Chapter 389

Chapter 389

Briel’s barrier was installed successfully.

With the Crocodile Village at its center, the barrier covered an area five hundred meters around it.

Briel handed over the authority to control the barrier to Jetoya.

Now, no one could pass through the barrier unless Jetoya permitted them.

Thanks to the barrier, the Crocodile Village became safer.

The villagers were relieved by this.

Because they were now safe from raiders who appeared without warning.

The Crocodile Village had changed so much that its old appearance could no longer be found.

Countless houses had been built, and supplies were generously provided from the surface.

Thanks to the magic power generator, electricity came in, making it possible to use all kinds of electronic devices.

Because of that, smiles never left the villagers’ faces.

In particular, the sound of children laughing had increased.

Children born in the Crocodile Den were naturally on the gloomy side.

That was because the environment itself was so poor that there was nothing to laugh about. But the children who had moved here were different.

For the first time, they ate their fill and enjoyed the conveniences of civilization.

The hope that they could live better lives than now, and the expectation that they could prepare for the future, made the children positive.

The children ran through the alleys between the newly built houses and laughed.

When the sound of the children’s laughter rang out, the adults worked even harder.

Those who had not Awakened built houses or voluntarily took part in village work.

While they worked for the village, the Awakened expanded their search range, killed raiders, and rescued those who were suffering.

Among those brought into the village that way, the ones in poor condition were treated by Remura.

Those who had suffered from illnesses unique to the Crocodile Den recovered immediately after receiving Remura’s treatment.

Those who were cured that way became fervent followers of Remura and Jetoya.

Now, even without Zeon paying special attention to it, the Crocodile Village ran on its own.

Zeon stayed in the Crocodile Village for a few more days, then returned home with Levin and Briel.

After returning home, Briel shut herself in her room and did not come out.

Since she kept making something, it seemed she was preparing gifts to take to her hometown village.

Even Zeon did not know what she was preparing.

Briel came out of her room almost a week later.

When Briel appeared again, she was so gaunt that she was almost unrecognizable. That was how much mental strength she had poured into it.

Briel was wearing her pointed hat and a robe made from Sand Angler hide.

Zeon instinctively realized that today was the day Briel would leave for the High Elf village.

“Are you going?”

“Mm! I think today will be good.”

“Should I go with you?”

“No! I have to go alone. That’s the village’s law. They’ll never tolerate me coming with outsiders.”

Briel shook her head.

Levin, who was beside her, was startled and asked,

“What? Then you’re saying you’ll cross the desert alone?”

“Yeah!”

“That’s too dangerous. What about me following you? If I follow in Ghost Transformation, no one will know.”

“Thanks for saying that, but I’ll refuse.”

“Briel!”

“I have to go alone.”

“You said it’s really far, right? You’ll meet monsters on the way. How are you going to go alone?”

Briel was a Grade B Awakened, but because she was an alchemist, her offensive Magic was not especially great.

With her skills, she could not even deal with mid-grade monsters.

She had Liri, a spirit, but Liri was still lower-grade, so she would not be much help.

At Levin’s concern, Briel smiled and said,

“Why worry when Gaia is here?”

“Ah!”

“I just have to ask Gaia to carry me near the village. So put your worries away.”

“There was that move. If it’s Gaia, we can trust her.”

“Did you think I said I was going alone without any preparation?”

“Sorry! I haven’t seen Gaia in so long that I didn’t think of her.”

“Idiot!”

At Briel’s scolding, Levin could not find anything to say and only scratched his head.

Zeon said to Briel,

“Let’s go outside. I’ll take you as far as outside Neo Seoul.”

“Mm!”

Briel nodded with a firm expression.

After meeting Zeon, she had never once traveled through the desert alone.

Zeon and Levin had always been with her.

Thanks to them, she had been able to stay calm without being frightened in any crisis. But now that she was leaving them behind and trying to return to the High Elf village alone, fear suddenly surged up.

But it could not be helped.

Briel already carried a great deal of human scent.

High Elves never accepted kin who had been stained by the human world. Even if that kin was their own blood, born from their own bodies.

Even if she safely returned to the High Elf village, many difficulties would probably be waiting for her.

Even she did not know how long it would take to pass through those difficulties.

The three of them left the slums shoulder to shoulder.

As they walked through the desert, Briel did not say a word.

Perhaps she had a lot to think about, because she walked with her mouth firmly shut and her eyes on the ground.

Levin fell silent as well.

They walked for a long while like that.

When they had gone far enough that Neo Seoul was no longer visible, Briel stopped.

“I think this is enough. I’ll ride Gaia and go alone from here. Call her.”

“Okay!”

With that answer, Zeon called Gaia inwardly.

Because their minds were connected, simply thinking of it was enough to convey his intention to Gaia.

A moment later, Gaia pierced through the clouds and appeared.

In an instant, Gaia descended to the ground.

“Gaia!”

―Beeep!

Briel spread her arms wide and hugged Gaia.

“You got even bigger in the meantime. You’re so cool.”

―Beep!

“Are you asking if something happened? Yes! I’m going to visit my hometown. Will you carry me?”

―Beeep! Beep!

“Thank you! Gaia.”

After greeting Gaia, Briel turned around and looked at Zeon and Levin.

“Then I’ll go and come back.”

“Yeah! Have a safe trip.”

“Stay strong, little brat!”

Zeon and Levin answered with smiles.

After looking at them for a moment, Briel climbed onto Gaia’s back.

Finally, she said,

“It might take a long time, so don’t clean out my room.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll leave it as it is.”

“Mm! Then I’ll go and come back.”

When Briel waved to Zeon and Levin, Gaia wagged her tail and flew up into the sky.

After circling above Zeon and Levin’s heads for a moment, Gaia soon flew away at terrifying speed.

Levin stared blankly after her and muttered,

“She’s going.”

“She is.”

“Tch! Damn little brat.”

“Do you feel sad?”

“Sad? I feel relieved and great, actually.”

“Really? Your face says otherwise.”

“What about my face? Look. I’m smiling.”

Levin forced a smile onto his face.

That sight was funny, so Zeon smiled faintly too.

“Don’t worry too much. She’ll come back safely.”

“Who says I’m worried?”

“I know.”

“I said I’m not worried.”

“Sure, sure.”

“Ah, hyung!”

“Yeah, I said I know.”

“Seriously......”

---

They say you may not notice when someone is there, but you notice immediately when they are gone. Zeon’s house was exactly like that.

Only Briel was missing, yet the entire house felt empty.

Levin had gone out to see his friends too, making it feel even lonelier.

Zeon smiled faintly and sat on the sofa.

“I guess I really did get attached. It’s only been a few hours since I last saw her, but it feels this empty.”

The first time the two had become involved was because of the elf’s covenant.

Because Briel had accepted the covenant without hesitation to survive, they had suddenly ended up living in the same house.

The beginning had been that absurd, but as the three of them lived together with Levin, their attachment had deepened.

Though not a single drop of blood connected them, they had become no different from a real family.

Zeon found that change strange.

Although she had not said anything to Zeon or Levin, it was certain that Briel would face no small number of humiliations and trials in the High Elf village.

Whether she would be recognized again as a member of the High Elf village, or be driven out miserably, even Zeon could not know.

Perhaps she had refused to let Zeon and Levin accompany her because she did not want to show them that.

In any case, Briel had made her choice, and she would have to bear the result.

Zeon respected Briel’s choice. And he believed.

No matter how things turned out, she would return here.

After looking around the empty house for a while, Zeon went outside.

The place he headed to was Elder Kleksi’s street stall.

Elder Kleksi greeted Zeon with his yellow teeth showing.

“What brings you here at this hour?”

“I came because I’m hungry.”

“Looks like you feel empty coming alone without the little brat.”

“Well, that’s part of it.”

“Heh heh! That’s how it is. When someone who’s always beside you isn’t there, you’re bound to feel hungry. Wait a bit. I’ll bring you a bowl of gukbap soon.”

“Yes!”

Zeon sat on a chair and waited for the food to come out.

At that moment, someone approached and sat beside Zeon.

“I’ll have a bowl too.”

“Hmm?”

Elder Kleksi stopped making the food and turned his head to look at the owner of the voice.

The owner of the voice was a beautiful woman in her early twenties.

She wore a qipao that clung tightly to her body, and her long hair was twisted up, fully revealing the nape of her white neck and giving off an alluring air.

The woman showed her white teeth and said,

“You can give me the same thing this person ordered, right?”

“Well, as long as you pay, there’s no reason I can’t.”

“Then I’ll have one too.”

“Fine!”

A reluctant look appeared on Elder Kleksi’s face as he answered.

From Elder Kleksi’s reaction, Zeon noticed that he knew the woman’s identity.

Zeon turned his head and looked at the woman sitting beside him. At that instant, the woman also turned her head and looked at Zeon.

When their eyes met, she smiled and said,

“It’s nice to meet you like this, Lord Zeon!”

“Do you know me?”

“How could I not? You’re the object of attention.”

“That’s unfair. I don’t know you.”

“Are you curious about my name?”

“......”

“If you follow me, I can tell you much more. So, what do you think? Will you come with me?”

“I’m sorry. As you can see, I ordered gukbap......”

At Zeon’s words, the woman’s face stiffened.

Because she had lost to a mere bowl of gukbap.