Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Neo Seoul sat within towering walls.

The walls, built a hundred years ago, were made from stone that was difficult to obtain in the current age.

Enormous boulders had been cut into rectangular blocks, fitted together without the slightest gap to form a great wall, then reinforced through special methods.

Because of that, most monsters did not dare even think of breaking through the walls.

Thanks to these walls, the people inside Neo Seoul could devote themselves to research and their livelihoods without worrying about attacks from monsters.

As the scientific legacy from before the Great Cataclysm combined with the magical abilities of the Awakened, Neo Seoul developed at a terrifying pace.

Although it was limited to Neo Seoul alone, they were able to build a new world that surpassed the old civilization.

The City Hall at the center, which served as Neo Seoul’s control tower, was over fifty stories tall.

One might ask what was so special about fifty floors, but in the current age, when construction materials were difficult to obtain, fifty floors meant a tremendous investment.

In truth, even if they had enough materials, they probably would not have built it any higher. If it were too tall, it might draw the attention of flying monsters.

Human eyes could not see them, but all kinds of flying monsters were gliding through the high sky.

They were reluctant to approach because of the anti-magic force formed around Neo Seoul, but if City Hall’s height rose any higher, they might approach out of curiosity.

On the current Earth, the territory permitted to humanity was extremely limited. Although great progress had been made after the Great Cataclysm, they still had to be wary of monsters.

A small-framed man was looking at the City Hall building beyond the window.

“Damn it! It really is magnificent.”

City Hall, where the essence of magic and science harmonized, possessed a grandeur that overwhelmed every other building in Neo Seoul.

Simply looking at it from a distance was enough to make one’s heart swell.

“I need to get that magnificent building into my hands as soon as possible. I don’t know what that damn old man is doing instead of dying quickly.”

The small-framed man clicked his tongue and turned around. Then his face became clearer.

The deep wrinkles carved all over his face, as if testifying to the hardships of time, and the white beard around his mouth and chin showed that he had survived more than a few storms.

The old man wore a hat pulled low over his head, embroidered with splendid patterns in golden thread. It was a hat commonly worn in his father’s homeland back when the old world had still been intact.

The hat was the old man’s identity.

Although he had never once visited his homeland, he had not forgotten the origin of his bloodline.

That was why he always wore this hat pulled low, and now it had become almost like his symbol.

The old man’s name was Xiaolun.

He was the overlord who ruled southern Neo Seoul.

Behind Xiaolun stood a young man who looked to be in his early twenties.

He had a slender figure and an impression as cold as carved ice.

Xiaolun spoke gently to the young man.

“So, what did you say just now? My memory is not what it used to be, so I cannot remember after hearing it only once.”

“I said contact with the Crocodiles has been cut off.”

“Have you identified the cause?”

“It seems something has gone wrong with the ecosystem of the slums.”

“Is that so?”

The old man raised his white eyebrows.

It was extremely rare for him to show this much interest.

That was because he had achieved almost everything he wanted.

It was unfortunate that he had not become the owner of that magnificent City Hall building, but the one sitting on the throne was a monster he could not easily handle.

To take that building, everything he had built in Neo Seoul until now might collapse all at once.

He did not want to take such a risk.

He had greed, but not enough to dare challenge it.

Since he could not challenge the position he wanted most, he had no choice but to live a life of boredom.

Such a man now wore an interested expression for the first time in a long while.

“Exactly where has the problem occurred?”

“Shinchon.”

“Shinchon? That place is......”

“It is controlled by a man named Goran.”

“Yes! Goran. He was said to have a close relationship with the Crocodiles, wasn’t he?”

“That is correct.”

“And?”

“It is suspected that both he and the Crocodiles are all dead.”

“Suspected?”

“Their deaths have not been confirmed. But since they cannot be found anywhere, it is presumed that they are dead.”

The young man’s words were extremely reasonable.

Xiaolun asked,

“Have you found out who did it?”

“I will begin finding out now.”

“Yes! You will do well.”

“While I am at it, I plan to open a new route.”

“You personally?”

Xiaolun looked surprised.

The young man’s name was Tajik.

He was one of the subordinates Xiaolun trusted most.

“Very well. I will leave everything to you.”

“I will repay your trust.”

“Go.”

When Xiaolun waved his hand, Tajik bowed in greeting and left.

Left alone, Xiaolun turned his gaze back toward the City Hall building.

“What kind of minnow has muddied the water this time?”

It seemed there would be some entertainment in watching the slums.

---

Zeon wrinkled his nose.

A terrible medicinal smell was filling the house.

“Hm-hm-hm!”

On one side, Briel was humming as she kept a fire burning beneath a pot.

Inside the small pot she had obtained from the Goblin Market, an unidentified liquid was bubbling.

Briel was boiling it after mixing all kinds of ingredients bought from the Goblin Market according to her own secret formula.

As the unidentified ingredients boiled, a terrible stench flowed out.

The smell was so foul that even Zeon, who rarely frowned at anything, grimaced. But Briel’s eyes were sparkling instead, as if she were filled with anticipation.

Briel spent more than half a day watching the pot and adjusting the fire.

Most of the liquid that had filled the pot had boiled down, leaving only a small amount.

At that instant, Briel placed both hands on the pot and murmured something. Then a powerful light burst from her hands.

Her ability, alchemy, had activated.

A moment later, the light vanished from her hands, and about a dozen small pills remained inside the pot.

“They’re finished.”

Briel shouted in joy.

Zeon looked at the pills with curious eyes.

“Those ease the withdrawal symptoms?”

“One lasts about ten days......”

“So ten of them will last about a hundred days?”

“After that, I have to get better ingredients and make more.”

If one took medicine for a long time, the body developed resistance.

The stronger the medicine’s effect, the stronger the resistance.

For now, this was enough to weaken the withdrawal symptoms, but later, she would have to make stronger medicine.

Briel was satisfied with this much.

A hundred days was enough time to find another alternative.

Briel took one pill first. Then the color in her face visibly improved. The medicine she had worked so hard to make took effect immediately.

The moment the medicinal effect spread through her body, the focus disappeared from her eyes.

“Oooh! Fuuuck!”

Even her voice became slurred.

Because the medicinal effect was too strong, her body reacted as if she were drunk.

Only after a long time passed did Briel come back to her senses. Her eyes were still unfocused, but her mind was clear.

Briel knew that herself, so she pulled her pointed hat down low and hid her face.

Strong mana radiated from her entire body.

It was a temporary phenomenon caused by her mana rising noticeably.

Zeon noticed her mana increase at a glance.

“Can alchemy increase mana too?”

“To some extent. But with my current level, it’s impossible to bring about a dramatic change after only one or two doses.”

Briel had awakened as an alchemist.

But she had been captured by humans during the period when she should have been growing the most, and because she had been forced to make drugs, her growth had stagnated.

For her to grow into a proper alchemist, she needed time. And after she had properly grown, she would be able to create an elixir capable of dramatically increasing mana.

Of course, to grow like that, she first had to restore her ruined body completely to normal.

It would not be easy.

But she did not think it was impossible either.

She had crossed one high wall before her eyes, so someday, she would cross the others too.

“Ho-ho! Just you wait. The moment I become Grade S, I’ll destroy Neo Seoul.”

Briel placed both hands firmly on her waist and burst into laughter.

She looked exactly like a drunkard rambling nonsense while intoxicated.

Zeon flicked Briel on the forehead.

Thwack!

“That’s impossible, kid.”

“Ugh!”

Briel groaned as she clutched her red, swollen forehead.

“How dare you flick a noble High Elf on the forehead?”

“In the end, you’re still just a drug-addicted kid.”

“Just wait! Once I become Grade S, I won’t let you get away with this.”

“I told you, Grade S still won’t be enough.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Briel shouted sharply.

Elves awakened just like humans, and insignias appeared on their wrists.

Seven lines distinguished Grade F through Grade S.

She had also awakened, and an insignia had appeared on her wrist.

Two lines were glowing on her insignia.

It meant she was a Grade E Awakened.

For now, she was only a low-grade Awakened, but as she accumulated experience and broke through walls, she would surely grow.

She thought that if she became Grade S, she might be able to sever the High Elf’s covenant.

If that happened, she would use her ability as an alchemist to destroy a city where mere humans lived.

Zeon smiled faintly as he looked at the young High Elf.

Perhaps because she was still young, her ego was certainly excessive.

The alchemist she had awakened as was not suited for combat. Of course, she could create dangerous things through alchemy, but it was impossible to bring down Neo Seoul with only that.

Above all, Grade S was not the pinnacle of the Awakened.

One only had to look at Deioden to know that.

There existed people whose strength could not be explained by their insignia alone.

As long as such a person existed in Neo Seoul, the possibility of Briel’s ambition being realized was close to zero.

Zeon suddenly looked toward Neo Seoul.

He could see the City Hall building rising in the distance.

‘I do have to go there at least once.’

He had obtained the qualification to enter through Mandy, but he did not feel inclined yet.

That was when it happened.

“Ooooh! Inspiration is rising.”

Suddenly, Briel went wild.

She was truly jumping around like a madwoman and cheering.

Zeon frowned.

Whether he did or not, Briel moved busily on her own.

“Yes, that should work. Ironclad Ant teeth, Sandworm tentacles, and then......”

She soon took out all kinds of items she had bought from the Goblin Market and placed them on the table. Then she laid out various tools.

At the sight of the interior turning into a mess in an instant, Zeon clicked his tongue.

“Tch! I shouldn’t have picked up a crazy elf......”

If not for that damn High Elf’s covenant, he would have kicked her out immediately. It was truly regrettable.

Briel’s madness filled the house.

The surging madness made it difficult even for Zeon to breathe.

Zeon shook his head and went outside.

After leaving, Zeon went up to the roof of the building.

He lived on the eighteenth floor of this building, but this was his first time coming up to the rooftop.

Fortunately, no one lived on the roof.

Zeon sat on the rooftop railing and looked at Neo Seoul.

The City Hall building standing tall in the distance stood out especially clearly in his view.

Zeon thought it looked like a lighthouse he had only heard of in stories.

A lighthouse that had guided ships traveling across the sea.

But he could not be certain whether that enormous lighthouse was guiding this era in the right direction.

Zeon had traveled to far more regions than Deioden.

In this age, there was no one who had gone to more places than him.

Naturally, he had experienced just as many colonies and people.

But no colony had developed as much as Neo Seoul.

Most colonies were merely busy protecting people from monster attacks.

They did not possess the will or ability to lead the current age in the right direction.

The only place with that possibility was Neo Seoul.

And the person leading Neo Seoul was Mayor Jin Geum-ho.

Zeon asked, as if Jin Geum-ho were standing before his eyes.

“What kind of world are you dreaming of?”