Rise or Die
Zeon's stamina had reached its limit.
He had no mana left to manipulate at all.
No matter how frugally he managed it, his reserves weren't that vast to begin with.
The sand beneath his feet no longer obeyed his will.
Zeon had never pushed himself this hard before.
Behind him, Dayton never once stopped or looked back, even as Zeon staggered like he might collapse at any moment.
Zeon gritted his teeth and followed, unwilling to show weakness, but now he was truly at his breaking point.
'This damn old bastard...'
His legs gave out, and he collapsed face-first into the sand.
As he gasped for breath with his face buried, he sensed footsteps approaching.
Dayton had come back.
Lifting his head with effort, Zeon saw Dayton looking down at him with utter disdain.
"Useless bastard!"
"Urgh!"
"Because of a bitch like you, we've wasted time for nothing."
Dayton sat down beside Zeon.
He pulled two strips of jerky from his pocket.
One went into his own mouth, the other he tossed at Zeon.
It was a clear message: get up and eat it yourself.
But Zeon didn't even have the strength to rise.
He hadn't had a drop of water all day; his mouth was parched.
Eating jerky in this state was impossible.
If he didn't recover some stamina like this, staying collapsed could cost him his life.
Dayton knew that too.
And yet he left Zeon there.
Chewing his jerky slowly, Dayton spoke.
"The old world was peaceful. Back then, being a bit weak or lesser than others didn't matter for survival. Common sense still held, and showing consideration wasn't weird. But as you know, the world changed. Now it's survival of the fittest. The weak get eaten, and the survivors take everything. Hurts? Tough? Then give up. Dying makes it easy."
Zeon clenched his teeth at the harsh words.
He hadn't lived long, but he'd met plenty of people. None had ever cut as deep as Dayton.
It felt like a dagger twisting in his chest.
"If you wanna take the easy way, stay down. Otherwise, if you want to live through the agony, get up on your own power. Bitch!"
With that, Dayton fell silent.
He didn't spare Zeon a glance, just kept chewing his jerky.
Dayton hadn't had water all day either. So he didn't gulp it down hastily.
By salivating and chewing slowly, he prevented his throat from drying out further.
It was a survival trick honed from years in the desert.
The sun had set before they knew it.
Once night fell, the desert temperature plummeted.
It could drop below freezing in moments, and without warmth, hypothermia meant death.
Zeon knew this well.
'I'm not dying. I can't.'
He crawled along the ground.
Writhing like a worm, inching forward bit by bit.
After several tries, he got the jerky right in front of him.
Zeon opened his mouth and clamped down on it.
Sand stuck to it went in too, but he ignored it.
He chewed slowly.
No saliva made it pure agony, but he gnashed away relentlessly.
After an eternity, it finally went down his throat.
With food in his stomach, a sliver of energy returned.
Seizing the moment, Zeon pushed himself up to sit. Dayton tossed him another piece.
Zeon chewed without a word of thanks.
He felt vitality slowly returning to his body. His mana began to refill too.
As if seeing right through Zeon's condition, Dayton said,
"Body and mana are one. A strong body lets mana flow in easily. Want to get stronger? Never slack on physical training."
Zeon nodded silently.
He'd learned it bone-deep.
While collapsed, he'd tried gathering mana. But his exhausted body resisted it.
Without the jerky's recovery, his mana would still be scraping bottom.
With enough mana back, he finally felt alive.
"Hoo!"
Zeon exhaled in relief.
Having cheated death, the world looked new.
The desert sky, now dark, brimmed with stars.
They carpeted the heavens, shining beautifully.
Zeon stared blankly.
In Neo Seoul, he'd never had time for this.
Never even thought stars were pretty.
But brushing death had made him sentimental.
Dayton's voice snapped him back.
"Friend."
'Friend?'
No one else was here besides them. No friends, obviously.
Zeon glanced cautiously at Dayton.
Dayton was talking to his sword, Clayon.
'Is he crazy? Or is that thing an ego sword?'
With Clayon stabbed into the ground, the sight was anything but normal.
Ignoring Zeon's stare, Dayton kept chatting with the blade.
"Yeah, that'll do. You haven't cleared the boss there yet, right."
"……."
"It's been so long, memory's fuzzy. Thanks!"
Conversation over, Dayton turned to Zeon.
Zeon felt an inexplicable chill.
＊＊＊
Even awakened, surviving the desert cold was no joke.
Zeon shivered through the night, sleepless.
Dayton, meanwhile, slept soundly in a relaxed pose.
So comfortably it made Zeon want to punch his face.
As the sun rose, Dayton opened his eyes.
First thing, he wrung out the dew from his spread-out clothes and drank it.
That's when Zeon realized why he'd slept that way.
Zeon hurriedly did the same, but got far less than Dayton.
'If you know tricks like this, share them.'
He resented Dayton a bit.
Then it hit him.
Everything about Dayton was optimized for survival.
Even the smallest actions served it.
Zeon resolved himself.
'I have to learn everything from him. Down to the tiniest detail...'
Mimicking him perfectly would make Zeon as strong—or stronger—one day.
Drip, drip!
Zeon squeezed every last drop from his clothes. His thirst finally quenched.
"Let's go!"
Dayton said, standing.
Zeon nodded and rose too.
He didn't ask where.
He knew Dayton wouldn't answer anyway.
Though mentored for just a day, Zeon had his measure.
Utterly self-centered and unkind.
He never explained nicely or showed care.
He dragged you along but expected self-reliance.
To survive under him, Zeon had to adapt sharp.
Dayton was already far ahead.
Thankfully, his mana had fully recovered overnight.
Zeon unleashed the skill he'd realized yesterday.
He named the new skill Sand Step.
His top priority: mana management.
After yesterday's depletion and near-death, he knew its importance.
'If only I could recover mana as fast as I spend it. Any way?'
Dayton probably knew. But no point asking.
He'd have to figure it out alone, as always.
Zeon pondered improvements while using Sand Step.
The sun had just risen, but the sand scorched like hot iron.
Heat rising from the ground and blazing sun tormented him mercilessly.
Still, Zeon gritted through.
Enduring built patience. And Sand Step grew smoother.
All day walking, and sunset came.
Dayton finally stopped; Zeon caught his breath.
No mana depletion this time. But exhaustion etched his face.
Maintaining Sand Step all day while managing mana pushed body and mind to the brink.
He teetered on collapse but held. Dayton tossed jerky.
No eating-off-the-ground humiliation this time.
Zeon held it, nibbling slowly.
Chewing thoroughly to soften, then swallowing.
It took time.
Halfway through, he glanced at Dayton. Thinking he'd paced himself, but Dayton had barely a third done—much more left.
A strange defeat stung; Zeon bit his lip.
He chewed even slower than Dayton. One piece took nearly thirty minutes.
'Still hungry, though.'
Zeon wasn't fully grown yet.
One strip wouldn't fill him.
Hunger would return soon after.
But begging Dayton? His pride forbade it.
Zeon clutched his growling stomach and lay down.
First, chores.
He spread his clothes on the ground.
For morning dew.
Next: bedding.
Desert cold was trivial for superhuman Dayton. For Zeon, survival hung on it.
His solution: a bunker.
Luckily, some mana remained.
Dominating the sand, it dug a pit for one person.
Zeon entered, then sealed it with sand.
Desert sand lacked cohesion, normally collapsing.
But it held firm like a wooden roof.
Zeon had boosted its density.
Mana spent building, but none after.
"Hoo!"
Relief sighed out.
Regret he hadn't last night—but better now.
Dayton crossed his mind.
Should he invite him? Nah.
He wouldn't listen anyway.
If desperate, he'd crawl in.
'Whatever happens, happens.'
Zeon slept.
Outside froze, but inside was warm.
Day-heated sand provided it.
He slept easier than before.
A strange sensation woke him.
Faint vibrations through the sand.
"What?"
Zeon sat, hand to ground. Vibrations intensified.
He exited the bunker, found Dayton.
Dayton was up, Clayon stabbed in sand, staring ahead.
Zeon followed his gaze.
Only thick darkness.
Pre-dawn's darkest hour.
Impossible to discern. For normals.
Dayton's superhuman eyes pierced it.
Rumble rumble!
Vibrations grew.
Zeon's eyes widened.
'Dozens? No, hundreds at least.'
Dayton spoke.
"Survive on your own, bitch! Heh heh!"
His mad grin looked thrilled.
Like a kid before fireworks.
Zeon couldn't laugh.
He knew no help coming. It fueled his resolve.
'Fine! I'll live.'
Vibrations peaked; they burst from darkness.
Hundreds of eyes charging at Dayton and Zeon.
Dayton said,
"Big-horned hyena pack. Nocturnal, chew everything to dust. Better not get caught in their teeth. Snap out of it, or you'll be shredded in their guts. Heh heh!"
"You crazy old fuck!"