Chapter 234

Chapter 234

“What do you mean?”

“I apologize.”

Johan was burning with rage, and Dayson, the Paladin Order Commander, bowed his head.

It had been only a few hours since they obtained information that Eaton was hiding in a tavern. They had to capture Eaton before he fled, so Johan had hurriedly dispatched Paladins.

Eaton might have been the ruler of Shinchon, but the ability he possessed was not all that impressive.

At most, it was an ability to launch steel balls with telekinesis.

It would be a threat to lower-grade Awakened or ordinary people, but it was not a danger to Paladins wearing heavy armor. That was why Dayson had been confident the Paladins would capture Eaton and bring him back.

But the result had gone against the Paladin Order Commander’s expectations.

Eaton had vanished like a ghost, and the dispatched Paladins had ended up like dogs that had chased a chicken only to lose it.

The Paladins searched the area, but they could not find a single trace of Eaton anywhere.

Because of that, Johan’s rage had reached its peak.

This was a fight that would have ended if they had only captured Eaton. Since they had lost a fish they had all but caught right under their noses, there was no way he would not be furious.

“Find Eaton somehow and bring him before me.”

“This time, I will capture him myself.”

“If you fail twice, you’ll have to step down from that position.”

“I will handle it properly so that does not happen.”

“Leave.”

“Yes, sir!”

Dayson bowed his head, then went outside.

Left alone, Johan’s eyes gleamed eerily.

“Have I let him run loose for too long? Tch!”

Anything that stayed stagnant in one place for too long was bound to rot.

The Paladin Order Commander, Dayson, was no exception.

Dayson had originally been a back-alley punk before meeting Johan and repenting. Immediately after that, he awakened, and Johan seated him as the Paladin Order Commander.

Even after becoming the Paladin Order Commander, he had failed to abandon his punk habits and grew lazy. That was why he had sent only his subordinates to capture Eaton this time as well.

Johan tolerated him because his loyalty was extraordinary, but if he kept revealing his incompetence like this, Johan would have no choice but to cut him away.

There were plenty of people who could replace Dayson.

The only important person in Dongdaemun was Johan.

Everyone else was merely a part meant to protect him.

“Joshua!”

“Yes!”

At Johan’s call, Joshua, who had been waiting outside, entered.

“What about Zeon?”

“He is locked in the NSSC prison.”

“Any signs of escape?”

“None at all.”

“Are you certain?”

“As far as I have confirmed, yes.”

“So that’s how it is? Well, even he can’t do anything about it. The NSSC prison completely blocks the flow of mana.”

A cold smile appeared on Johan’s lips.

The reason he had led the Paladins to occupy Shinchon was all because Zeon had not been there.

Zeon had been known to have died during the dungeon clearing, and Johan had not missed that chance, launching a surprise attack on Shinchon and taking half of it into his hands.

It was only a matter of time before he ruled the remaining half. That was why he had taken it easy.

But then he suddenly obtained information that Zeon had returned to the Mana Stone Mine, and from that moment on, he became pressed for time.

If Zeon returned, there was a high chance everything would come to nothing.

He had to stop Zeon from entering Neo Seoul by any means necessary.

That was why he used NSSC.

As it happened, the top-grade Mana Stone had been mined at the Mana Stone Mine.

Moving NSSC had not been particularly difficult.

“What does NSSC say they’ll do with Zeon?”

“It seems they have not decided yet.”

“A team was annihilated, and they’re still leaving him alone? The Captain of NSSC shouldn’t be that soft.”

“It seems someone higher up ordered them to wait and watch.”

“Higher up? Who?”

“I have not been able to find out that much yet.”

“Looks like there’s someone with a decent head on their shoulders up there.”

Johan wore a displeased expression.

The best outcome would have been for NSSC to remove Zeon, but as always, things in the world did not always go his way.

Of course, it was still too early to be disappointed.

“Gently scratch at the NSSC bastards. There must be someone furious at Zeon.”

“Understood.”

“It’s a shame Jae-kyung isn’t here. She would’ve been useful at a time like this.”

If Kim Jae-kyung had still been alive, he would not have needed to arrange matters this tediously. With her ability, which could brainwash even most Awakened in an instant, he could have used NSSC Awakened to attack Zeon. But she was no longer of this world.

The dead could not return to life, so he had to create the best result with the resources he had.

Johan suddenly looked out the window.

Beyond the massive wall, City Hall could be seen.

“After Shinchon, we will advance into Neo Seoul. There, we will teach God’s will.”

---

“Ugh!”

Eaton groaned and regained consciousness.

The first things he saw were a boy whose childishness had not yet fully faded and a girl wearing a pointed hat pulled low over her head.

“You two are?”

“Oh, you’re awake?”

“You were definitely with Zeon......”

“At least you remember. My name is Levin.”

The boy was Levin.

The girl beside him was Briel.

Eaton shook his head and raised his upper body.

“What happened? I remember being pulled into the wall.......”

After that, his memory cut off as he lost consciousness.

Levin handed Eaton a cup of water and said,

“Drink.”

“Thanks.”

“I saved you.”

“How?”

“With my ability.”

“What kind of......?”

“You already experienced it. That’s my ability.”

“That wasn’t a dream?”

Eaton looked disbelieving.

For a moment, he had definitely turned into something like a ghost.

It was the first time he had ever experienced anything so intense.

The dizzying sensation of floating and the feeling of being sucked straight into the wall were not things he could easily forget.

“Insane!”

“What?”

“Turns out you’re an amazing bastard. Come under me. You’ll become Shinchon’s second-in-command. How about it? Doesn’t that sound tempting?”

SMACK—!

At that instant, Briel struck Eaton on the back of the head.

The impact shook Eaton’s skull so badly that he could not say anything.

A little later, when he regained his senses, anger appeared on his face.

“Has this fucking bitch lost her mind?”

“You’re the one who’s lost your mind.”

“What?”

“You’re trying to seduce Levin while Zeon’s eyes are wide open? You’re not sane.”

“What did you just say? Lord Zeon is alive?”

“Yeah! You idiot.”

“He’s really alive? Then why hasn’t he shown himself?”

“Because he’s locked in prison.”

“What?”

“Are your ears blocked? I said he’s in the NSSC prison right now.”

“Fuck!”

Eaton swore and slumped down.

His only hope had been Zeon.

He had believed that as long as Zeon returned, this hellish situation could be resolved. That was why he had gritted his teeth and endured.

Once Zeon returned and cleaned up the situation, he could rule Shinchon again. But if Zeon was locked in the NSSC prison, everything would come to nothing.

“We’re finished. Fuck! Those fanatics are going to take everything from us.”

Eaton despaired.

Looking at him, Briel snorted.

“You look like a cripple.”

“What? You tiny bitch, you’ve been talking down to me since earlier. Do you think you’ll be safe when Zeon isn’t even here?”

“What if I’m not?”

“Do you want to get beaten half to death?”

“You still haven’t come to your senses, old man!”

“You fucking bitch.......”

In the end, Eaton’s rage exploded, and he tried to hit Briel. But Levin moved much faster than him.

Levin grabbed Eaton’s wrist and sent Purple Lightning through him.

CRACKLE—!

“Aaaagh!”

As the current ran through his entire body, Eaton screamed as if he were dying.

He tried to resist with telekinesis, but it was no use.

Levin, who had become a Grade B Awakened, was too strong for Eaton to handle.

Only after Eaton lost consciousness did Levin let go of his hand.

Briel looked at the collapsed Eaton with a pathetic expression, then woke him.

“Old man! Wake up.”

“Ugh!”

“I said wake up. We don’t have time for you to sleep leisurely like this.”

“Krrgh! Damn it.”

Only then did Eaton come to his senses.

“We don’t have time, so I’ll get straight to the point. How many subordinates do you have left right now?”

“Why?”

“I said we don’t have time. How many subordinates do you have left?”

“Fuck! I have about thirty direct subordinates.”

“You’re completely broke.”

“That’s only the direct ones. If I scrape together everyone who shares my cause, it’ll be over a hundred.”

“Phew! That’s why you should’ve managed people properly in normal times. Since you spent every day running around with prostitutes, of course you couldn’t manage your subordinates.”

“That’s......”

Eaton opened and closed his mouth like a carp.

Even if he had ten mouths, he had nothing to say.

After being utterly crushed by Levin, he did not dare try violence against Briel again.

Levin sorted out the situation.

“In any case, you can mobilize about a hundred people?”

“That’s right.”

“Good. From now on, move them secretly into Dongdaemun.”

“Why Dongdaemun?”

“We need to find the stolen top-grade Mana Stone. If we find the top-grade Mana Stone, Brother Zeon will be released.”

“Is that true?”

“So from now on, collect every piece of information about Dongdaemun. If you dig into the movements of Awakened, vehicle movements, and the flow of funds, something will come out.”

“Under......stood. I’ll do that.”

In any case, Eaton had no other choice left.

If they found the top-grade Mana Stone and got Zeon released, they could turn the situation around.

Levin said,

“If you understand, then let’s move diligently. We don’t have much time.”

“Right!”

Cold sweat dampened Eaton’s back as he answered.

He had thought Zeon was simply taking care of an orphan with nowhere to go, but Levin was a monster he could not handle.

Levin could not only turn himself into a ghost, but others as well, and he could even use lightning-type Magic.

Even if there were ten Eatons, they could not defeat him.

His face burned with embarrassment at the fact that he had casually told someone like Levin to come under him, as if doing him a favor.

Eaton fled the residence as if running away.

After he disappeared, Levin looked at Briel.

“Do you think he can really find the Mana Stone’s whereabouts?”

“It doesn’t matter if he can’t. If he stirs up Dongdaemun, their attention will be split that much.”

There was no way Johan would not know what was happening in Dongdaemun.

If Eaton’s subordinates poked around Dongdaemun, they would definitely be caught in Johan’s radar.

Once Johan’s attention was split like that, a gap would definitely appear. Briel’s plan was to use that gap to find the top-grade Mana Stone.

If the top-grade Mana Stone was found in Dongdaemun, the game would be over.

Zeon would not need to explain himself pathetically either.

Every problem would be resolved simply.

Briel said,

“Let’s go to the Goblin Market. That older sister must have collected useful information.”

“Okay!”

Levin nodded.

After Zeon was captured by NSSC, Briel had led the entire situation.

She made plans actively and moved of her own initiative.

Levin did not dislike that change in Briel.

“Let’s go, Brain. I’ll be the field commander.”