Chapter 75
“You really can’t let your guard down.”
Zeon glanced back slightly.
Old man Clexi was still watching him with lingering regret in his eyes.
If he had listened to everything, he would’ve definitely been hooked.
Old foxes like that would exploit even the slightest opening, digging in like venomous snakes until there was no escape.
The best option was not to get involved at all—but since he already was, he needed to keep an appropriate distance.
Relationships like that were the hardest thing in life.
Fighting demonic beasts was easier.
At least there, the enemy was clear.
Living among humans required constant thinking and vigilance.
Lost in thought, Zeon stopped in front of his house.
It was because of unfamiliar gazes he felt around him.
“Phew…”
He let out a sigh without realizing it.
He thought he’d shaken off one nuisance, but it seemed another had attached itself.
When Zeon didn’t move, someone approached.
A well-dressed man in a neat suit with a ponytail—rare in the slums—stood before him.
It was Eaton.
Eaton spoke.
“You’re Zeon, right?”
“And you are?”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“I don’t believe I’ve gotten an answer yet.”
“My name is Eaton.”
“Eaton?”
“I serve Lord Goran.”
At that, Zeon frowned slightly.
He didn’t know Eaton, but he knew Goran.
Living in Sinchon, it would be stranger not to know its ruler.
“So, what do you want?”
“The mana generator.”
“…What?”
“Where is it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I know you recovered the mana generator. Where is it?”
“….”
Zeon frowned.
There weren’t many people who knew he possessed the mana generator—the merchant who sold it and those who tried to steal it.
The merchant was already dead.
That left only the thieves.
“So you were the ones who tipped off the crocodiles.”
At Zeon’s words, Eaton flinched.
He was shocked that Zeon had deduced that much from just the mention of a mana generator.
Estimated strength: at least C-rank.
On top of that, he was intelligent.
Definitely a rare talent in the slums.
The word “recruitment” surfaced in Eaton’s mind.
“Hand over the mana generator and join us. You’ll be well taken care of.”
“So you want the generator and for me to become your dog.”
“A dog’s life depends on its master. Lord Goran rewards talent generously. You won’t regret it.”
“I’ll pass.”
“Decisive. You’d be better off thinking it over.”
“No matter how many times you ask, my answer won’t change.”
“Then just hand over the mana generator. Do that, and we’ll quietly leave.”
Just then—
Bzzz!
An alarm rang from within Zeon’s subspace.
It signaled that someone was trying to break into his home.
“So you’ve already sent people to my house?”
“You installed an alarm?”
“Basic precaution.”
“Good. That makes things easier. Whether you agree or not, my men will bring the generator out. So just accept it as fate.”
“Fate, huh…”
“It’s for your own good. No matter how strong a C-rank awakened you are, you can’t survive here after getting on Lord Goran’s bad side. Just live quietly. Like you don’t exist.”
Eaton spoke as if the mana generator already belonged to him.
He had sent several subordinates to Zeon’s house.
Two of them were awakened.
Though only F-rank, that was enough to easily break through the door of a shabby building.
Even if Zeon refused to open it, getting the generator would only be a matter of time.
“I’m giving you sincere advice. You’d do well to accept it. It’s all for your sake.”
“I don’t see how any of this is for my sake.”
“I told you—the generator is practically already ours. Struggling won’t change anything.”
“Is that so? I don’t think so.”
“What?”
At that moment—
Several men came running out of the building where Zeon’s house was.
They were Eaton’s subordinates sent to retrieve the mana generator.
Their faces were full of panic.
Eaton immediately sensed something had gone wrong.
“What’s the matter?”
“We—we can’t open the door.”
“What?”
“We don’t know what it’s made of, but it won’t open.”
“Then break it, you idiots!”
“It won’t break either. Not just the door—the walls and windows too. Our attacks don’t work. That bastard definitely did something.”
At his subordinate’s report, Eaton’s expression twisted.
At first, he thought it was a lie—but there was no reason for them to lie to him.
Eaton glared at Zeon.
“Was this your doing?”
“Isn’t locking your doors basic?”
“You’d better open it willingly… unless you want to die.”
“Does the Goblin Market know about this?”
“…What?”
“That you leaked their information. I doubt they’d be pleased if they found out.”
For a moment, Eaton’s expression stiffened.
Stealing information from the Goblin Market was highly confidential.
It was tied to their trust—if they found out, they wouldn’t stay silent.
War with the Goblin Market.
It wasn’t impossible—but if it came to that, they would suffer massive losses as well.
“That won’t happen—you telling the Goblin Market.”
Before anyone realized it, Eaton’s subordinates had completely surrounded Zeon.
“It would’ve been better if you’d just handed over the mana generator quietly. You’re making this unnecessarily complicated.”
Eaton’s gaze toward Zeon was as sharp as a blade.
Weapons had already appeared in the hands of his men.
Butchering knives.
The easiest weapons to obtain on these streets.
Originally made for dismantling demonic beasts, they could easily slice apart the fragile human body in an instant.
Eaton gave the order.
“Kill him!”
“Yaaah!”
“Die!”
Before his words had even finished, his men swung their knives at Zeon.
Whoosh!
The chilling sound of blades cutting through the air rang out.
At that moment, Zeon let out a quiet sigh.
“Phew…”
It felt like the signal that his rest was over.
But that didn’t mean he intended to stand there and take it.
Fwoosh!
Dozens of fireballs suddenly rose around his body.
They were flames created by his superheated gauntlet.
The fireballs shot straight into the bodies of the men swinging their knives.
“Gaaah!”
“H-hot!”
“Save me!”
The men caught on fire screamed and rolled on the ground.
But the flames showed no sign of going out.
Among them were awakened individuals.
They tried to extinguish the flames using their abilities—but it was useless.
The fire only burned more fiercely, consuming them alive.
“Ughhh!”
“Wa—water!”
Their desperate screams echoed through the streets.
But not a single person stepped forward to help.
“Damn it!”
Eaton bit his lip.
He had heard Zeon possessed at least C-rank strength—but he hadn’t expected such mastery over fire.
Eaton spoke.
“Put out the flames.”
“…What?”
“If you’re a fire-type awakened, you should be able to extinguish them at will. Put out the flames on my men. I’ll spare your life.”
“Seems like you still don’t understand the situation. You’re not in a position to be giving orders.”
“You’re getting carried away with that tiny bit of power.”
“Tiny? I’d say it’s at least dragon-level.”
“You dare mock me, brat?”
Eaton’s eyes changed.
At that instant, Zeon twisted his body.
Whoosh!
Something grazed past his hair by a hair’s breadth.
If he had reacted even a moment slower, his head would’ve been pierced.
What passed him was a metal sphere.
The sphere, which had flown far away, returned and began orbiting around Eaton like a satellite.
The source of the spheres was Eaton’s pocket.
Zeon spoke.
“Telekinesis? Not a common ability.”
“That’s right! My power is telekinesis.”
Over a dozen metal spheres rose from Eaton’s pocket.
They were made of a special metal.
Far heavier and harder than ordinary metal of the same size.
When propelled by telekinesis, they could rupture muscles and shatter bones like brittle snacks.
Eaton had already killed dozens of Goran’s rivals with this ability.
“Try blocking this, brat!”
Shuu-shuu-shung!
The metal spheres shot forward at terrifying speed, like bullets fired from a gun.
Naturally, their target was Zeon.
In Eaton’s eyes, he could already imagine holes being blasted through Zeon’s body.
Every ability had its counter.
Fire magic boasted immense destructive power—but it couldn’t possibly stop metal spheres moving at such speed.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The spheres slammed into Zeon’s body, producing metallic sounds.
‘Metallic…?’
In that instant, Eaton instinctively sensed something was wrong.
It didn’t sound like flesh being pierced or bones breaking.
As he feared, the spheres didn’t penetrate Zeon’s body.
The moment they struck him, they bounced off in all directions.
The robe Zeon wore was made from Leviathan’s hide.
This level of attack couldn’t even scratch it.
Naturally, Zeon himself remained completely unharmed.
“Damn it!”
Eaton tried to move the fallen spheres again.
This time, he aimed for Zeon’s head.
There was no protection there—he thought it would be pierced instantly.
But the next moment, his eyes widened.
Fwoooosh!
Like molten metal pouring from a furnace, his metal spheres began to melt and drip.
Drip… drip…
The sound of liquefied metal hitting the ground was eerie.
“Crazy!”
Eaton shouted without thinking.
There was no way a mere C-rank awakened could produce enough heat to melt his spheres instantly.
His opponent was something beyond that.
“Damn it!”
Eaton hurriedly stepped back.
Now that he realized his opponent was stronger, he intended to retreat and report to Goran.
But Zeon had no intention of letting him leave so easily.
Zeon surged forward several times faster than Eaton could retreat.
He had used a sand-step movement technique—but Eaton couldn’t even recognize it.
It was as if Zeon had blinked in front of him in an instant.
Zeon swung his hand, and dozens of fireballs appeared, launching toward Eaton.
Faster than the metal spheres Eaton had fired, the fireballs struck him directly.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions of flame erupted one after another.
“Gaaah!”
Eaton’s scream burst out from within the blazing inferno.