Chapter 322

Chapter 322

THUD, THUD!

Someone knocked on the door of Zeon’s house early in the morning.

At the noisy sound, Zeon frowned and opened his eyes.

He tried to ignore it and keep sleeping, but they seemed ready to keep knocking until he opened the door.

In the end, Zeon had no choice but to rub his eyes and walk toward the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

A woman’s cold voice came from outside the door.

Zeon frowned and asked again,

“Who is ‘me’?”

“I am Seo Tae-ran, the mayor’s secretary.”

Zeon opened the door with a puzzled expression.

There was no reason for Seo Tae-ran to come looking for him personally at such an early hour.

Zeon instinctively sensed that something unusual had happened.

When he opened the door, Seo Tae-ran stood there in bright red clothing.

“What is it?”

“Please come with me to City Hall.”

“To City Hall? Did something happen?”

“You’ll learn the details when we arrive.”

“Do I not have the right to refuse? If you just tell me to go without any explanation......”

“This matter involves you as well, Mr. Zeon. If you do not come, you may regret it.”

At Seo Tae-ran’s threat-like words, Zeon frowned. But soon he put on his robe and stepped outside.

That was because the Seo Tae-ran he knew was not someone who would speak nonsense.

The fact that she had come like this meant something truly urgent related to Zeon had happened.

Leaving Briel at home, Zeon followed Seo Tae-ran outside.

A vehicle was waiting outside to take him.

The car carrying Seo Tae-ran and Zeon immediately entered Neo Seoul.

The entire way to City Hall, Seo Tae-ran said nothing, her expression stiff.

‘Something serious must have happened. Hoo!’

Zeon sighed as he looked out the window.

He had thought that after handling the North District matter, peace had finally come for a while, but incidents kept breaking out without pause.

As if the world would not allow him to rest.

Zeon felt his fate was quite harsh.

‘Looks like I’m not fated to live comfortably.’

He had felt it ever since he Awakened the authority to control sand, but major incidents had always followed him.

If he resolved one, another incident occurred, and after resolving that incident, another one followed close behind.

He had thought things might improve once he entered Neo Seoul, but the situation had not changed.

‘Well, what can I do? I should consider it the price of possessing strong power.’

Zeon leaned against the window and closed his eyes.

He opened them again after the car arrived in front of City Hall.

Seo Tae-ran opened the car door first and said,

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Zeon stretched and got out of the car.

Even in the elevator heading to the top floor of City Hall, Seo Tae-ran said nothing.

When the elevator doors opened, Jin Geum-ho greeted Zeon.

“Welcome. You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

“Eaten? Didn’t you call me because of something urgent?”

“That’s right. But it isn’t urgent enough to skip breakfast. Sit down first.”

Although Zeon frowned, he followed Jin Geum-ho’s words.

When Zeon sat down, a chef brought out a simple meal.

Coffee and brunch.

It looked modest, but Zeon thought it was quite luxurious.

That was because coffee was not a plant one could obtain easily.

In the current era, only a very small number of people in Neo Seoul could drink coffee like this.

“Drink the coffee first. It was roasted at dawn, so the flavor is proper.”

“I’ll drink the coffee after hearing the story. What happened?”

“Is that so?”

Jin Geum-ho set down the coffee cup he had lifted and looked at Zeon.

“The truth is, a problem occurred at the Mana Stone Mine.”

“The Mana Stone Mine?”

“Not the existing one. I mean the Mana Stone Mine we’re developing this time.”

In that instant, Zeon narrowed his eyes.

That was because the newly developing Mana Stone Mine was the place he and the Pathfinder team dispatched by City Hall had discovered.

Most importantly, Levin had gone there to protect his friends.

“What kind of problem?”

“The expeditionary force sent to develop the Mana Stone Mine is under attack by monsters.”

“Monsters?”

“They said monsters gathered from outside while the clearing was underway.”

“Shouldn’t they be able to hold out against that much?”

“That’s right! The problem is that the place where the expeditionary force set up camp collapsed.”

“Pardon?”

“Absurd, isn’t it? I found it absurd too. They definitely confirmed that the ground was solid, yet it collapsed. Because of that, most of the expeditionary force fell underground.”

“What happened to them? Are they alive?”

“We cannot confirm it.”

“Not even one person?”

“Fortunately, some people avoided the collapse, so they watched for several days. But they said not a single person managed to come back up.”

It was a story that made no sense by common standards.

Three thousand Awakened had been mobilized for this expedition, and there were over several hundred personnel supporting them.

The fact that so many people had fallen underground all at once was shocking enough, but not a single one had escaped. It was something that could never happen under normal circumstances.

Considering Levin’s ability, it made even less sense.

Levin, who could use Ghost Transformation, should have been able to come up easily no matter how deep he had fallen. The fact that Levin could not come up meant one thing.

“There’s a high chance the place they fell into is covered by something like a barrier.”

“I think so too.”

Jin Geum-ho nodded.

There was another problem as well.

At the place where more than three thousand people had fallen, monsters that had gathered from outside had taken up positions.

Because of that, they could not approach.

Fortunately, those who survived without falling ultimately gave up on rescue and informed City Hall of the situation.

Jin Geum-ho learned of that fact at dawn today.

“So I’m thinking of sending Elder Go and the twins.”

Elder Go, a member of the Numbers, was Neo Seoul’s greatest Barrier Mage.

If he could not dispel a barrier, then no one could.

At the current moment, he was the best card City Hall could use.

Zeon also agreed with Jin Geum-ho’s opinion.

“That is an excellent choice.”

“So I would like you to protect them until they reach the Mana Stone Mine. Is that possible?”

“I’ll do it.”

Zeon answered immediately, without the slightest hesitation.

Among those who had fallen were Mandy, Levin, and his friends Aaron and Dominic.

He could not leave them there.

Naturally, Zeon had to go.

“That’s good. They will depart around noon. Finish your preparations by then.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Ah, Tae-ran and her subordinates will be going with you this time.”

At those unexpected words, Zeon looked at Seo Tae-ran.

She still stood beside Jin Geum-ho with an expressionless face.

“Tae-ran will not become a burden. She may look like this, but she is an outstanding martial artist.”

“I do not doubt her skill.”

“Then that is a relief.”

Jin Geum-ho smiled as he lifted his coffee.

When he emptied the cup, Seo Tae-ran refilled it as if she had been waiting.

She looked almost like a machine.

Zeon asked her,

“Have you ever gone out into the desert?”

“No. I was born here and have lived here all my life.”

“Not even once?”

“There was no reason for me to go out personally. Please do not worry. I will not hold you back, Mr. Zeon.”

Even at Seo Tae-ran’s confident voice, Zeon’s crumpled face did not smooth out.

---

When Zeon returned home, he told Briel that the expeditionary force had fallen underground.

Naturally, Briel packed her things and said she would go with him.

Zeon did not stop Briel.

This was a matter involving Levin, a member of their family.

It would have been stranger if Briel stayed still.

“Far more than three thousand people fell into an underground space. We don’t know what kind of danger there is, so take everything you can.”

“Of course. I packed all the potions and things I’ve made so far into my subspace.”

“Good.”

“Levin will be safe, right?”

“He will be. It’s almost impossible to harm Levin when he uses Ghost Transformation.”

“Right?”

“Don’t worry.”

“Okay.”

Briel nodded and pulled her large pointed hat low.

Zeon’s gaze turned to Gaia, floating beside Briel.

“Gaia, stay in my subspace until we reach the Mana Stone Mine. It may feel stuffy, but endure it for a little while.”

Squee!

“Yeah! Thanks!”

Squee!

Briel reached out and stroked Gaia.

“Come out secretly when no one is around so you won’t get bored.”

Squeeee!

“Yeah! I’ll hold back wanting to see you too. Hurry and go in.”

Squee!

Gaia swayed its tail and entered Zeon’s subspace.

Immediately afterward, Zeon said to Briel,

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah!”

When the two came outside, Elder Go, the twins, Seo Tae-ran, and her subordinates were waiting.

“It’s been a while! Zeon.”

“Hello!”

The twin sisters were the first to welcome Zeon.

Zeon nodded and greeted them.

“It’s been a while.”

“We’ll be going with you too.”

“Please take care of us.”

“I’ll be in your care too. And this is Briel, who is coming with me.”

Zeon introduced Briel to them.

The twin sisters and Briel knew of one another. But this was the first time they were formally greeting each other.

“Hi! I’m Eun Su-jin.”

“I’m Eun Su-young.”

“I’m Briel. Nice to meet you.”

Briel also greeted them briefly.

Though she did not show it, Briel was wary of them.

That was because she knew the twin sisters’ ability was telepathy.

If she let her guard down and had her thoughts read, they might learn she was a High Elf.

Nothing good would come of having her identity discovered by people she could not trust.

Elder Go also greeted Zeon and Briel.

“I cannot tell you how reassuring it is to have you coming with us. I’ll be in your care. You too, little lady......”

“Yes!”

Briel answered in a voice so small it seemed to crawl.

At that moment, Seo Tae-ran said,

“Time is urgent, so let’s end the greetings there and depart. Mr. Zeon and the little one can ride in the same vehicle as Elder Go and the twin sisters. The vehicle is large, so it should not be uncomfortable even if you ride together.”

Seo Tae-ran had brought two armored buses.

One was for Zeon and the others, and the other was for herself and her subordinates.

Zeon nodded and boarded the bus.

Briel, Elder Go, and the twin sisters followed behind him.

As soon as they got on the bus, the twin sisters cursed Seo Tae-ran.

“She’s so annoying.”

“She really drank down every last shred of manners with her meal.”

“Why the fuck does that bitch have to come along?”

“Ugh! Even ice wouldn’t be colder than her.”

For some reason, the twin sisters hated Seo Tae-ran terribly.

Elder Go tried to scold them.

“Ahem! She will hear you. Stop.”

“Stop what?”

“So what if she hears?”

“Still, City Hall doesn’t run properly without her.”

“Then she should stay at City Hall. Why follow us?”

“Right! She came along for no reason and made everyone uncomfortable.”

The twin sisters pouted.

Elder Go looked at Zeon with an expression that said there was nothing he could do.

“Please understand. As you can see, not many people like her.”

“I understand.”

“Then that is a relief.”

Elder Go sighed.

On his face was a tension he could not hide.

That was because the lives of more than three thousand people were at stake.

If there was any comfort, it was that Zeon, the Sandmancer, was going with them.

‘I truly never imagined I would be traveling with the Sandmancer.’