Chapter 230

Chapter 230

CRACK, CRACK!

The surface of Siela’s Brazier was splitting.

As if it were shedding an old skin, the rust covering the brazier peeled away.

After shedding its rust, the brazier radiated an even more intense light.

The pure white light radiating from Siela’s Brazier felt sacred.

It seemed as if merely bathing in the light would erase every sin.

Briel was engulfed in that light.

With her eyes closed as she held Siela’s Brazier, Briel’s appearance even seemed divine.

Zeon watched Briel silently.

He knew nothing about Siela’s Brazier, nor did he know anything about the light radiating from it, but he could easily guess that this moment must not be disturbed.

The light disappeared only after quite some time.

“Haa!”

Briel let out the breath she had been holding and rose from her seat. She was still holding Siela’s Brazier.

Siela’s Brazier had changed greatly.

Its shabby appearance had vanished without a trace, and antique patterns were engraved all over its surface.

A faint auspicious energy flowed from its golden body.

One could tell at a glance that it was a rare item.

This was Siela’s Brazier’s true form.

A treasure of the High Elves that had been lost after crossing over to Earth.

Using Siela’s Brazier increased the efficiency of alchemy by at least twice. In other words, the success rate rose that much higher.

To Briel, it was truly the greatest treasure.

Briel, holding Siela’s Brazier in her arms, also seemed to have changed somehow.

Her appearance had not changed much, but her eyes and atmosphere had deepened another level. Because of that, she looked far more mature.

That was not the only thing that had changed.

‘She grew.’

When Briel first met Zeon, she had been nothing more than a Grade E Awakened.

Because she had been locked underground and forced to make drugs every day, her ability had not grown at all.

Her ability had begun growing explosively only after she met Zeon.

Because she could research and experiment to her heart’s content without worrying about materials, her ability had shot up like bamboo.

Until just a moment ago, her grade had been Grade C.

That alone was tremendous growth.

But now her grade was Grade B.

Her grade had risen in an instant.

Everything was thanks to Siela’s Brazier.

Siela’s Brazier had awakened thanks to Briel, and Briel’s grade had risen as her mind connected with Siela’s Brazier.

Siela’s Brazier could now be used only by Briel, a High Elf.

Briel said to Zeon,

“Thank you! Thanks to you, I recovered a High Elf treasure.”

“You found it. If I’d kept it, it would’ve been nothing more than useless junk.”

Zeon thought the treasure had found its rightful owner.

If he had kept it, Siela’s Brazier would never have revealed its true form.

It was an item that symbolized an entire race.

That meant its standard for choosing an owner was strict. Briel had met that standard and been chosen.

What Briel would make with Siela’s Brazier was her choice.

Whatever she made, it was certain to be far more effective than ordinary items.

‘This means Neo Seoul will have no choice but to pay attention to her too.’

There was only one grade between Grade C and Grade B, but the gap was enormous.

It was not for nothing that people were classified as high-grade Awakened starting from Grade B.

Most Awakened failed to cross this wall and remained stuck at Grade C.

A Grade B alchemist was extremely rare even in Neo Seoul.

Items made with Siela’s Brazier would surely have far superior performance compared to items made by ordinary alchemists.

If such items were released into the market, Neo Seoul would have no choice but to pay attention.

‘Things are going to get troublesome.’

Zeon let out a faint sigh.

He could deal with the troublesome matters when the time came.

For now, resolving the problem in front of him came first.

Suddenly, he remembered another item he had placed in his subspace.

It was the mineral he had brought from Park Man-ho’s vault.

Since he remembered it, he took the mineral out of subspace.

At that instant, Siela’s Brazier in Briel’s arms reacted.

Wooong!

It suddenly released a resonance hum.

In response, a faint light flowed from the mineral.

Zeon frowned and looked at the mineral.

The light repeatedly weakened and strengthened.

The sight looked exactly like a beating heart.

Briel was startled and widened her eyes.

“What is this?”

“Do you know what this thing is?”

“N-no! I’ve never seen anything like this before. But Siela’s Brazier is reacting to it. It’s happy, like it met an old friend.”

The energy Briel felt from Siela’s Brazier was joy.

Like a young bird meeting its mother after a long time, Siela’s Brazier was that happy.

But she could not tell what it was.

The mineral’s pulse soon stopped, and it returned to its ordinary appearance. Siela’s Brazier no longer reacted either.

“Whatever it is, it isn’t ordinary. Do you want to keep it?”

“No! I don’t think it’s something I can handle. I think it’s better for Zeon to keep it.”

“You won’t regret it?”

“Mm!”

“Then I’ll keep it for now.”

Zeon stored the mineral back into his subspace.

Briel asked,

“By the way, where did you get all these things?”

“A gambling den.”

“Zeon gambles too?”

“No. Some friends who work at the gambling den gave them to me.”

“Really?”

“They’re good friends. They even thoughtfully packed all this for me.”

“They’re grateful friends. We should be thankful.”

“Yeah! I’m just grateful.”

Briel and Zeon looked at each other and smiled meaningfully.

That was enough.

---

Grrrrr!

With a heavy sound, the enormous iron gate was opening.

What entered through the opened gate was a massive armored vehicle and the buggies escorting it.

It was NSSC, Neo Seoul Service Corps, one of the Awakened units directly under City Hall.

NSSC was an elite unit composed entirely of Grade B and Grade C Awakened.

Although they were not as powerful as the Numbers, the execution unit directly under the mayor, they also possessed combat power that could not be ignored.

Neo Seoul supplied NSSC with the best equipment and weapons.

Unlike the Numbers, NSSC’s advantage was that they could be deployed whenever needed.

City Hall had deployed NSSC to transport the top-grade Mana Stone.

The armored vehicle they had brought was a product that concentrated Neo Seoul’s science and Magic, and it had been designed to endure even the attacks of a Grade A monster.

NSSC was made up of three teams.

Since every member was Grade B or Grade C, their numbers could only be small.

The NSSC team dispatched today was Team 2.

Team 2’s leader was Ji Sang-woo.

He was a man with short-cut black hair and striking black eyes.

A special firearm made for monsters hung from his shoulder, and on both thighs, he wore his main weapons, sixty-centimeter-long daggers.

His sword-fighting Skill using two daggers displayed especially powerful force in interpersonal combat.

Ji Sang-woo, who got down from the armored vehicle, placed a cigarette in his mouth. Then another Awakened from NSSC brought a finger to the cigarette.

FLARE!

The cigarette lit in an instant.

Ji Sang-woo said with a dumbfounded expression,

“Hey! Who told you to light it?”

“Haha! What can I do when my Magic is far faster than Team Leader’s old lighter?”

“Fuck! Using a precious flame-type Awakened just to light a cigarette. If the Captain finds out, he’ll try to kill me.”

“How would the Captain, who’s in Neo Seoul, know?”

“Enough. Check the top-grade Mana Stone first.”

“Yes, sir!”

The Awakened saluted playfully, then headed to the warehouse with his subordinates.

Left alone, Ji Sang-woo looked around the Mana Stone Mine.

He saw the faces of people surprised by NSSC’s appearance.

The miners were looking on with curiosity, and the merchants were staring with greedy eyes.

Among them were also people who seemed to be Awakened.

‘Bastards who’d turn into Scavengers the moment they had the chance.’

Among them, there were surely some who were in contact with real Scavengers.

Everyone in the Mana Stone Mine was a potential raider.

If one relaxed just because they had entered this place, they could be struck from behind without anyone knowing and stripped of everything.

The Mana Stone Mine was that kind of place.

A place where not a moment of carelessness was allowed.

One had to keep their mind sharp.

A little while later, his subordinates appeared with the armored vehicle.

“Wow! This is incredible.”

“I’ve never seen a Mana Stone this big before.”

His subordinates opened the rear door of the armored vehicle and showed the top-grade Mana Stone to Ji Sang-woo.

“Fuck! This is insane.”

Ji Sang-woo’s mouth fell open at the overwhelming majesty of the top-grade Mana Stone.

The single top-grade Mana Stone filled the interior of the armored vehicle. The majestic flow of mana coming from the top-grade Mana Stone was enough to make his head spin.

“I wondered why they deployed us just to transport one Mana Stone, but there was a reason.”

“They say this one alone can solve Neo Seoul’s power needs for a year, don’t they? There’ll definitely be a lot of bastards after it.”

“And of all times, both the subspace items and subspace Awakened were requisitioned elsewhere....... Everyone, stay sharp. Flies will definitely swarm in.”

“Yes, sir!”

“We move in a diamond formation with the armored vehicle at the center. Everyone, depart!”

At Ji Sang-woo’s order, the members of Team 2 climbed into the armored vehicle and buggies in unison.

They left the Mana Stone Mine without hesitation.

Briel, who had watched the scene from afar, clicked her tongue.

“They came and went like lightning.”

“That’s NSSC’s motto. Move swiftly and complete the mission before enemies can intervene.”

Eloy, who knew NSSC’s nature well, explained kindly.

She too had once gone on operations with NSSC several times.

Each time, NSSC had carried out their operations efficiently, making Eloy admire them.

It was the same now.

They did not linger needlessly and give unknown enemies time to prepare an attack, but moved quickly instead. They moved at a speed the enemy could not catch up to in time.

Levin clasped his hands behind his head and said,

“They’re cool! Aren’t they total manly men?”

“Why? Do you want to join NSSC too? If you want, big sister can recommend you.”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

“Why?”

“If I join a place like that, I won’t be able to act freely. Then I won’t be able to search for that ‘son of a bitch’ as I please either.”

“Ah!”

Eloy realized that the son of a bitch Levin was referring to was the murderer who had killed his family.

Feeling awkward for no reason, Eloy quietly turned her gaze away.

Levin, on the other hand, paid no attention to Eloy.

‘It isn’t far now.’

Once they left the Mana Stone Mine, Neo Seoul would be close.

Levin intended to resume tracking the murderer as soon as they returned to Neo Seoul.

Before leaving Neo Seoul, he had only been a Grade C Awakened, but now he had become Grade B.

He was confident that he could overcome any obstacle that appeared.

Levin’s gaze suddenly turned to Zeon.

Zeon was speaking with a serious expression to a man named Will.

A little while later, Will returned to his original place, and Zeon approached them.

“What’s going on, Brother?”

“The Goblin Market sent information. They say Lee Ji-ryeong learned that I’ve returned.”

“Already?”

“They told me to be careful because they don’t know what he’ll do.”

“I suppose so. If what he did to us inside the dungeon becomes known, his reputation will fall to the ground.”

Levin felt the tip of his nose itch.

A sense of danger was already creeping over him. But Zeon, who had spoken those words, looked calm.

“Will you be all right, Brother?”

“Worrying about it in advance won’t solve anything.”

“That’s true, but.......”

“Don’t worry. I won’t be fooled twice.”

One could be caught once without knowing.

But if one knew and still got caught twice, they were either missing a screw or a fool whose head did not work.

Zeon was not missing a screw, and he was certainly not a fool. And he did not easily forget grudges.