Chapter 260

Chapter 260

After returning home, Levin shut himself in his room and slept for days.

Briel even said that Levin looked as though he were hibernating. Even so, she did not try to drag him out, nor did she do anything like enter his room.

That was because she could somewhat guess how Levin felt.

“He poured all his energy into revenge, so it’ll probably take quite a while to fill it back up. Well, once his energy is full, he’ll come out on his own.”

Zeon smiled.

That was because Briel had spoken in a rather mature way.

Just as Levin had grown, Briel had grown as well.

Now she no longer acted as thoughtlessly as before, and she had become fairly capable of thinking from another person’s position.

It was truly remarkable progress.

The one who had become more comfortable thanks to that was Zeon.

Since he no longer had to look after her every little need as he had before, Zeon’s daily life had gained some leisure.

“I’m going out for a bit.”

“Okay! Take care.”

Leaving Briel and Levin behind, Zeon stepped out of the house.

The place he headed to was the Dokkaebi Market.

No matter when he came, the Dokkaebi Market was full of life.

Zeon sat absentmindedly on one side of the street and watched the people coming and going.

He had been zoning out like that for quite some time when someone approached.

“You sure look carefree. What are you looking at?”

Zeon raised his head and looked up at the person who had come beside him.

“Ah!”

“Ah?”

“Ah, I mean, it’s been a while.”

“What do you mean, it’s been a while? We met just recently.”

“I mean I’m that happy to see you.”

“You and that mouth of yours......”

The woman who wrinkled her nose and sat beside Zeon was Yu Se-hee, the owner of the Dokkaebi Market.

Behind her was the Black Lion, who always followed her.

After exchanging a greeting with him through their eyes, Zeon looked at Yu Se-hee.

“Aren’t you busy?”

“I am!”

“But......”

“That doesn’t mean I can just ignore the strongest person in the slums.”

“The strongest? Who?”

“You.”

“What?”

“No need to act humble. Everyone who lives here recognizes it. The rulers of each district in Neo Seoul probably think so too. Isn’t that why Kim Hyun-soo let you go quietly even after Levin caused that mess? Because he finds you burdensome.”

“Ugh!”

At the words praising him, Zeon shuddered as though horrified.

Yu Se-hee looked at Zeon with a curious expression.

Zeon might not think so himself, but he was a powerful person everyone recognized. Otherwise, why would Johan and Dongdaemun, who had invaded Shinchon with such terrifying momentum, have all withdrawn?

The being feared even by fanatics who could throw away their own lives without hesitation was none other than Zeon.

Yet Zeon himself did not seem to care much about that fact.

‘If I had that kind of power, I would have taken control of the entire slums long ago.’

If that had happened, a bloody storm would probably have swept through the entire slums.

Yu Se-hee thought it was fortunate that Zeon had a moderate disposition.

If an absolute powerhouse like Zeon had great ambition as well, all of Neo Seoul would have fallen into great chaos.

That was why she liked Zeon.

Because someone with power was maintaining balance, she could devote herself to operating the Dokkaebi Market.

‘Then is he the guardian of balance?’

After briefly entertaining such an odd thought, she brushed off her knees and stood.

Unlike Zeon, she had a great deal to do. She was not so free that she could keep sitting here and waste time forever.

It was time to go work.

She was about to leave when it happened.

“Fuck! Catch that bastard!”

“Hurry and chase him!”

A sudden commotion broke out in one corner of the Dokkaebi Market.

It seemed a chase had broken out, because merchants and guards could be seen running around in a great uproar.

“What is it this time?”

Yu Se-hee looked toward the source of the disturbance with an irritated expression.

It was a sight one saw several times a day in the Dokkaebi Market.

Where money and people gathered, disturbances were bound to never cease, but every time she saw one, it irritated her.

“There’s just no end to those troublemakers.”

“Shall I handle it?”

“No need! That would be like using a monster-slaying blade to catch a chicken. They’ll handle it on their own.”

At the Black Lion’s words, Yu Se-hee answered bluntly.

The Black Lion was the strongest force in the Dokkaebi Market. She could not mobilize such strength just to catch a petty thief.

The guards of the Dokkaebi Market were also quite capable.

Most Awakened could be dealt with at their level.

“Whoa!”

“Fuck! This way.”

“He ran that way!”

This time, however, the opponent was not easy.

He was so quick that the guards simply could not keep up with his movements.

CRASH!

“Fuck!”

“Why is he so fast?”

The flustered guards even tripped over their own feet and fell.

Zeon frowned slightly.

That was because the clothes of the person moving through the Dokkaebi Market as if it were his own home looked rather familiar.

“Could it be?”

“Why? Someone you know?”

At Zeon’s reaction, Yu Se-hee’s eyes gleamed.

“Give me a moment.”

“So it really is someone you know?”

“I need to check.”

Zeon walked toward the person fleeing from the guards.

“Huh? Mr. Zeon!”

At that moment, the fleeing person discovered Zeon and ran toward him.

He was a man with ordinary clothes and an ordinary face.

He looked like the kind of man one could meet dozens of times in an hour while walking through the market.

The face of the man running toward Zeon was filled with relief.

“Huff, huff! Please save me.”

He quickly hid behind Zeon.

When the guards discovered Zeon, they could not recklessly approach and came to a stop.

Their faces were clearly filled with bewilderment.

“Do you know him, Mr. Zeon?”

“Yes! But what happened?”

“He came in using a forged entry permit.”

“Ah!”

Only then did Zeon understand the situation.

He asked the man hiding behind him,

“What happened?”

“W-Well, I was trying to meet you, Mr. Zeon.”

“Me?”

“Yes!”

“Let’s go somewhere quiet. May we leave?”

Zeon looked at Yu Se-hee.

Yu Se-hee nodded silently.

The Dokkaebi Market did not forgive illegal trespassers, but if he was Zeon’s guest, the story changed.

After thanking Yu Se-hee with his eyes, Zeon left with the man.

After confirming there were no people around, Zeon opened his mouth.

“What happened? Lord Aslan!”

The name of the man who had come looking for Zeon was Aslan.

He was a trusted subordinate of Urtian, the master of Steel Fortress.

Back when Urtian led the Scavengers, Aslan’s mission had been to approach targets first and gather information.

“What brings you here, Lord Aslan? You can’t be planning to raid Neo Seoul, surely......”

“Good heavens! How could that be? How could Steel Fortress ever compare to Neo Seoul?”

Aslan hurriedly waved both hands.

At that moment, someone appeared behind Aslan.

It was a woman with unusually dark skin who had pulled down the hood of her robe.

The woman smacked the back of Aslan’s head in irritation and said,

SMACK!

“I told you to stay quiet, but you couldn’t even hold back for that short a time and caused trouble again?”

“Aaagh! I told you, it wasn’t my fault.”

“What were you going to do if you hadn’t met Mr. Zeon?”

“But I did meet him anyway.”

“Idiot! I can’t take my eyes off you for even a moment.”

The woman who sighed was Duduyan, the Dark Elf who took charge of scouting missions together with Aslan.

Duduyan greeted Zeon.

“I apologize for troubling you with this, Mr. Zeon!”

“You came as well, Lady Duduyan. Did something happen to Steel Fortress?”

“There is no problem with Steel Fortress.”

“Then why?”

“Well......”

Duduyan paused for a moment and checked whether there was anyone nearby.

After confirming there was no one, she continued cautiously.

“The truth is, after you left, some people came to Steel Fortress.”

“Is that so?”

“But they are in considerable trouble.”

At Duduyan’s words, Zeon looked as though he did not understand.

That was because he could not see what people in trouble had to do with him.

“They are looking for you, Mr. Zeon. They said that you are the only person who can save them.”

“So the two of you came here? To convey that message?”

“Yes!”

“Who on earth are they?”

“They...... came riding a giant turtle.”

“A giant turtle?”

“Yes! It was the kind of turtle that had a large village inside its shell.”

At Duduyan’s words, Zeon realized the identity of the people looking for him.

A clan that wandered the desert atop the supergiant turtle Archelon.

“It’s the Mort Clan.”

---

The lights in Seo Tae-ran’s room never went out until late at night.

People knew Seo Tae-ran simply as Jin Geum-ho’s secretary, but her actual duties were far more powerful than that.

In Jin Geum-ho’s place, she reviewed and carried out the overall work of City Hall.

Her authority was so great that she could proceed with most matters without reporting them to Jin Geum-ho.

After examining reports for quite some time, Seo Tae-ran removed her glasses and let out a sigh.

“Hoo!”

Jin Geum-ho did not read reports.

Reading the reports sent up by each organization was Seo Tae-ran’s role.

She read countless reports, summarized them briefly, and reported them to Jin Geum-ho.

To do that required a great deal of time.

So much so that Seo Tae-ran’s private life practically did not exist. Even so, Seo Tae-ran had never once thought it tiring or tedious.

That was because it was work for none other than Jin Geum-ho.

Seo Tae-ran had been rubbing the space between her brows for a moment and was about to put her glasses back on.

“Secretary Seo!”

Someone knocked on her door.

If it had been anyone else, she would never have allowed them into her room at this hour. But the owner of the voice was a very cautious person, and not someone who would ever come to see her carelessly.

He was a person who only came when there was a reason worthy of it.

Seo Tae-ran set down her glasses and said,

“Come in.”

“Yes!”

The owner of the voice quietly opened the door and entered.

It was a man wearing a black suit.

He was a man of about one hundred seventy centimeters, with his hair neatly combed back in a pomaded style.

His build was small, and his face was ordinary. But the man’s eyes were anything but ordinary.

They were so narrow that his pupils were barely visible.

They were what people commonly called slit eyes, but the occasional gleam in them was as sharp as a blade.

Seo Tae-ran stood and greeted him.

“Welcome, Captain Ho.”

“I apologize. You must already be busy, and I have troubled you.”

“Not at all. I was taking a short break.”

“That is a relief. I took the liberty of coming despite the discourtesy because there is something I must report urgently.”

“What is it?”

Seo Tae-ran grew tense.

The man who had come in person late at night to make a report was named Ho Cheong-yeon. He was the captain of the Shadow Unit, City Hall’s intelligence organization.

There was no place his reach did not extend, not only in Neo Seoul but even into the slums.

For most matters, he would have a subordinate report it; he was not someone who would personally visit like this.

The very fact that he had come in person at this hour was proof that this was no ordinary matter.

Ho Cheong-yeon said,

“Number Five has made contact with someone from outside.”

“Number Five?”

City Hall assigned separate numbers to people according to their danger level.

Naturally, the rulers of each district occupied everything up to Number Four.

Number Five was a recent addition.

“Are you saying Zeon has made contact with an outsider?”