Chapter 229

Chapter 229

THUD, THUD, THUD!

“Kek!”

“Krrgh!”

The Fire Missiles struck the Awakened.

The Awakened screamed and collapsed.

In name, they were martial-type Awakened.

Their bodies, enhanced by Skills, were tough enough to ignore most attacks.

Fire Missile was nothing more than a low-level Skill.

It was the most basic Skill that anyone who had awakened flame-type Magic could use. Naturally, its power was not much to speak of either.

It was only threatening to ordinary people. Once someone reached Grade D or Grade E, they could block it without much difficulty. Naturally, they were confident they could block it easily. But reality was different from what they imagined.

Zeon’s Fire Missiles possessed power on a completely different level from the Skills ordinary Awakened used.

They had enough power to pierce through a Grade D martial-type Awakened. Fortunately, Zeon slightly lowered their power, so they did not die. Even so, they had to suffer tremendous impact and intense heat.

“Grrrgh!”

“Damn it! Give me a potion. It’s too hot!”

The Awakened rolled across the floor and cried out in pain.

The twin brothers’ faces changed completely when they saw their subordinates collapse in an instant.

“Fuck! What is this? He’s strong.”

“You brought that kind of lump here?”

The twin brothers glared at Park Man-ho with terrifying eyes.

Park Man-ho could not even make an excuse and kept his mouth firmly shut.

‘Fuck! Who knew he’d be this strong? What grade is he? He took all of them down, so at least Grade C? Fuck! I’m screwed.’

His face turned deathly pale.

The twin brothers looked at Park Man-ho with pathetic expressions, then turned their gazes to Zeon.

“You’re pretty strong. You might as well come under us instead. We’ll treat you better than anyone.”

“That’s right! If you become our subordinate, no one in the Mana Stone Mine will be able to touch you.”

At their offer, Zeon looked dumbfounded.

“Goran said something like that too before I killed him, and now you want me to go under you, when you’re worse than him? Are you in your right minds?”

“Goran? Do you mean Goran, the former ruler of Shinchon? Then you’re?”

The older twin realized Zeon’s identity and was shocked. But the younger brother was slower to catch on than he was.

He charged at Zeon like a bull.

“Fuck! Who cares about Goran? We just have to beat him to death. I’m not scared of some flame Magic.”

He trusted his body, which was harder than steel.

Even if Zeon fired dozens more Fire Missiles, he was confident he could endure them.

SHOO, SHOO, SHOO—!

Countless Fire Missiles flew toward him.

The younger brother crossed his arms in an X shape and protected his head.

This much defense was enough.

After enduring the pain, he would grab Zeon’s waist and snap it in two. Then his victory would be secured.

The younger brother was certain of his victory.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM—!

But the moment the Fire Missiles struck his entire body, he realized how absurdly empty his confidence had been.

Each Fire Missile possessed power stronger than most martial-type Awakened Skills.

The parts struck by the Fire Missiles felt as if they would be torn away from his body. His organs felt crushed, and the terrible pain nearly blew his soul away.

“Aaaagh!”

With a desperate scream, the younger brother was thrown backward.

Even as he watched his younger brother roll across the floor covered in blood, the older brother could not move.

It was because of Zeon.

Once again, dozens of Fire Missiles could be seen floating behind Zeon’s back.

Even ordinary flame-type Awakened could not draw out Fire Missiles infinitely like this.

There was a clear limit to their mana.

Zeon, who was endlessly drawing out dozens of Fire Missiles, was abnormal. But the older twin did not think Zeon was strange.

Because if Zeon’s rumored ability was true, this level of display would be as easy as trimming his fingernails.

“The Sandmancer Zeon, who brought down Goran, the ruler of Shinchon. That’s you, isn’t it?”

Zeon only shrugged silently. That alone was answer enough.

“Fuck!”

The older brother swore and glared at Park Man-ho.

Park Man-ho’s face had long since turned white.

He had not figured out Zeon’s identity like the older twin had, but merely seeing Zeon take down all the Awakened in the gambling den was enough to frighten him.

The gambling den’s Awakened could not deal with Zeon. To face him, they would have to move the Mana Stone Mine’s guard force. But they were not people who obeyed Park Man-ho’s orders.

At that moment, the older twin raised both hands in surrender and said,

“It seems we made a mistake. I apologize.”

“With words only?”

“Of course not. I’ll open Park Man-ho’s vault for you.”

“That’s only natural. What else?”

“We’ll...... open our vault too. Take as much as you want.”

When it was time to bow, one had to bow properly.

If one tried to protect their pride and bowed half-heartedly, they would end up with neither death nor life.

At least his younger brother and subordinates had not died.

Even if they were stripped of everything, as long as they remained, rebuilding would not be that difficult.

Fortunately, the Mana Stone Mine was overflowing with gambling addicts. There were plenty of suckers who came on their own feet to offer up money, so there was no reason to risk his life fighting Zeon.

Zeon was a strong man on a different level.

Killing Goran, the ruler of Shinchon, was one of the least impressive things he had done.

A Sandmancer who could move sand at will.

If he put his mind to it, no one in the Mana Stone Mine would be able to return to Neo Seoul. If he turned the sand at the entrance of the Mana Stone Mine into shifting sands, no vehicle would be able to get out.

Making an enemy of someone with this absurd kind of power was foolish.

So bowing his head now was not something shameful at all.

The older twin’s gaze turned to Park Man-ho.

“And you.”

“Khh!”

“Don’t think today’s matter will pass quietly. I’ll make sure to collect every bit of the losses you caused.”

Park Man-ho lowered his head and avoided the older twin’s terrifying gaze.

‘Fuck! Fuck!’

Right now, his mind was filled with nothing but despair.

Naturally, no way out came to mind, nor did he dare attempt one.

Inside the Mana Stone Mine, he could throw his weight around, but once outside that place, he was nothing.

CLICK! CLACK!

The older twin opened every vault door.

Park Man-ho’s personal vault, and even the gambling den’s own vault.

Zeon first inspected Park Man-ho’s personal vault.

Inside the personal vault was a fairly large mineral.

‘Is this really a mineral?’

It was about the size of a child’s torso.

Its outer appearance resembled a Mana Stone, but no mana could be felt from it. Yet for some reason, he could not take his eyes off it.

When he placed his hand on it, he felt warmth.

It felt different from mana.

A warm, comfortable energy traveled through his palm.

Zeon asked Park Man-ho,

“You said this was mined from the Mana Stone Mine?”

“Yes! It was mined from the same shaft where the top-grade Mana Stone came out.”

“Hmm!”

“It isn’t a Mana Stone, but it must have great value. These bastards didn’t recognize its worth and refused to accept it, but......”

It was an object that came from the Mana Stone Mine, but it was not a Mana Stone.

It was only natural that the twin brothers had not recognized its value.

If it were examined in detail, its value could surely be determined. But there was no reason for them to go through that trouble.

Collecting money from other gambling addicts during the time it would take to investigate the mineral’s identity was far more efficient.

‘It’s definitely not ordinary. And the fact that it was discovered in the Mana Stone Mine too.’

Even Zeon did not know this mineral’s identity. But keeping it would not harm him.

More than anything, he liked the warmth that came from the mineral.

“I’ll take this.”

Zeon put the mineral into his subspace.

Then he inspected the gambling den’s vault.

Inside the large vault was an enormous amount of money. At a glance, it looked like there were tens of millions of sol. But what Zeon picked up was only around tens of thousands of sol.

That much money was enough.

Instead, what Zeon was interested in were the items piled up on one side.

They were items left as collateral by people crazed by gambling.

Most were nothing special, but one item in particular caught his eye.

It was a pot with three legs.

“What is this?”

“Ah, that was left as collateral by an Awakened from a dungeon raid team. It came from a dungeon, but no one knew its use, so it was abandoned.”

“Do you know which dungeon it came from?”

“I’m sorry. The bastard who left it as collateral died, so we don’t know.”

The Awakened who had gambled with the money he received for leaving this pot as collateral had gotten into a dispute with another Awakened and ended up dying.

After that, the pot had remained buried in this vault.

“I’ll take this.”

“Please do. You can take everything else too.”

“I was planning to do that without you telling me.”

Zeon put all the items inside the vault into his subspace.

Most of them were far too lacking for him to use, but they would be useful to Briel or Levin.

Even as the older twin watched Zeon put every item into his subspace, he did not show the slightest displeased expression.

He believed this level of price had to be paid to be forgiven.

Fortunately, Zeon had no intention of making the matter any larger.

“I’m planning to return now. Will today’s matter become a problem?”

“That will absolutely never happen.”

“It’s nice that you’re someone I can talk to.”

“That is one of my strengths.”

“Good.”

“Thank you.”

“Then I’ll be going now. It was nice meeting you.”

“Please return safely.”

The older twin bent his waist ninety degrees and saw Zeon off.

When he raised his head, Zeon had already left the gambling den.

After confirming that Zeon was gone, his face turned terrifying.

“Park Man-ho, you son of a bitch! Were you trying to ruin us with your dirty trick?”

“N-no! That wasn’t what I meant......”

“How are you going to make up for this loss?”

“Who knew he’d be that strong? I’m a victim too.”

“Do you think he’s simply strong? He’s a disaster, a disaster! You son of a bitch!”

“Th-that......”

“You fucking bastard! Starting today, you’re banned from the gambling den. You’ll cover this loss by mining Mana Stones yourself.”

“Y-you’re telling me to go into the shaft and work?”

“That’s right, you son of a bitch. From today onward, you’re no longer the mine overseer, and you’re nothing at all. You’re just a miner. I’ll make sure of it.”

The older twin had that much power.

Park Man-ho’s face turned deathly pale.

The road to hell was opening before his eyes.

---

“Did something good happen?”

Briel tilted her head when she saw Zeon.

That was because a smile had appeared on his face.

Zeon sat on a chair and said,

“I met someone I knew and received a few gifts.”

“Gifts?”

“Do you want to see them too?”

“Mm!”

Briel nodded and quickly sat down.

Zeon poured out all the items he had brought from the gambling den.

“What? They’re items.”

“Do they look good?”

“Wait!”

Briel cut off Zeon’s words and picked up one of the items.

It was the pot with three legs.

“Why is this here?”

“Do you know it?”

“Siela’s Brazier.”

“Siela?”

“She’s the goddess who protects High Elves.”

“Then this is an item of the High Elves?”

“Yeah! It’s a treasure High Elves used when practicing alchemy. To think I’d see this on Earth. I’d only heard of it.”

Briel hugged Siela’s Brazier tightly.

At that instant, tremendous light burst from Siela’s Brazier.

It had awakened from contact with a High Elf.

Sacred light gently wrapped around Briel.