Chapter 227
Thanks to a deep rest in comfortable beds, Zeon’s group was full of energy from the morning.
Brielle and Eloi, having washed up cleanly, looked almost radiant.
“Now I finally feel alive.”
“Humans really are meant to live in civilization.”
“What nonsense, you brat! You’re not even human—”
“And what about you?”
“Did I call you ‘big sister’?”
“Oh, please! A half-elf like you—”
“Better than a high elf who was addicted to drugs—”
Watching the two women bickering again first thing in the morning, Levin simply let it pass.
It wasn’t a scene he was seeing for the first time.
Levin approached Zeon.
“What are we doing for breakfast?”
“We eat.”
“Know any good places?”
“I’ve got one in mind.”
“Already?”
“Yeah. Turns out I know someone.”
The person Zeon was referring to was Wol.
Along with various bits of information, Wol had recommended a restaurant, saying it was one of the best places to eat in the magic stone mine.
“Then let’s all go together.”
At that moment, Jang Yongbeom’s voice rang out.
His party also looked full of energy after a good night’s rest.
There was no reason to refuse, so Zeon nodded.
“Sure.”
“Hope it’s good. There aren’t many decent restaurants in the mine.”
“Don’t expect too much.”
“Heh… fair enough.”
Zeon’s group and Jang Yongbeom’s party headed to the restaurant Wol had introduced.
Like most eateries in the magic stone mine, this one was quite shabby. It didn’t even have many seats, so once their group entered, it was completely full.
What the owner brought out was a strange dish—somewhere between a meat-filled gukbap and a stew.
“Smells pretty good.”
“Ohh!”
All eight of them immediately started eating without hesitation.
The combination of factory-grown cultured meat, rice, and the owner’s secret broth was excellent.
Before they knew it, their bowls were empty.
Eloi and Brielle put down their spoons with satisfied expressions.
“This is incredible.”
“I feel at peace.”
Though they usually argued, for once, the two agreed.
The others felt the same.
Only Mountain, with his large build, didn’t seem satisfied and ordered several more bowls.
Giselle clicked her tongue at him.
“Ugh, you pig. Does all that even fit in your stomach?”
“Hehe! Yep.”
“Fine, eat as much as you want. Big sis will pay for everything.”
“Thanks!”
Completely unaware of her sarcasm, Mountain smiled innocently, making Giselle click her tongue again.
An argument only works if the other party engages.
With someone like Mountain—who seemed incapable of thinking at all—there was no point in even trying to bicker.
Levin patted his bulging stomach and said,
“This place is really good. Who would’ve thought a place like this was hidden in the mine?”
“Better than I expected.”
Zeon agreed.
After a good night’s sleep and a satisfying meal, he felt like he lacked nothing in the world.
Except for Mountain, the other seven sat back in their chairs, enjoying the drowsy, relaxed feeling.
It was a rare moment of peace.
They wanted to savor it longer—but the commotion coming from afar forced them back to reality.
“Wooooah!”
“I’ve never seen anything this big before!”
“This is insane! Absolutely insane!”
No one explained what exactly was “insane,” but it was enough to pique the curiosity of Zeon’s group and Jang Yongbeom’s party.
Zeon stood up.
“Something must have happened at the mine.”
“We’ve got time. Let’s go take a look.”
Jang Yongbeom replied with interest.
For him, the magic stone mine wasn’t a destination—it was just a stopover.
A place he passed through on external missions, nothing more or less.
So he didn’t know much about what went on there.
Zeon’s group and Jang Yongbeom’s party moved toward the source of the commotion.
They arrived at the entrance of the magic stone mine.
A large crowd had gathered there.
Most of them were miners working in the mine.
Their attention was fixed on a massive rock.
It glowed with a deep blue light and was as large as Mountain standing beside Jang Yongbeom.
Zeon immediately recognized what it was.
“A magic stone?”
“And a top-grade one at that.”
Jang Yongbeom’s eyes trembled slightly.
The rock the miners were staring at was the largest magic stone ever mined from the site.
It was the biggest discovered in a hundred years of mining—and its purity was extraordinary.
Even from afar, one could feel the immense mana contained within it.
Eloi frowned slightly.
“At this level, it could power Neo Seoul for over a year.”
“That’s insane.”
Aiden shook his head in disbelief.
Maintaining Neo Seoul required an enormous amount of magic stones.
Even with constant mining, it was barely enough to meet a year’s demand.
But this single stone could generate an entire year’s worth of power.
Its value was beyond measure.
Jang Yongbeom spoke.
“No one could smuggle that out. Neo Seoul will definitely send a special transport unit for it.”
“They smuggle magic stones out of here? I thought everything mined here went to City Hall.”
“Heh… then how do you think each district ruler gets their share? They all siphon some off through the backdoor. For some reason, Jin Geumho knows about it but turns a blind eye.”
“I see.”
“But something this big, with this much mana? That’s a different story. That belongs to Jin Geumho. He’d never let anyone else take something like that.”
Even beyond electricity production, top-grade magic stones had limitless applications.
Depending on research, they could produce revolutionary results.
There was no way City Hall would let something this valuable be stolen.
Suddenly, Jang Yongbeom’s face twisted.
“Damn it!”
“Why do you say that?”
“Now that I think about it, there’s nothing good in this for us.”
“…What?”
Zeon looked at Jang Yongbeom with a puzzled expression.
“Something this massive just showed up—there’s no way they’ll let the mine handle transport on its own.”
“So?”
“I told you earlier. They’ll send a special transport team.”
“And that’s a problem?”
“That part isn’t. What comes before it is. To prevent any leakage, they’ll definitely shut down all access to the mine.”
Right then—
Thud!
As if proving Jang Yongbeom’s words, the gate at the mine’s exit slammed shut. The massive iron door could only be opened through mechanical control.
Unless an administrator opened it, no one could leave—and no one could enter.
The magic stone mine was now completely sealed off from the outside.
Even someone like Jang Yongbeom couldn’t leave without permission.
Zeon asked,
“So until the transport team arrives from Neo Seoul, no one can leave?”
“Exactly.”
“So we’re basically detained.”
“Damn right.”
Jang Yongbeom frowned as he looked at the top-grade magic stone.
To Neo Seoul and City Hall, it was a priceless gift—but for someone like him, who hated being tied down, it felt like being shackled.
“When do you think the transport team will arrive?”
“That’s something she would know better. She’s the supervisor.”
At Jang Yongbeom’s glance, Eloi replied with a troubled expression.
“A magic stone that large has never been mined before. Its value is immeasurable, so they’ll definitely send the best team. Just gathering that team and placing the request will take at least a day. Then another day to reach the mine… so we’ll have to stay here for at least two days.”
“There you have it.”
Jang Yongbeom wrinkled his nose.
Zeon looked toward the distant main gate of the mine.
A towering wall dozens of meters high, and a massive iron gate over ten meters tall.
For ordinary people, it would be an insurmountable barrier—but for an Awakener like Zeon, it wasn’t impossible to cross.
And yet, he didn’t.
Because the moment someone crossed that wall by force, they would be expelled from the system of Neo Seoul.
And once expelled, there was no return.
All Awakeners knew how harsh that life would be.
Zeon had no desire to give up such a convenient system.
“Guess we’ll just treat this like a vacation and rest for two days.”
“What should we do in the meantime?”
“Whatever it is, it’s better than rolling around in sand pits in the desert.”
Levin, Eloi, and Brielle accepted the situation.
It was only two extra days, after all.
With good lodging and decent food, there was no reason to complain.
Zeon turned to them.
“You heard her. Just stay quiet for two days and don’t cause trouble.”
“Free time?”
“Have I ever forced you to do anything? Just relax.”
“Yes, sir!”
Levin answered brightly.
Jang Yongbeom also instructed his party to rest for two days.
After everyone dispersed, Zeon remained behind, staring at the top-grade magic stone.
He didn’t feel particularly greedy for it. He had seen stones far more valuable.
Magic stones from S-rank or boss-level monsters contained even stronger mana.
However, they were difficult to refine, making them unsuitable for practical uses like power generation.
At that moment, Awakeners stationed at the mine rushed in.
They loaded the massive stone onto a vehicle.
“Hurry, move it to the warehouse.”
“If we lose this, we’re all dead. Guard the warehouse with your lives.”
Tension filled their voices.
Even though they were only transporting it from the mine to storage, their nerves were on edge.
Everyone kept their distance, knowing that interfering now wouldn’t end with just a beating.
Only then did Zeon leave his spot.
This again… I don’t know if trouble follows me, or if I attract it.
For some reason, wherever he went, major incidents always seemed to occur.
This time was no different.
He had only stopped by on his way back to Neo Seoul—and yet a top-grade magic stone of this magnitude had been discovered.
It was the first time in a hundred years.
And coincidentally, it happened right after his arrival.
Almost like fate itself was playing tricks on him.
The stone was carried off toward the warehouse, and the gathered miners began to disperse.
Seeing no reason to remain, Zeon turned to leave as well.
“Hey—You bastard!”
At that moment, someone grabbed his shoulder roughly and shouted.
Zeon turned around to see a rough-looking man glaring at him.
His rolled-up sleeves revealed arms covered in scars, suggesting a life filled with hardship.
The man tightened his grip on Zeon’s shoulder.
“You… you’re that guy, right?”
“…What?”
“Damn it! It’s you—the one who ran away.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Eight years ago, we threw you into the magic stone mine and you ran off, didn’t you, you son of a bitch? Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused me?!”
Only then did Zeon recognize him.
“Park… Manho?”
“Am I your friend, you bastard?!”
Smack!
Park Manho struck the back of Zeon’s head with a hand like an iron pan.
The blow was strong enough to crack a normal person’s skull.
Zeon’s hair became disheveled from the sudden hit.
It was the first time in a long while that someone had struck him.
Under normal circumstances, he should have been angry—
But Zeon was smiling.
Through his messy hair, his white teeth showed.
“I had completely forgotten… and now we meet again like this. Nice to see you.”
Park Manho.
The man who, eight years ago, had forcibly shoved Zeon into Tunnel 972 when he first arrived at the magic stone mine.