom.”
“Wait, immune to the venom? Even from the Sand Mamba’s venom?”
“Yup. But for some reason, medicine seems to work on him well.”
To me, venom was just a bit of a tingly fizz. Maybe that’s why.
Dipping the Sand Mamba in venom like it was sauce left the guides utterly shocked.
“Sivar, could you possibly add some venom here?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks. I should research this venom to create an antidote.”
I also helped Eli with her research. I made sure to be careful since Eli was quite fragile.
As the guides looked on in horror at my bizarre antics, that was only the beginning. There were scorpions in the desert too.
Especially, most scorpions were small and hard to spot. Thankfully, applying insect repellent helped a bit.
“This one is a Sand Scorpion. As you can see, it’s sandy-colored, making it hard to notice. It tastes good when roasted—”
“Yum.”
I ate it raw without even roasting it. The look on the guide’s face watching that was unforgettable.
Is this guy really someone like me? That doubt was brimming in his expression. Well, technically, I’m not purebred anyway.
“Cough! Cough! W-water!”
“…As you can see, I ate it without removing the tail, and this is the result. Please be careful, everyone.”
That’s about how things went. Both the students and the guides were unharmed.
Occasionally, sandstorms would delay us, but it never really disrupted the overall plan.
“It’s so hot… I want to wash…”
“I feel so sticky…”
“When are we going to reach the village?”
However, the grievances of students who hadn’t been able to shower properly for three days didn’t just disappear.
The academy was bearable except during summer, but the desert heat was relentless.
After days without a wash, it was only natural for complaints to arise. But still, a little more patience and it should be fine.
Yet, the world doesn’t always flow according to one’s thoughts, and an unexpected statement came from the guide.
“I’m sorry, Professor. It seems we need to change our route.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“The signs aren’t good. How much do you know about desert monsters?”
It was just around the time we were taking a short break. I was savoring a scorpion that had suddenly popped up while eavesdropping.
Both the guide and the faculty wore serious expressions, and I was catching bits of talk about changing routes.
“I haven’t heard much about desert monsters… except for the giant sandworm from legends.”
“The giant sandworm was hunted down by His Majesty. But with the top predator gone, the sub-predators are becoming active.”
“…”
Did they feel something from that? Malboro, representing the students, glanced at me.
Thinking about predators, it made sense that they’d associate me with the forest. But that doesn’t mean I know anything about it.
“Sand Scorpions are appearing at unusual intervals. There’s a high probability that a Queen is nearby.”
“A Queen… is it hard to deal with?”
“Yeah. The venom is venomous, but the shell is so tough that it’s difficult to break. Also, they have a habit of burrowing into the sand, making them troublesome to deal with.”
“Is there a reason why they suddenly started showing up?”
“They’re sensitive to vibrations. The sandstorm didn’t help either.”
Of course, such a large group moving at once would be rare. Malboro nodded after listening to the explanation.
He then looked around at the students before asking the guide again.
“If we change the route, how long will it take?”
“If we take a detour, it will take about two more days.”
“Two whole days?”
“Two days is… quite tough…”
The faculty lamented at the thought of having to take two more days. It’s a longer time than expected.
I’m sure they’re contemplating it now. Should we take the detour for safety, or save time?
Since we can’t extend the limit for the hands-on experiential learning, the former is the right choice for safety. The students would probably understand that.
But I’m not in that boat. To wrap up this episode nicely, I need to arrive on time.
“We’re going straight through.”
“Hmm?”
“Sivar?”
As I quietly interjected, the guides and professors looked at me with wide eyes.
Interrupting the professors’ decision isn’t the best move. But for the sake of the episode, it’s something I can overlook.
Above all, I felt confident. Despite the subtle looks from everyone, I calmly replied.
“I can catch it.”
“Hmm…”
“By the way, didn’t Usuk catch it bare-handed?”
“Usuk did break the blade with his bare hands.”
When Yeonhwa mentioned the Usuk hunt, Sara added an explanation. She witnessed the entire scene.
“If it’s Usuk… isn’t that the monster with a thick shell and sharp fangs? I heard they were used as war weapons in the past.”
“Yeah, that’s right. He caught that thing by himself.”
“A creature that’s hard to hunt, and he did it alone?”
The guide showed a look of amazement. I felt a tinge of embarrassment but didn’t show it.
Eventually, combining everyone’s opinions, it was decided to trust me and save time.
Maybe that’s why they set me at the front. The guide walked alongside me, explaining things.
“If the Queen shows up, a swarm of Sand Scorpions will pour out. That would be—”
“It’s fine.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ll handle it all.”
My response, seemingly nonchalant yet filled with confidence, made the guide raise an eyebrow.
That look on his face screamed disbelief. I’ve gotten used to that reaction, so it didn’t matter much.
They’d understand once they saw it for themselves. How far had we walked?
*Thud thud thud!*
A slight vibration shook the ground. Did everyone feel that? We all instantly stopped in our tracks.
Beside me, the guide drew his weapon, looking tense. He glanced at me occasionally, too.
Through the vibrations, I gauged where the scorpion swarm would emerge. Judging by how faint the vibrations were, they were definitely still far away.
‘I need to block whatever comes up in the center…’
*Poof!*
I thrust my arm deep into the dry sand. The guide looked at me in confusion.
I concentrated to track the location of the Queen the guide mentioned. I’d heard that her size was nearly that of a house.
It’s fascinating how she can burrow through the sand and move freely. Many caravans had suffered due to her.
*Gugugugug!*
The vibrations grew stronger. As I felt those vibrations, I lifted my head suddenly.
‘…There!’
Being sensitive to presence allowed me to easily determine the path of the Scorpion Queen. I immediately set my plan in motion.
With my hand buried in the sand, I focused my magic power. I could feel the red magic coalescing at my fingertips.
Once I released that concentrated magic power at the Queen, it would be over. I genuinely felt how useful the death beam was every time I used it.
*Piiing!*
Soon, a death beam shot from my fingertips.
*Boom!*
The waves of sand churned violently, indicating the path of the death beam. The trajectory was directly in front of us.
About 10 meters in, the Queen swimming through the sand collided with the death beam.
*Fwoosh!*
An explosion occurred in the sand, kicking up a huge wave of dust.
At that moment, the vibrations faltered for just a brief second. It was an unsettling pause, almost like the calm before the storm.
And naturally, the ground began to quiver violently again, the sand once more leaping high into the air.
*Kieeeeek!*
With a grotesque roar, a massive scorpion emerged from the sand.
Just as the guide described, it was the size of a small house. So this was the Sand Scorpion Queen, huh?
*Thud!*
“This, this is unbelievable!”
Without hesitating, I leapt high towards the Scorpion Queen, raising both hands high above me.
Since it had a tough shell, it would probably be better to pummel it with my fists.
‘How much tougher could it be than Usuk?’
*Bam!*
Upon landing on its back, I slammed my arms down hard.
The sound of cracking and collapsing echoed as the Queen’s shell caved in. It felt like it could shatter any moment.
“Kieeeeek!”
It started thrashing around, as the giant scorpion’s tail kept stabbing at my back.
But what of it? The stinging only tickled a bit, and its venom was totally ineffective.
In the meantime, I unleashed a series of attacks until its shell was completely shattered.
*Crack! Sizzle! Snap!*
After several hammering punches, I finally exposed its insides. Surprisingly tough for its appearance.
It seemed the Queen sensed the danger and began to dig frantically into the sand. It intended to escape underground.
It was fast enough that I nearly missed it, but fortunately, its tail was still left out.
I managed to grab its tail just before it could bury itself underwater.
“Ugh…!”
“Kieeeeek!”
I pulled it back up with all my might as it struggled pitifully, begging for its life.
But I needed to kill this thing to ensure my own future. I couldn’t afford to waste any more time, so it was best to finish it off now.
*Thwack!*
Holding onto the tail, I jumped up to the Queen’s head and impaled her with her own sharp tail.
It turned out to be a case of her suffering from her own venom. They say scorpions have an innate resistance to their own poison, but that wasn’t my concern.
*Crack!*
With the tail and head now joined together, the Queen found it hard to move. I climbed atop the shell I had just smashed open.
I then plunged my hand into its soft insides. I raised my magic power in that state.
“Kieeeeek! Kieeek! Cough!”
Screaming for its life brought no solace. It should’ve been more careful about who to pick a fight with.
Ignoring whatever it said, I quickly released the magic power I’d gathered.
And then…
*Boom!*
A horrific sound ripped the air as the front portion of the creature exploded.
No matter how much of a bug it was, once its front was blown off, there was no avoiding death.
The Sand Scorpion Queen quivered for a time before finally stretching out that massive body.
*Thud! Thud!*
I wiped my filthy hands on the sand. They felt sticky and I could use some water.
Turning to my companions, still watching the display, I found all of them with dazed expressions.
Oh, not everyone—most of the locals looked stunned. Among them, the lead guide whispered quietly.
“…Pardon me, but is this Academy Student really that strong?”
“No. He’s stronger than us.”
“So why is he even attending the Academy?”
“Because he lacks culture.”
“Yet he speaks our language so well and claims to lack culture?”
“His head is good, but he doesn’t use it, so we’re teaching him that.”
“Oh. That makes sense.”
I heard all of that, you know.
![[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come](https://i3.wp.com/darkmtl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1737407792-8993-TS-The-end-of-magical-girls-has-come.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come")
