Chapter 69

A mature woman’s scent rushed into his nose.

It was the first time a woman had ever brought her face this close to his.

Zeon forced himself to stay composed and asked,

“You know old man Clexi?”

“Know him? I’m dying to catch him and kill him.”

“That much?”

“If I could, I would.”

Yoo Sehui’s gaze turned icy.

The playful demeanor she had shown while scolding the merchants earlier was nowhere to be seen.

If Zeon had been an ordinary person, he wouldn’t have even been able to breathe under her overwhelming presence.

Fortunately, Zeon was far from ordinary—and not weak enough to be intimidated by something like this.

Yoo Sehui also realized that Zeon was no normal person.

More importantly, there was no way old man Clexi would hand out such a valuable card to just anyone.

“How did you meet old man Clexi?”

“If I said it was a coincidence, would you believe me?”

“Doesn’t sound like you intend to explain.”

“So you don’t believe me.”

“It’s not you I don’t trust—it’s Clexi. That man would never give something valuable to someone he met by chance.”

“He did seem rather sly.”

“And you seem just as much so.”

“Me?”

Zeon put on a falsely aggrieved expression.

Yoo Sehui studied his face carefully.

At the very least, she had to admit one thing—

She couldn’t read anything from his expression.

He was thoroughly hiding himself.

She could probably find out using her unique skill, but she didn’t want to go that far.

As powerful as her ability was, the backlash from using it wasn’t something to take lightly.

Still, if he had come with Clexi’s introduction, he was unlikely to be someone who would harm the Goblin Market.

“What’s your name?”

“Zeon.”

“Where do you live?”

“Are you interrogating me now?”

“Yeah. Not going to answer?”

“I live in the Ant Nest.”

“Sinchon?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll be seeing you around. Alright, you can go.”

Yoo Sehui waved her hand dismissively, as if shooing away a fly.

Zeon gave a slight bow.

“Then…”

Yoo Sehui watched his back as he disappeared into the crowd, her eyes sharp.

Black Lion spoke quietly.

“Shall I have someone follow him?”

“No. Old man Clexi has probably already arranged that. We can just share information—no need to waste manpower.”

“Understood.”

Black Lion nodded.

He knew Clexi’s nature as well as she did—meticulous and relentless.

Yoo Sehui began walking.

“The atmosphere inside and outside the colony has been unsettled lately. I heard a pack of Flame Wolves attacked an armored bus a few days ago?”

“Yes. Magical beasts are appearing closer to Neo Seoul more frequently. It seems the rumors about the weakening anti-demonic force are true.”

What set Neo Seoul apart from other colonies was its anti-demonic force.

For reasons unknown, a powerful energy surrounded the city, instilling fear in magical beasts and preventing them from approaching.

Thanks to that, humans had been able to develop Neo Seoul without constant threat.

The city had amplified this force using magic circles, extending its influence.

Its range covered dozens of kilometers.

That was why not only Neo Seoul but even the slums had remained safe from magical beasts.

Because of this force, humanity had gained time—and built civilization as it stood now.

But for some reason, the anti-demonic force of Neo Seoul had been gradually weakening.

People pointed to one clear sign—

Magical beasts were appearing closer and closer to the city.

Something that would have been unthinkable in the past.

Before, hunting magical beasts required traveling far from Neo Seoul in organized teams.

Now, they could be found not far from the city itself.

The idea that beasts feared approaching Neo Seoul was becoming outdated.

Yoo Sehui looked toward the towering skyscrapers rising beyond the massive city walls.

That was where the rulers of Neo Seoul resided.

“What the hell are they doing in there that the city’s anti-demonic force is weakening? Have they already forgotten the lesson from that day?”

Her voice carried deep concern.

***

Zeon left the Goblin Market and walked along Yeonnam Road.

Meeting Yoo Sehui, the market’s owner, had been completely unexpected.

Zeon considered her extremely strong.

‘She cast lightning magic without even a split-second delay.’

Normally, casting magic required at least a brief preparation time.

Magic was the manifestation of one’s mental image—

Turning what you visualize in your mind into reality.

And that process usually took time.

Those with great talent could shorten that time significantly, but for most, it was inevitable.

But with Yoo Sehui, there had been no gap at all.

She summoned lightning instantly.

And not only that—she controlled its power precisely enough to push back both Taeo and Brixton without injuring them.

Just that alone showed how extraordinary her talent was.

He didn’t know her exact Awakener rank, but she was at least B-rank or higher.

At that level, there were very few in the slums who could stand against her.

More impressive, however, was her guard—Black Lion.

Even Zeon had flinched slightly at the overwhelming aura he emitted.

His body was so filled with aura that it overflowed, naturally leaking outward.

It was the first time Zeon had seen a martial-type Awakener this powerful in the slums.

Black Lion had awakened a sense of caution in Zeon, who had subconsciously underestimated the slums.

That alone made the trip worthwhile.

Zeon felt it had been the right decision to visit the Goblin Market.

If he continued to use it, he would be able to grasp the overall situation of the slums with ease.

“Whew…”

Back home, Zeon removed the robe he had been wearing.

The place still felt empty.

Aside from a bed and a sofa, there was nothing inside.

The light bulb flickered unsteadily.

The electricity supply was unstable. But once the small mana generator arrived, that would change.

If he could generate power himself, he would be able to use not just lighting, but various other devices.

In a way, that would mark the beginning of a proper civilization.

Zeon sat on the sofa and waited for the generator to be delivered.

The merchant had said it would arrive today, so it shouldn’t take long.

Just then—

Boom!

A tremendous explosion shook the building as if it might collapse at any moment.

The window glass shattered and flew into the room.

Frowning, Zeon stood up.

Through the broken window, he saw the intersection outside in ruins.

A truck was burning at the center.

It had clearly exploded due to someone’s attack.

Such incidents were common in this area, so Zeon initially tried to ignore it.

But the moment he saw the emblem on the destroyed truck, that changed.

It was a goblin emblem.

The symbol of the Goblin Market.

The market’s transport vehicle had been attacked.

‘At this hour… if it was heading here…’

A bad feeling struck him instantly.

Without hesitation, Zeon leapt out the window.

His home was on the eighteenth floor.

Yet he jumped without the slightest hesitation.

As his body plummeted at terrifying speed and neared the ground—

A pillar of sand rose from a pile nearby and gently caught him.

He had used sand to absorb the impact.

But no one noticed.

Everyone on the street was too busy watching the burning vehicle.

Zeon pushed through the crowd and rushed toward the truck.

Flames roared violently from it.

No one dared approach.

Greed filled their faces.

“Damn it! There’s definitely valuable stuff inside!”

“If only the flames would die down a bit…”

None of them even thought about putting out the fire.

They were only thinking about how to get close and steal whatever was inside.

No one blamed them.

That was simply the nature of the slums.

Zeon brushed past them and approached the vehicle.

The raging flames swallowed him whole.

But they had no effect on his body.

He finally reached the truck.

The first place he checked was the driver’s seat.

Two bodies were already melting in the driver and passenger seats.

One of them was the merchant he had just dealt with.

A long slash wound was clearly visible on the merchant’s neck.

He had been killed before the explosion.

Frowning, Zeon moved to the cargo area.

The cargo door was wide open, spewing flames.

Though the smoke and fire obscured the view, Zeon could clearly see—

It was empty.

“Ha…”

A sigh escaped him.

The mana generator meant for him had been stolen.

With the merchant dead, there was no way to claim compensation.

“Which bastards dared…?”

His eyes sharpened.

He had wanted to live quietly.

That was why he usually let most things slide.

But this wasn’t something minor.

His mana generator had been taken.

He had to find the attackers, punish them, and recover it.

First, he needed to identify who had ambushed the vehicle.

Zeon carefully examined the area around the burning truck.

Not far away, he spotted a small piece of metal.

It clearly wasn’t part of the vehicle.

On its scorched surface, the letters “FB130—” were partially visible.

The rest had been burned away, but it was enough of a clue.

Someone had attacked the truck, killed the merchant and his men, stolen the generator, and then blown up the vehicle to erase the evidence.

Even if the Goblin Market investigated, they would assume the generator had burned along with the truck.

They would never suspect it had been stolen.

Fortunately, Zeon had arrived before the flames completely consumed everything.

If he had been even slightly later, the truth would have been lost entirely.

Turning away from the flames, Zeon walked off.

There was no point asking the greedy onlookers.

If he wanted answers about what happened in the underbelly of this street, he needed to ask those who lived in it.

Fortunately, he knew exactly who to go to.

Zeon headed toward a darker part of the district.

At first glance, it looked chaotic, but even this place had its own system of addresses.

It was just that unless you had lived here for a long time, it was nearly impossible to navigate.

Relying on memory, Zeon moved through several alleys.

Eventually, he arrived at a warehouse on the first floor of a large building.

Without hesitation, he opened the door and stepped inside.

“What the hell?”

“Who’s this guy walking in without permission?”

Hostile voices immediately rang out.

Inside the warehouse, several men with dangerous auras sat scattered around.

They revealed killing intent toward the intruder—

But the moment they saw Zeon’s face, it vanished instantly.

“Gasp!”

“Him…?!”

Their faces turned pale.

This place was a hideout of Red Skull.

The ones who had gone pale upon seeing Zeon were Jo Sanghyeok and his subordinates.

Jo Sanghyeok, the leader of Red Skull, stammered,

“W-why is b-brother here? We didn’t d-do anything wrong…”

Zeon looked at him and said calmly,

“I have something to ask. Can you spare a moment?”

“Of course!”

Jo Sanghyeok nodded at lightning speed.