Chapter 86
Early in the morning, Zeon left the house.
Behind him followed a girl wearing a pointed hat.
Staggering as if drunk, that girl was none other than Brielle.
Brielle asked Zeon,
“Yaaawn! Where are we going?”
“To a restaurant to eat.”
“A restaurant?”
“It’s a place where you pay money and they give you food.”
“Really?”
At the mention of food, Brielle lifted the brim of her pointed hat with her finger and looked up at Zeon.
Her gaze was unfocused and dazed. But within it burned an intense curiosity.
The change that appeared in Brielle after being rescued by Zeon was precisely that—curiosity.
Her curiosity about things she had never experienced before had begun to explode.
Food was one of the things she longed for.
Having survived on mysterious soup every day, her craving for delicious food was especially strong.
Her mouth was already filling with saliva.
Her shifting expression was amusing enough to make Zeon smile without realizing it.
Just then—
“Huh, hyung!”
A voice suddenly called out to Zeon.
When Zeon turned around, he saw a boy with flashy earrings and piercings, his hair shaved on the sides.
“Levin!”
The boy was Levin.
Levin approached Zeon.
“Where are you going?”
“To eat. Want to come?”
“I’ve already eaten.”
“Is that so?”
Levin’s gaze shifted to Brielle. Immediately, she quickly hid behind Zeon.
“Who is she?”
“Dead weight.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a thing. Where are you going?”
“To Dongdaemun.”
“Why Dongdaemun?”
“I think that guy has started operating there again.”
Levin’s eyes turned cold as he answered.
His mouth was smiling, but his gaze was as sharp as a blade.
Zeon noticed that Levin’s abilities had grown.
‘E-rank?’
Some Awakened remain at the rank they first awaken with, while others grow.
The difference lies in one thing:
Tempering their awakened talent in harsh environments.
That’s why many Awakened regularly go out to hunt monsters. But that doesn’t mean everyone increases in rank.
Some rise quickly, some slowly, and some stagnate entirely.
Fortunately, Levin didn’t seem to be the latter.
“Be careful.”
“Don’t worry. I have the strength to protect myself now.”
“Good!”
“Enjoy your meal. You too.”
Despite Levin’s words, Brielle didn’t respond and simply stayed hidden behind Zeon.
Her hatred for humans ran so deep that even Levin’s warm tone didn’t sway her.
Levin didn’t feel hurt by that.
Like Brielle, he also possessed rather dry emotions.
The only reason he acted friendly like this was because Zeon had taken care of him—otherwise, he treated others coldly.
Suddenly, Levin’s body turned faint.
He had used his awakened ability—ghostification.
Levin passed through the wall and disappeared in an instant.
“What was that?”
Brielle’s eyes widened in shock.
She had never seen such an ability before.
She looked up at Zeon.
“Wasn’t he just a thug?”
“He was a thug, that’s true. But not anymore.”
“He’s a strange human.”
“Are there any High Elves with abilities like that?”
“No! Not even one…”
Brielle shook her head firmly.
In her mind, Levin’s evaluation changed from just a thug to a capable thug.
Zeon let out a small chuckle and continued walking.
Brielle hurriedly followed behind him.
After a while, the two arrived at a street lined with restaurants. But for some reason, old man Clexi was nowhere to be seen.
Zeon slightly furrowed his brow.
It was the first time he had seen Clexi not come out to run his stall.
‘Did something happen?’
Zeon asked a nearby merchant,
“Is old man Clexi not coming out today?”
“He probably won’t. He has something to take care of.”
“What kind of matter?”
“I only heard it’s something personal.”
“I see.”
Zeon didn’t ask further.
He had no interest in prying into other people’s private affairs.
There were plenty of food stalls on this street besides Clexi’s.
Zeon and Brielle picked one and sat down.
The owner of the shop was quite skilled.
The broth was made from unknown meat, and it was filled with equally unidentifiable vegetables.
Still, it was delicious.
Not quite on Clexi’s level, but the cook here was fairly capable.
Zeon asked Brielle,
“Are you okay with meat?”
“Why?”
“Don’t elves usually eat vegetarian food?”
“Is old man Clexi not coming out today?”
“He probably won’t. He has something to take care of.”
“What kind of matter?”
“I only heard it’s something personal.”
“I see?”
Zeon didn’t ask any further.
He had no interest in prying into other people’s private affairs.
There were plenty of food stalls on this street besides old man Clexi’s.
Zeon and Brielle picked one and sat down.
The owner of the shop was quite skilled.
The broth was made from unknown meat, and it was filled with equally unidentifiable vegetables.
Still, it was delicious.
Not quite on Clexi’s level, but the cook here was fairly capable.
Zeon asked Brielle,
“Are you okay with meat?”
“Why?”
“Don’t elves usually eat vegetarian food?”
“That’s a stereotype. We’re dying from lack of food—what vegetarian diet? We hunt monsters and eat meat too.”
What the elves had expected when they came to Earth was lush greenery.
But due to the side effects of terraforming, the entire planet had turned into a desert, making it harder to find plants than meat.
Even the vegetables in the food they were eating now were artificially produced in factories—things that could never be found in nature.
In fact, this place was far more abundant than any High Elf village, with far more delicious food available.
Sweating profusely, Brielle devoured the food in front of her.
Zeon’s gaze suddenly shifted to a man sitting at the neighboring stall.
The man was focused on his meal, his head lowered.
But his outfit was unusual.
He was wearing clerical robes—something rarely seen in this day and age.
It was a black outfit with a cross embroidered on the chest, the kind priests used to wear back when religion still thrived.
Perhaps sensing Zeon’s gaze, the man in clerical attire lifted his head.
He was a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair, thick-rimmed glasses, and small, slightly curved eyes.
He grinned at Zeon.
“The food in Sinchon is quite good.”
“You must be from another area.”
“I usually reside in Dongdaemun. It’s been quite a while since I last came to Sinchon.”
“It’s not that far—was there a reason you couldn’t come?”
“There’s someone who dislikes me.”
The man in clerical attire wiped his mouth with a handkerchief as he answered.
Zeon observed him carefully.
The man didn’t avoid his gaze.
Suddenly, a name surfaced in Zeon’s mind.
“You’re Johan.”
“Oh!”
At the name, the man’s eyes widened in surprise.
Seeing his reaction, Zeon became certain his guess was correct.
“What brings the ruler of Dongdaemun to Sinchon?”
“What brings me? A nuisance that kept getting in my way has disappeared, so I came to take a look.”
“Doesn’t seem like you came just to look around.”
“I couldn’t sit still without finding out who got rid of that nuisance.”
The nuisance he referred to was Goran.
In other words, he had come to see Zeon, the one who eliminated him.
The man’s name was Johan.
He was the ruler of Dongdaemun.
He had once been a clergyman.
Even after the world underwent near-apocalyptic changes and a new type of humanity—the Awakened—emerged, religion had stubbornly survived.
Johan, once a low-ranking priest, awakened, and afterward rapidly expanded his power until he completely took control of Dongdaemun.
Even after awakening, Johan always wore his clerical robes.
That’s how Zeon recognized him.
Johan and Goran had been bitter enemies.
They clashed constantly, each aiming for the other’s territory. But since their forces were evenly matched, their standoff dragged on.
Because of that, Johan hadn’t been able to set foot in Sinchon for a long time.
Zeon spoke,
“So you came to see me.”
“That’s right! I couldn’t resist my curiosity about the new ruler of Sinchon.”
“There is already someone else who rules Sinchon.”
“Heh. He’s just a figurehead. The real ruler is you, isn’t it?”
“I’m not interested in ruling others.”
“Don’t lie.”
“…What?”
Johan smiled.
“Men, especially those with power, always want to stand above others. It’s their innate fate—their identity.”
Zeon didn’t bother responding.
He didn’t feel the need to.
Unfazed, Johan continued,
“I have heard the voice of God. He whispered to me—to fulfill my mission.”
“Mission?”
“To guide people onto the right path.”
A fierce light shone from Johan’s eyes behind his glasses.
Zeon knew what that gaze meant.
‘He’s insane… completely consumed by madness.’
A simple madman couldn’t have such eyes.
Only someone driven by unwavering obsession could emit such pure madness.
Johan was ready to burn everything to achieve his mission.
“Thanks to you, Goran is gone. Now I can spread the Lord’s teachings here in Sinchon as well. In that sense, I should thank you.”
“I doubt Eaton would allow that.”
“Pfft! Are you serious? Eaton is nothing more than a second-in-command type. He might have been useful under Goran, but he lacks the ability to lead on his own.”
Johan stood up and approached Zeon.
Pointing at Zeon’s chest, he said,
“What matters is your will. If you allow it, I can spread the Lord’s teachings here. What do you say? Will you give me the chance?”
“What exactly are these teachings?”
“Simple. Believe in God, act with His will, and bring peace to the world.”
“How do you know God’s will?”
“I know it.”
“…What?”
“I’m the only one in this world who can hear God’s voice. God speaks His will through me. In other words, I am His spokesperson.”
Johan said this without the slightest change in expression.
Zeon asked,
“So your will is God’s will?”
“That’s right.”
“Then coming here was also God’s will?”
“Indeed. Now, only your decision remains. What will you do?”
“I don’t believe in God.”
For a brief moment, a subtle crack appeared on Johan’s face—Zeon didn’t miss it.
Though phrased indirectly, the meaning was clear.
Zeon did not want Johan entering Sinchon.
If Johan started operating here, the streets would become chaotic.
And Eaton, who had only just become the ruler of Sinchon, wouldn’t be able to stop him.
Johan forced a calm expression.
“I see. That’s unfortunate. But I understand. Everyone has their own way of thinking.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“But won’t you regret it?”
“I don’t think so.”
“We’ll see. In any case, it was nice meeting you.”
Johan didn’t try to persuade him further.
He had lived as the ruler of Dongdaemun for decades and had met countless people.
Naturally, he had a keen eye for judging others.
Even from just a short conversation, he had grasped what kind of person Zeon was.
Zeon wasn’t someone who could be convinced through words.
Rather than wasting time trying, it was better to find another method.
Johan’s gaze shifted to Brielle, standing behind Zeon.
“Your daughter?”
“A burden.”
“She’s a pretty child. I hope she grows up just as beautiful.”
With those words, Johan disappeared from Sinchon.