Chapter 356

Chapter 356

Levin returned late at night.

He was startled when he saw Zeon and Briel packing.

“Huh! Where are you going? Why are you packing?”

“We’re going to hunt Ironclad Ants.”

“What, all of a sudden?”

Levin blinked at Briel’s lively voice.

“To make the sand hardening agent, we need Ironclad Ant bodily fluid. So we’re going to catch Ironclad Ants.”

“What? The sand hardening agent’s finished?”

“Uncle Bryce finished it and built a house with it.”

“How was it? Did it seem livable?”

“It was good. Clean and cool. It looked big enough for a whole family to live in.”

“It was really that good?”

“Yeah! I think it’d be nice if a lot of houses like that went up around the outskirts of the slums.”

Levin looked surprised by Briel’s answer.

He knew it was extremely rare for her to praise something that highly.

If Briel was saying that much, then the house made with the sand hardening agent truly had to be good.

In that case, he understood why Zeon and Briel were setting out at once to hunt Ironclad Ants, the source of the sand hardening agent’s material.

Levin asked Zeon, “Can I come with you too?”

“Of course. But don’t you need to go back to the Crocodile Den?”

“I already brought them everything they needed for now. I probably won’t have to stop by for a while.”

“Really?”

“Jetoya’s leadership is so amazing that I don’t think I’ll need to worry about them for the time being.”

“He’s that impressive?”

“That little guy is ridiculously strict. Bakum and the other Awakened can’t even move a finger against Jetoya’s word.”

Jetoya was expanding his power at a terrifying speed.

He knew how to make use of the weapons he had.

The magic power generator, Remura the Healer, and the Awakened, including Bakum.

He used all of them to absorb other factions or make them come to him of their own accord.

As a result, even though not much time had passed, he had formed the largest faction in the Crocodile Den. That alone should have been enough to satisfy him, but Jetoya did not stop.

Jetoya wanted to merge all the factions in the Crocodile Den into one and let them live as abundantly as people on the surface.

Fortunately, Remura, Bakum, and the others sympathized with his ideals and actively cooperated with him.

At this rate, it would not be long before the entire Crocodile Den fell under his rule.

“I was really surprised that a kid like him had such powerful charisma.”

“That’s impressive.”

“I’m telling you, he’s incredible. The next time you go to the Crocodile Den, it’ll probably have changed so much you’ll be shocked.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“Let’s go together later.”

“Let’s do that.”

Levin smiled at Zeon’s answer.

Then Briel said to Levin, “Stop smiling like an idiot and pack your things. We don’t know how many days we’ll be gone, so fill the subspace backpack to the brim.”

“Don’t worry. I’m used to this, so I can pack fast.”

“Don’t get cocky. I’m telling you to pack carefully.”

“Got it!”

Even under Briel’s scolding, Levin smiled undaunted.

Briel jutted out her lips as though she disliked that about him. But she did not say anything more.

***

Zeon, Briel, and Levin left the house early in the morning.

Levin, the only one carrying a huge backpack, grumbled.

“Can’t you switch mine out for a small subspace bag too? I’m always the only one carrying a big one.”

“Do you know how hard it is to make a subspace bag?”

“I know. But Zeon does, and so do you. You both have subspace storage that doesn’t show on the outside.”

“Aww! Were you jealous?”

“Yeah!”

At Levin’s honest answer, Briel let out a laugh of disbelief.

“Good grief. Fine. When we get back from this trip, I’ll make yours as small as possible. I can’t guarantee it’ll work, though…….”

“Yeah! I’ll be counting on you.”

Levin beamed and shook Briel’s hand.

“Honestly…….”

“While you’re at it, make mine into something like a gauntlet or necklace too.”

“You ask for a lot, you know.”

“You can do it, can’t you?”

“Tch! I’ll try.”

“Yes!”

When his request was accepted, Levin shouted in delight.

As they talked and laughed, they arrived at the vacant lot on the outskirts of the slums.

The forces prepared by the Goblin Market were already waiting in the vacant lot.

“Mr. Zeon!”

A heavily armed man in his early thirties approached Zeon.

The man, who wore a sword at his waist and carried a large bow on his back, was Kim Jin-su, Captain of the First Escort Unit of the Goblin Market.

Kim Jin-su was a Grade B martial-type Awakened, and unusually, he used a wide variety of weapons. It was said there was no weapon he could not handle, from swords and bows to axes and spears.

The tactical bag on his back contained countless weapons in disassembled form. Once battle broke out, he assembled a weapon in an instant and used it.

Kim Jin-su bowed his head to Zeon and said, “I’m Kim Jin-su, Captain of the First Escort Unit. It’s an honor to travel with you.”

“The honor is mine. I’ll be in your care.”

“Please don’t worry. Just tell us the destination, and we’ll escort you there comfortably.”

Kim Jin-su’s attitude toward Zeon was nothing short of utmost courtesy.

As a member of the Goblin Market, he knew more about Zeon than most.

He knew Zeon’s abilities and everything he had done so far, so he had no choice but to respect and fear him.

“You heard the mission, right?”

“Yes. We’re to secure Ironclad Ant carcasses.”

“That’s right. First, we need to find an Ironclad Ant habitat.”

“Where would that be?”

“For now, we need to head southwest of Neo Seoul.”

“Southwest?”

“Yes.”

“Understood. Please board the armored bus. We’ll depart for the southwest.”

“Good.”

Zeon, Levin, and Briel boarded the armored bus Kim Jin-su indicated.

Kim Jin-su climbed into a buggy and said to his subordinates, “Let’s move out.”

“Yes, sir!”

Two buggies, one armored bus, and ten transport vehicles left the slums and headed into the desert.

Sitting beside Zeon, Briel whispered, “There’s a group of Ironclad Ants southwest of Neo Seoul?”

“I saw them once before.”

“What are the chances they’ve moved their habitat since then?”

“Creatures like Ironclad Ants that live by digging tunnels almost never move their habitats. Their tunnels aren’t disposable things they use once and abandon.”

“So they put that much effort into making their tunnels?”

“That’s right.”

“Okay! I completely understand.”

Briel looked very satisfied at having learned new information she had not known before.

As a High Elf, Briel also knew quite a bit about many monsters, but she did not even reach the tips of Zeon’s feet.

The same was true of everyone else. Even if one searched the entire slums and Neo Seoul, no one knew as much about monsters as Zeon did.

It was not knowledge he had learned from anyone. It was information Zeon had grasped by walking the desert himself. It was precious instruction that no one else could ever obtain or learn.

“I hope we reach the Ironclad Ant nest soon. About how many days will it take?”

“If the terrain hasn’t changed much, a week. If it has, it’ll take far longer than that.”

“So I should expect roughly a week to ten days?”

“That’ll be easier on your mind. Even if it gets boring, bear with it.”

“Why would it be boring? I have Gaia.”

“Gaia? Don’t tell me you’re going to play with Gaia inside the bus. The driver will see.”

“Hehe! I’ve already made preparations for that.”

Briel grinned and took a large gem out of her pointed hat.

The transparent gem was engraved all over with patterns whose meanings were impossible to read.

Levin, who had been silent until then, asked with curiosity in his eyes, “What’s that this time?”

“It’s a crystal enchanted with a perception disruption magic circle.”

“What? Perception disruption?”

“When I inject mana into it and activate it…….”

The moment Briel injected mana into the crystal, a brilliant light burst out and formed a magic circle inside the bus.

There were four people inside the bus: the driver, Zeon, Briel, and Levin.

Yet the driver in the driver’s seat did not perceive the light that had burst out directly behind him at all.

Looking at the driver, Briel said, “To his ears, it’ll only sound like we’re making useless small talk. Even if he turns around, he won’t see anything but an illusion of us resting.”

“Wow! That’s possible?”

“I made it because it’s possible. Which means there’s no risk of Gaia being discovered even if Gaia comes out. Come out now, Gaia!”

No sooner had Briel finished speaking than Gaia poked its round head out of subspace.

―Peep?

“Yeah! It’s all right. You can come out.”

―Peep peep!

“You were really cramped in there, weren’t you?”

―Peeep! Peep!

“I know! That’s why I made this. Inside here, you can stay out as much as you want.”

Briel hugged Gaia’s head.

Seeing Gaia pat Briel with its pectoral fin, Levin chuckled.

“Pfft! You two really are ridiculous. How long has it even been since you last saw each other?”

Briel and Gaia had spent a long time chattering even before they boarded the bus.

Whether that could be called chattering was questionable, but in any case, they understood each other, so they would probably talk all night.

Then Zeon said, “Briel’s skill has improved again.”

“It really has. Enchanting perception-dulling magic into a crystal? That’s an absurd rate of progress.”

“At this rate, she may rise in Grade faster than you.”

“Really?”

Levin’s eyes rounded in surprise.

Briel’s current Grade was Grade B. She had not even been Grade B for very long. Yet now she might rise in Grade again.

It was truly terrifying talent and speed of growth.

Of course, without Zeon’s help, it would have been impossible for her Grade to rise at such an insane speed, but that too would have been impossible if her own talent and effort had not supported it.

When nothing else was happening, Briel lived and breathed alchemy.

Even while chattering with Gaia, one corner of her mind was filled with thoughts of alchemy.

The realm of alchemy was truly vast.

It was a field that could be applied to everything used in everyday life.

That was why countless fields of study were fused within it.

Metallurgy, magic, barriers, science and technology.

Only by studying an uncountable number of fields and blending them into everyday life could one step forward as a true alchemist.

That was how she had managed to create a crystal imbued with perception-dulling magic.

The driver did not even perceive that perception-dulling magic had unfolded inside the bus.

The people riding in the other vehicles had even less idea of it.

To their eyes, all they could see through the windows was Zeon’s group resting.

Kim Jin-su, riding in a buggy, glanced sideways at the window of the armored bus driving beside him.

In his eyes, Zeon, Briel, and Levin appeared to be chatting.

As if something were so amusing, Briel and Levin talked without pause, while Zeon occasionally nodded along in response.

“I suppose coming out into the desert doesn’t make them nervous. Anyone watching would think they’d come out for a leisurely picnic.”

“Would a Sandmancer be afraid of the desert? If anything, wouldn’t he be excited to go out into the desert?”

Kim Jin-su nodded at the words of the subordinate riding in the same buggy.

“Well, that makes sense. Sand that can become his weapon is spread everywhere. Ordinary monsters wouldn’t even enter his eyes.”

“Life really is unfair when you think about it. Some of us martial artists have to work our fucking bodies to the bone just to scrape by, while others only have to twitch a finger and the sand minces monsters for them.”

“Be grateful for even that, you bastard! You at least Awakened. You know perfectly well how people who couldn’t even do that live, and you’re still grumbling…….”

“I’m just saying. Like I don’t know that? Tch!”

“Still, I do envy them. Laughing and talking so comfortably like that.”

Kim Jin-su looked into the bus once more.

He did not know.

He did not know that the scene he was watching was actually an illusion created by Briel.

The only ones chattering excitedly inside the bus were Briel and a single whale.

Zeon and Levin had fallen into deep sleep long ago.