Chapter 362

Chapter 362

“Zeon!”

As soon as he arrived at the campsite, Briel was the first to greet Zeon.

Zeon landed on the ground and asked,

“Is everyone safe?”

“We were fighting like hell, but then the Ironclad Ants suddenly turned back like mad. Thanks to that, everyone’s safe.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Huh? What are those behind you?”

Briel’s eyes lit up when she discovered the Dark Elves floating behind Zeon’s back.

“As you can see, they’re Dark Elves.”

“So where did you find Dark Elves?”

“In the Ironclad Ant burrow. They were cooperating with the orcs, luring the Ironclad Ants toward us and robbing the empty house.”

“Dark Elves cooperating with orcs? The world has gone insane.”

“It doesn’t make sense even to you, does it?”

“Of course it doesn’t. Do you know how vicious Dark Elves are, and how selfish? They look down even on other elves, so you’re saying they cooperated with orcs?”

Briel stared at the Dark Elves with an expression of disbelief.

Zeon lowered the Dark Elves to the ground and said,

“We’ll have to wait until they wake up to learn the details, but it looked like the orcs had some weakness of theirs in hand. Judging by how they obeyed their orders......”

“Not cooperation, but obeying orders? Those aren’t the Dark Elves I know.”

“I think they’re under some kind of restriction spell. Can you take a look?”

“I’ll try.”

Briel nodded and approached the Dark Elves.

After staring for a moment at the unconscious Dark Elves, Briel soon examined their condition.

In the meantime, Levin approached Zeon.

“You came back dragging baggage with you.”

“It happened somehow......”

“Wow! This is the second time seeing black elves.”

“They’re not an easy race to see.”

“They’re the ones who lured the Ironclad Ants toward us, right?”

“Yeah! It seems their target was the eggs laid by the Queen Ironclad Ant.”

“Do ant eggs have some special effect?”

“I don’t know that much either.”

Zeon shook his head.

Even he did not know why the orcs and Dark Elves were after the Ironclad Ant eggs.

At that moment, Kim Jin-su approached cautiously.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes! Thanks to you.”

“Phew! Thankfully, we were able to repel the Ironclad Ants without a single casualty. Levin’s ability was truly remarkable. We owe him a great debt.”

At Kim Jin-su’s praise, Levin shrugged.

In truth, he had rendered great service in defending against the Ironclad Ants.

If he had not flashed here and there, filling every gap, many people would have been injured or killed.

The area around the campsite was filled with dead Ironclad Ants.

Most of the Ironclad Ant corpses struck by Levin’s Purple Lightning had been burned black, their bodily fluids evaporated. But the Ironclad Ant corpses hunted by the Awakened and porters were in fairly good condition, so if they could transport them, it would be pure profit.

The problem was the transport vehicles.

The cargo beds of the transport vehicles were already packed full, making it impossible to load any more Ironclad Ant corpses.

Kim Jin-su smacked his lips.

“What a waste. To think we have to leave so many corpses behind.”

“I know.”

Zeon agreed.

Unless they had a subspace item, realistically, there was no way to transport that many ant corpses.

At that moment, Briel shouted,

“Zeon!”

“Yeah?”

“I figured it out. Those orc bastards did something vicious.”

“What is it?”

“See this?”

Briel pointed at the napes of the Dark Elves’ necks.

On each of the Dark Elves’ necks was a scar of a similar shape.

“It’s a brand. It’s a method mainly used in Kurayan to restrain prisoners.”

“Then the orcs subdued the Dark Elves and carved brands into them?”

“We’ll only know the details once they wake up, but that’s probably it.”

“Can you erase the brands?”

“I can! But not by ordinary means.”

“How can I help?”

“First, find us somewhere quiet. I can’t be interrupted.”

“Got it.”

Zeon nodded and looked at Kim Jin-su.

“As you can see, we’ve ended up with unexpected baggage. We’ll have to remain here for a while and find out what happened.”

“Then are you saying we should return on our own?”

“If you retrace the same path we took here, there shouldn’t be any problem. You remember the route we came by, right?”

“Yes! I made sure to memorize it.”

Since they would have to return to this place later if they needed Ironclad Ant corpses again, he had thoroughly memorized the route. But returning without Zeon was still an adventure for them.

There was no telling what unexpected variables might intervene. But they could not keep delaying just because they were afraid.

There were times when one had to stand on one’s own.

Just like now.

“Please don’t worry. We also take pride in being the elite of the Goblin Market in our own right. We’ll return safely, so you don’t need to worry about us.”

“I hope you return safely.”

“You’re leaving right away?”

“Yes! As you can see, their condition isn’t good.”

Zeon looked at the Dark Elves.

The Dark Elves were gasping for breath as if they might stop breathing at any moment.

Even at a glance, they looked extremely precarious.

“Understood. Don’t worry about us. Please go quickly.”

“I’ll see you again in the slums.”

“When you return, we’ll come find you.”

“Then......”

Zeon bowed his head slightly to Kim Jin-su and his group in farewell, then left the campsite.

Once they had gotten some distance away from the campsite, Zeon used his control to dig a large cave into a sand dune.

It was a large cave with more than enough room for Zeon, Briel, Levin, and all the Dark Elves to enter.

“Let’s go in.”

“Okay!”

Once everyone had entered, Zeon moved the sand and sealed the entrance, leaving only a space for ventilation.

―Beeep!

As soon as they entered the enclosed space, Gaia came out of subspace.

Gaia looked at the Dark Elves with a pitying expression.

It had understood the Dark Elves’ condition at a glance.

Briel sat down in front of the Dark Elves and said,

“I’m starting right away, so make sure nothing interrupts me.”

“Don’t worry.”

“Okay!”

Briel took a bottle filled with red liquid out of her pointed hat.

“This is called Klasi’s Elixir. If I use this, I can weaken the power of the brand. But the pain is extreme, so the Dark Elves may thrash around.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll hold them down tight.”

Levin sat on the female Dark Elf’s stomach and pressed both her arms down firmly.

“I’m starting.”

Briel carefully applied Klasi’s Elixir to the Dark Elf’s brand.

Hissss!

The moment Klasi’s Elixir touched it, white smoke rose from the brand.

“Kyaaak!”

The female Dark Elf, who had been unconscious a moment ago, screamed and woke.

She had regained consciousness from a terrible pain she had never felt in her life.

The female Dark Elf thrashed and tried to break free, but Levin held her down with even greater strength, making it impossible for her to move.

Judging that the brand had weakened to some extent, Briel took out another elixir and poured it on.

Hissss!

A pain incomparable to the one from before assaulted the female Dark Elf.

“Kuaaaak!”

She screamed as if she were about to choke.

The pain assaulted her as if someone were searing her neck with a red-hot branding iron.

It was pain she had to endure in order to erase the brand. But the pain was so extreme that many people lost their lives during this process.

The female Dark Elf’s body arched like a bow.

The explosive elasticity was so great that Levin nearly bounced backward.

Her pupils unfocused, and foam flowed from her mouth.

Just when they worried she might die like this—

Flash!

Suddenly, a pure white light burst from Gaia’s body.

When the light touched her, the female Dark Elf’s terrible pain vanished as if it had been a lie.

Once the pain disappeared, the female Dark Elf’s expression became much more peaceful.

Briel thanked Gaia.

“Thanks! Gaia!”

―Beeep!

“Yeah! Take care of the other elves too.”

Briel was not surprised because she already knew Gaia possessed this authority.

If Gaia had grown a little more, it would probably be able not merely to reduce pain, but to heal instantly.

Briel did not know how that was possible. But she did not doubt it.

Because Gaia was the first spirit lifeform born on this land.

As Gaia grew, it would probably be able to display more and more authority.

Once all the pain vanished, the female Dark Elf lost consciousness again. Her expression was far more peaceful.

The brand carved into the female Dark Elf’s neck had vanished as if it had been a lie. Unable to withstand the combination of Briel’s elixir and Gaia’s authority, it had disappeared.

Briel sprinkled the elixir on the other Dark Elves one by one as well.

They reacted exactly like the female Dark Elf.

At first, they writhed in extreme pain, then grew peaceful after receiving Gaia’s light.

“Haa! It’s finally over.”

Only after erasing the brand from the last Dark Elf did Briel and Levin wipe off their sweat and stand up.

Zeon patted their shoulders.

“You all worked hard.”

“Phew! I’m glad the brands were erased.”

“You’re saying the orcs carved these? That’s scary!”

―Beeep!

The Dark Elves, whose brands had all been erased, had fallen into deep sleep.

Zeon sat down and said,

“Let’s rest a little too.”

“Okay!”

“Ah, I’m hungry!”

―Beeep!

Everyone was hungry after using their strength.

Zeon opened his subspace for them.

His subspace was filled with food Elder Kleksi had made for them.

Zeon handed warm food to Briel and Levin.

“Fill your stomachs with this for now.”

“Okay!”

“Thanks, hyung!”

Briel and Levin smiled and accepted the food.

Normally, Gaia would quietly watch them eat, but this time it rubbed its body against Zeon.

“What is it?”

―Beeep!

“You’re hungry too because you used your strength?”

―Beep!

“Then what should we do?”

―Beeep! Beeeeep!

“There’s something left in my subspace that you can eat?”

―Beep!

Gaia nodded as if that was exactly right.

Zeon furrowed his brow.

Gaia had already devoured many items and Mana Stones that had been in his subspace.

Anything useful had already been eaten by Gaia, leaving almost nothing behind. So he could not help but be puzzled when it said there was something left.

“What is it?”

―Beeep! Beeeeep! Beep!

“Don’t tell me you mean the Reaper’s Scythe?”

―Beeep!

“That’s too dangerous. There’s a curse steeped in it.”

Surprisingly, what Gaia wanted was the Reaper’s Scythe.

The Reaper’s Scythe was an item Zeon had obtained after killing the Grim Reaper.

It was an absurdly powerful item that annihilated most curses, but its backlash was so severe that even Zeon avoided using it.

Unless the situation was extremely serious, Zeon restrained himself from using the Reaper’s Scythe.

―Beeep!

“You can digest it? But......”

―Beep! Beep!

Gaia looked straight into Zeon’s eyes and spoke.

Briel said to the hesitant Zeon,

“Gaia always said that. It has to take risks to grow. I think now is that time. Let Gaia do what it wants, Zeon!”

“Mm!”

“You can’t keep protecting it in subspace forever. Gaia has to grow and protect itself too.”

“Phew! That’s true.”

“So let’s do what Gaia wants. Gaia must be saying this because it’s confident it can absorb it now.”

Since they were in the same subspace, Gaia could not possibly be unaware of the Reaper’s Scythe. Even so, the reason Gaia had remained quiet until now was because it had not been confident it could fully absorb it.

But Gaia had grown a lot during that time as well.

Now, it was confident it could fully absorb the Reaper’s Scythe.

Looking at Gaia’s pleading eyes, Zeon let out a sigh and said,

“Phew! Let’s do that, Gaia!”

―Beeep!

When Zeon opened his subspace, the Reaper’s Scythe appeared, scattering an ominous energy.

Gaia wagged its tail and entered the subspace.

A moment later, the subspace closed.

No one knew when it would be, but Gaia would not come out until it had fully absorbed the Reaper’s Scythe.

Bzzzzzz!

The energy of the Reaper’s Scythe completely vanished inside the subspace.

Gaia had swallowed it.

Now, a long period of absorption remained.