Chapter 106
“Hmm.”
Johan narrowed his eyes and looked at the man standing before him.
A man wearing a red hat, a red priest’s robe, and a mask that covered even his nose.
It was Joshua—his confidant and an Inquisitor.
He was also known by another title: Joshua of Swiftness.
As fast as lightning, as elusive as a ghost.
That was why Johan used him more than anyone else.
Strength and speed were always useful.
Tapping the table with his finger, Johan spoke,
“You wouldn’t lie to me… so…”
“Tajik wandered the desert and became food for a sandworm? You’re saying this unbelievable story is true?”
Johan’s face hardened.
Behind his glasses, his small eyes gleamed ominously.
He had only met Tajik once.
But even from that one meeting, he could tell Tajik was no ordinary man.
A man bold and capable enough to come alone to meet him.
And that man got lost, wandered the desert, and was eaten by a sandworm?
Not even a dog would believe that.
There had to be something at work behind the scenes.
Whether it was an individual or an organization.
“What’s Xiaolun’s reaction?”
“They’re moving quietly behind the scenes, but it seems they haven’t found anything yet.”
“And what do you think?”
“….”
“Right. You don’t think—you just act.”
Johan frowned deeply.
It had been a long time since he frowned like this.
In Dongdaemun, which he ruled, there were only a few who could truly think.
Most decisions were made by Johan, while the rest simply acted as his hands and feet.
Because of that, when unexpected situations like this arose, it took quite some time to form a proper response.
It was frustrating, but he had no intention of changing the system.
Johan had no desire whatsoever to share his power with anyone.
Joshua silently waited for orders.
Johan found that frustrating, but for now, there was nothing to be done.
At Johan’s gesture, Joshua bowed and left the room.
Left alone, Johan walked to the window.
“All of this started after that guy returned.”
The “guy” he referred to was Zeon.
After Zeon returned, Goran—who ruled Sinchon—vanished, the Crocodile den collapsed, and even Tajik, who had taken an interest in Zeon, met an unnatural death.
“Coincidence? No way. He must have been involved in Tajik’s death somehow.”
It wasn’t speculation—it was certainty.
Johan had awakened through divine revelation.
As someone who served a god, his senses were sharper and more refined than anyone else’s.
From the moment he first saw Zeon, he had felt an ominous presence.
Zeon was that unsettling.
“If he really eliminated Tajik, then he can’t be dealt with through ordinary means.”
Of course, if he mobilized all of Dongdaemun’s forces, he could take Zeon down.
There were fanatics who followed him as numerous as grains of sand.
Especially the berserkers he had raised—they were immensely powerful.
But he couldn’t use them recklessly.
The moment they moved, the rulers of Neo Seoul would take notice.
It was his dream to one day spread the gospel of his god to Neo Seoul—but the time wasn’t right yet.
He needed to grow stronger.
At the very least, he had to devour the entire slum district before he could even think about Neo Seoul.
Until then, he had to move while minimizing any loss of power.
His gaze drifted down to the table.
Documents detailing Zeon’s movements were scattered across it.
But they contained only fragments.
Nothing about his time in the desert had been uncovered.
At most, they recorded why Zeon had to leave Neo Seoul and what he had done after returning.
That was why Johan had ignored him until now.
He had thought there was nothing useful about him.
But today, one name stood out vividly.
“Lee Jiryung? Could it be the one I know?”
Zeon stared blankly out the window.
All he could see were crimson neon signs and the desolate slum landscape.
Still, he didn’t look away.
He didn’t feel like doing anything.
He simply enjoyed this moment of emptiness.
But his peace didn’t last long.
“Ta-da!”
Because Brielle burst through the door.
Her arms were spread wide, carrying bags filled with all sorts of mysterious items.
It was almost strange that she had made it safely through the slums with so many bags.
Surely, plenty of people must have tried to target her.
“You carried all that by yourself?”
“Levin helped.”
More precisely, Levin’s friends had carried them for her.
At the mention of Levin, Zeon understood.
“I see. So what’s all that?”
“Materials for my next experiment.”
“Don’t tell me you bought all that on credit under my name again?”
“Hmph! I bought them with my own money. Do you take me for a beggar?”
“You earned it yourself? How?”
“There’s a way. Don’t dig too deep—you might get hurt.”
Brielle snorted and dropped the bags onto the floor.
Zeon immediately sensed that his peaceful time was over.
With that many materials, she was definitely going to make a mess of the house again with her experiments.
“…Ever thought about living on your own?”
“I love this place. It’s safe, and I can use electricity as much as I want. Where else in the slums can you find a place like this?”
Zeon was left speechless by her shamelessness.
‘Are all High Elves this brazen?’
Brielle was already unpacking, turning the house into chaos.
Just watching it made Zeon’s head spin.
Shaking his head, he put on his clothes.
‘Guess it’s time to go outside.’
He had stayed inside for too long—his joints felt stiff.
Once outside, Zeon looked around before heading toward a street lined with eateries.
His destination was old man Clexi’s shop.
As expected, Clexi was sitting inside.
The moment he saw Zeon, a strange light flickered in his eyes.
“It’s been a while.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Not great. I was trapped in the Coffin of Death for too long.”
“It’s a miracle you’re even alive after having your vitality drained that much. Just how many good things for your health have you been eating all this time…?”
“You’ll understand when you get older. You end up consuming anything that’s said to be good for the body.”
“Still, it’s fortunate. At least that’s how you held on.”
“My thanks are late. Thank you. I was able to come back alive because of you.”
“It’s fine. I was paid for it.”
“I heard you played a major role in saving me. I will repay that debt.”
Clexi was notoriously greedy for money, but he never failed to repay his debts.
And since Zeon had saved his life, he couldn’t help but regard him with special importance.
Zeon changed the subject.
“You weren’t trapped in that stone coffin so long that you lost your cooking skills, were you?”
“As if that would happen. Just wait a moment. I’ll have something ready right away.”
Clexi stood before the stove and began cooking.
Zeon waited for the food, glancing around.
The wary looks from the merchants had noticeably softened.
They all knew Zeon had saved their master.
Thanks to that, Zeon could wait comfortably.
“Eat.”
Soon, Clexi placed a bowl of appetizing fried rice in front of him.
Cultured meat mixed with various seasonings—it was enough to make one dizzy just from the aroma.
Zeon picked up his spoon and started eating immediately.
Clexi watched him with a satisfied smile.
Zeon ate the fried rice with genuine enjoyment.
After a moment, Clexi spoke as if something had come to mind.
“I hear Tajik is dead.”
“Is that so?”
“A sly bastard. Capable, too, which made him even more troublesome. But apparently, something got into him—he wandered the desert and ended up as food for a sandworm.”
“That’s unfortunate…”
“The world is full of strange things. Some things simply can’t be understood by common sense. This feels like one of those.”
“Things like that happen.”
“Either way, with Tajik dead, Xiaolun won’t be able to focus properly on the slums for a while.”
“That’s good.”
Zeon replied with his head still lowered toward the bowl.
Clexi watched him with a deeply sunken gaze.
“Sehee is my granddaughter.”
“I know.”
“She runs almost all my businesses except one. If you ever need help, ask her. She’ll grant most requests.”
“Didn’t you say you handed everything over? You could’ve just given her everything and lived comfortably.”
“If I handed over the last one as well, what would I live for? Besides, Sehee isn’t ready to handle that yet. She needs more tempering—more growth.”
“You’re strict.”
“You have to be stricter with family. It only takes a moment to ruin a family business.”
“Fair enough.”
Zeon shook his head as if he couldn’t argue.
But Clexi still looked serious.
“Aren’t you curious?”
“About what?”
“The one business I didn’t hand over to Sehee.”
“Well… a little. Will you tell me if I ask?”
“If it’s you.”
“Then I’ll ask. What is this business you’re guarding so carefully?”
“The Eye of Argos.”
“What? Argo—”
“Argos. A creature from mythology with a hundred eyes.”
“If it has a hundred eyes… then it’s information-related.”
“You caught on right away.”
Clexi looked impressed.
Zeon, on the other hand, remained calm.
“With that much of a hint, it’d be strange not to.”
“You’re the strange one for figuring it out so quickly.”
“Anyway, what about the Eye of Argos?”
“If you ever need information, use it.”
“Oh!”
Zeon let out a genuine exclamation.
He wasn’t faking it.
He understood better than anyone how valuable information was.
He didn’t know how extensive the Eye of Argos’s network was, but at the very least, it would have a thorough grasp of the slums.
And just understanding how the slums worked would be a huge advantage going forward.
Clexi called out to someone.
“Meul!”
“Yes!”
A large man wearing a red apron approached.
“Meul runs the butcher shop at the entrance of this market. Ask him for anything you need—he’ll get it for you.”
“Nice to meet you, Meul. I think we’ve seen each other a few times, right?”
Zeon gave a small wave.
Meul’s butcher shop was located along the path to Clexi’s place, so they had crossed paths several times.
Meul bowed his head.
“That’s correct.”
“I’ll be counting on you.”
“If you need anything, just come to our shop anytime.”
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you. For saving the old man.”
Meul bowed deeply in gratitude.
Zeon felt a bit awkward and simply smiled in response.