Chapter 81

Zeon looked at Croker and the crocodiles charging at him with terrifying momentum.

Croker was a C-rank martial-type Awakened, and all the crocodiles were D- and E-rank.

It was an overwhelming force capable of wiping out most areas of the slums in an instant.

But in front of Zeon, it was meaningless.

Flames erupted right in front of him.

Using the Gauntlet of Blazing Heat, he deployed a Fire Wall.

Hellish flames filled the underground space.

“Ghk!”

“Aaagh!”

The crocodiles screamed under the intense heat.

Having lived for so long in the damp underground, they were extremely vulnerable to high temperatures.

Heat that would merely feel hot to an ordinary person felt like hellfire to them. And the Fire Wall Zeon created was several times hotter than normal flames.

The crocodiles charging in front caught fire and collapsed.

They rolled on the ground, screaming as they tried to put out the flames, but it was useless.

Once ignited, the fire wouldn’t go out easily.

“You bastard!”

Croker launched his unique skill, Stone Fist.

As the name suggested, it hardened his fist like stone and struck forward.

It was just a punch—but its destructive power surpassed other skills of the same level.

Boom!

The attack struck Zeon directly.

But Croker couldn’t celebrate.

Zeon had deflected the attack with the Gauntlet of Blazing Heat.

Suddenly, Zeon’s figure blurred and appeared right in front of Croker.

He had closed the distance using Sand Step.

To Croker, who didn’t understand what had happened, it looked like teleportation or a blink skill.

“You—?”

Boom!

At that moment, Zeon’s fist slammed into Croker’s abdomen.

“Gah!”

Croker was blasted backward with a scream.

He slammed into the wall, coughed up blood, and struggled to stand again.

His eyes, fixed on Zeon, burned with rage.

He had felt it before—he was no match for Zeon.

For someone who lived underground, Zeon was practically his worst possible opponent.

There was no way to defeat him through ordinary means.

Croker shouted,

“Damn it! Everyone—inject it!”

He pulled out a syringe.

Inside was a yellow liquid.

Without hesitation, he stabbed it into his heart and injected it.

The crocodiles, seeing this, did the same.

The yellow liquid was a drug they had created.

Unlike other drugs, it instantly unleashed all of their potential.

“Graaah!”

“Ugh!”

Croker and the crocodiles straightened their backs, letting out grotesque breaths.

Their bodies grew larger, their muscles bulging grotesquely.

Zeon watched them with interest.

“Looks like some kind of stimulant.”

The world had collapsed—but humans had deteriorated even more.

Countless drugs that severely damaged the human body had been created, and people used them without hesitation.

One thing was certain: no matter the effect, every drug came with severe side effects.

And a stimulant that could amplify a person’s potential to this degree in such a short time would inevitably carry even worse consequences.

“Die!”

“Graaaah!”

Croker and the crocodiles charged at Zeon with savage cries.

Whoosh!

The pressure of Croker’s punch struck Zeon before the fist even reached him, making his hair flutter.

But Zeon easily dodged the attack.

At that moment, the crocodiles attacked him from behind.

Their movements were closer to beasts than humans.

Their bloodshot eyes held no trace of reason—only madness.

They were twice as fast as before—and just as much stronger.

Boom!

Concrete struck by their fists exploded as if hit by a bomb.

Croker was even more extreme.

KWAHH!

A red haze shimmered around his entire body.

The drug had pushed his potential to the limit, allowing him to use aura.

“Damn it! Just die! Die!”

Croker squeezed every ounce of strength from his muscles, unleashing everything.

Zeon calmly observed everything—their movements, bodily reactions, even the motion of their eyes.

The frenzied assault from Croker and the crocodiles continued for nearly ten minutes.

But the moment ten minutes passed, their movements noticeably slowed.

“So the limit is about ten minutes?”

He didn’t know exactly what drug they had injected, but it clearly allowed maximum output for only about ten minutes.

That was enough.

He had already learned everything he needed from them.

At that moment, the sand scattered across the ground began to wriggle like snakes.

Dozens of sand serpents rose, lifting their heads and staring at Croker and the crocodiles.

It was one of Zeon’s skills—Viper.

Seeing this for the first time, Croker’s eyes widened.

Even in his maddened state, he sensed the danger.

“What the hell is that?”

Instead of answering, Zeon flicked his finger.

Swoosh!

The sand serpents shot forward like arrows.

In an instant, Viper pierced through Croker and the crocodiles, punching holes through their bodies.

No matter how much their potential had been enhanced by the drug, they couldn’t survive with gaping holes torn through their torsos.

The crocodiles collapsed like sandcastles.

Only Croker remained standing, barely holding on—but he was at his limit.

His eyes returned to normal.

“You… what are you? That skill… what the hell is it…?”

Zeon had met countless Awakened until now, but this was the first time he had seen someone who controlled sand.

“Then what about the flame ability? Don’t tell me… you’re a dual?”

Zeon smiled and raised the Gauntlet of Blazing Heat.

“It’s just item power.”

“An… item?”

Croker’s eyes trembled.

He had never imagined that such overwhelming flame power could come from a mere item.

“You sly bastard. So you were hiding your true ability all along.”

“That’s the kind of world where you survive.”

“Damn it… I was completely played. I never should’ve touched your stuff in the first place.”

With those words, Croker collapsed to the ground.

His breath had stopped.

Zeon looked down at him expressionlessly, then moved on.

He headed toward the hidden passage behind Croker.

He had seen Goran and Ava enter it.

Everything had been part of Goran’s larger scheme.

He had even turned Croker’s plan—meant to make Zeon and Goran destroy each other—against him.

It was a level of cruelty befitting the ruler of Sinchon.

Zeon wondered what Goran was truly after by orchestrating this clash.

The answer would likely be inside.

Without hesitation, Zeon entered the secret passage.

It was narrow, damp, and pitch dark—but that posed no problem for him.

He had eyes that could pierce through deep darkness.

Following Goran and Ava’s trail, Zeon descended the stairs.

After going down for a long time, he arrived at a vast underground space.

It was easily over a hundred meters wide and long, filled with countless beds.

Hundreds of people lay on them, their faces pale like corpses.

Thin tubes were inserted into their arms, and red blood flowed through them.

The blood collected into a massive tank at the center.

And in front of that tank stood Goran and Ava.

They were so focused on the tank that they didn’t even notice Zeon’s arrival.

Zeon quietly approached.

“Ah—!”

Ava noticed him belatedly, her face showing shock.

But Goran remained focused on the tank.

Naturally, Zeon looked at what Goran was staring at.

In front of the tank sat a girl.

Messy blonde hair, dark circles under her eyes, and a somewhat cynical expression.

She wore a pointed hat like those witches used long ago, along with a loose black robe.

Chains were bound around her ankles—clearly restraints to prevent escape.

Goran spoke to the girl,

“So it was you. You’re the one making the drugs the crocodiles supply.”

“Shut up, human.”

“Human?”

“You’d better look away before I gouge those eyes out. How dare a mere human look at a noble elf like that?”

“So you’re not human. An elf, huh?”

Her ears had been hidden by the hat, so he hadn’t noticed at first. But from the way she spoke, it was obvious.

Goran chuckled.

“Heh… how amusing. I was wondering what kind of technician could produce such high-quality drugs. Never thought it’d be an elf.”

“You beasts worse than monsters! If I ever get free, you think I’ll let you live? I’ll kill you all—every last one of you humans!”

The girl glared at Goran and spat venomous words.

Elves were often thought of as noble or quiet—but she was neither.

Her name was Brielle.

She had originally lived outside Neo Seoul.

The disaster had come suddenly one day.

She encountered human Awakened passing nearby.

She fought with everything she had, but in the end, she was subdued.

That was the beginning of her miserable life.

Sold from one group of humans to another, she eventually ended up here—in the slums of Neo Seoul, far from her original home.

Croker had discovered her true talent.

Alchemy.

Like a true elf with innate sensitivity, she possessed exceptional skill in it.

Croker had devised a way to exploit that talent.

Developing new drugs.

Just as he had hoped, Brielle excelled at producing them.

She created several entirely new drugs that had never existed before.

Thanks to her, Croker had risen as a new power in the drug market.

All the drugs supplied to Goran’s organization were made by Brielle.

Her creations used human blood as a medium.

Because they used blood—the most vital substance in the human body—the drugs she made had far fewer side effects than others.

But the problem was Brielle herself.

A pure elf who loved nature… now forced to create drugs harmful to all living beings.

Her anger and hatred toward humans grew stronger every day.

Eventually, she came to resent and despise the entire world.

Goran said to her,

“From now on, you work for me. I’m your master now.”

“Fine. I’ll make them. You and Croker are all the same anyway. Doesn’t matter which bastard I’m making drugs for.”

“Heh… good attitude. That’s how you live longer.”

Goran smiled in satisfaction.

Just then—

“An elf drug-maker? This place really is interesting.”

At the voice from behind, Goran’s blood ran cold.

He turned.

Zeon was standing there, looking at Brielle with interest.

Goran glared at him.

“What? What happened to Croker?”

“You can go outside and see. Though… even if you ask, he won’t answer. He’s dead.”

“You already dealt with him?”

“It wasn’t that difficult.”

“Instead of fighting like this, join me. If you and I work together, taking over the slums would be easy.”

“I’ll pass. Working under someone doesn’t suit me.”

“So you really want to see this through to the end.”

Goran’s expression hardened coldly.

Originally, his plan had been to let Zeon and Croker destroy each other, then secretly take Brielle away.

After that, he would reorganize the slums and deal with Zeon—perfect.

But Zeon had eliminated Croker and the crocodiles faster than expected, ruining everything.

Zeon glanced at Brielle.

“I don’t have any particular feelings toward elves, but this is a bit much. Humans really are the most dangerous.”

“You say that like you’re any different. You’re all the same—hypocritical bastards.”

Brielle’s sharp words came instantly.

But Zeon’s expression didn’t change at all.

“Hey, elf girl. If you want to leave this place, you’d better shut your mouth. I’m the only one here who might let you go.”

For a moment, Brielle unconsciously shut her mouth tight.

Zeon turned his gaze toward Goran.

“Go ahead—try running again.”