Chapter 90
Several days had passed since Johan and Kim Jaekyung came, but there was no movement at all from Dongdaemun.
At a glance, it might have seemed like they were frightened by Zeon’s strength—but Zeon knew that wasn’t the case.
“They must be quite cautious.”
Put nicely, they were careful. Put less kindly, they were scheming.
They had sent Kim Jaekyung to test him, and now that they realized he wasn’t easy to deal with, they were clearly probing for weaknesses.
He didn’t know how long they would take to finish assessing him, but it didn’t seem like they would act anytime soon.
“Thanks to that, I’ve gained some time too. I should prepare.”
As Zeon put on his robe, Brielle hurried over.
“Where are you going?”
“Goblin Market.”
“I’m coming too.”
“You too?”
“Yeah! I need to buy something.”
“Do you even have money?”
“No!”
Brielle’s face fell.
She didn’t have a single coin, yet her desires were endless—so whenever Zeon went to the Goblin Market, she stubbornly followed along.
Of course, Zeon paid for everything.
Brielle suddenly lifted her head and looked at him.
“Think of it as an investment.”
“Investment? In you?”
“Yeah! If I make a jackpot item with alchemy, you’ll hit the jackpot too.”
“So, have you succeeded at anything yet?”
“I-I’ll succeed soon. I’m really close.”
She spoke as if making excuses.
Her expression, as she looked up at him, was full of desperation.
Zeon sighed and gave in.
“Alright. Let’s go together.”
“Thanks!”
Only then did her face brighten.
She quickly put on her pointed hat and rushed outside.
Having been to the Goblin Market once before, she even took the lead.
“Hehe! I hope I can get ghost dragonfly wings this time. Ah! What else do I need? Maybe a magic crystal from a sandworm? And then—”
At Brielle’s borderline-manic muttering, Zeon shook his head slightly.
How did I end up stuck with this crazy little elf…
If it had been Deioden, he would have cut Brielle down on the spot—oath or not.
He hated other races more than anyone.
But Zeon wasn’t Deioden.
He didn’t particularly like or dislike other races.
As long as they didn’t harm him directly, there was no reason to reject them.
Lost in such thoughts, they soon arrived at the Goblin Market.
“Wow!”
For a moment, it seemed like focus returned to Briel’s unfocused eyes—then she immediately ran toward a nearby stall.
Having visited once before, she even haggled skillfully.
“A high elf has really become human-like.”
Zeon had never seen a high elf before.
But he had met—and fought—countless regular elves.
So he knew how proud and dignified they were.
Which made it hard to even imagine how much pride a higher-ranking elf would have.
Just then—
“Mr. Zeon!”
Someone called out to him.
Turning his head, he saw one of the Goblin Market merchants looking at him.
“What is it?”
“The Guild Master has asked that we bring you to her.”
“The Guild Master?”
“We call Yoo Sehui that among ourselves.”
“Ah, I see. I didn’t know. But why does she want me?”
“I don’t know the reason. But the moment she heard you entered the Goblin Market, she told us to bring you immediately.”
“I see.”
Though puzzled, Zeon followed the merchant.
After walking for a while, they arrived in front of an office.
The merchant spoke carefully.
“I’ve brought Mr. Zeon.”
“Come in.”
Inside, Yoo Sehui welcomed him.
But Zeon’s gaze wasn’t on her.
It was fixed on the man standing beside her.
A tall figure, wearing a perfectly fitted suit, a tight tie, and a white dress shirt. His hair was neatly combed back.
He’s from Neo Seoul.
It was an outfit you’d never see in the slums.
Clothes like that were useless against the desert sandstorms. Only those in Neo Seoul—protected by walls and magic—would wear such things.
The man smiled and greeted him.
“My name is Tajik. As you may have guessed, I’m from Neo Seoul.”
“I’m Zeon.”
“Nice to meet you, Zeon.”
“Likewise.”
Zeon returned the smile—but his eyes remained sunken and cold.
When someone out of place appears in the wrong setting, trouble is bound to follow.
Over the past seven years, he had experienced countless situations like this.
He had grown through them—enough to hide his true thoughts behind a smile.
Yoo Sehui asked nervously,
“You’ve been well?”
“As you can see. But why did you call me?”
“I have a favor to ask…”
“A favor?”
“Do you have time right now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Enter a dungeon for me.”
Yoo Sehui got straight to the point without any prior explanation.
Zeon frowned.
This kind of behavior didn’t suit her usual self.
“A dungeon?”
“Yeah! A dungeon. It’ll be a good opportunity for you too. If things go well, you might even get some items.”
“Items…”
“Right! So, what do you think?”
“……”
Despite Yoo Sehui’s expectant gaze, Zeon didn’t answer easily. At that moment, Tajik—who had been silent—stepped forward.
“Ah! Let me explain instead. Three days ago, an unidentified dungeon was discovered about twenty kilometers from Neo Seoul.”
“An unidentified dungeon?”
“Yes. But we’re short on personnel for exploration, so Sehui asked for your help.”
“Short on Awakeners? Neo Seoul should have plenty of them.”
“That’s true, but at the same time, another dungeon was discovered elsewhere. And it’s a very large one…”
“So naturally, the Awakeners of Neo Seoul are focusing on the bigger dungeon.”
“Exactly.”
The larger the dungeon, the higher the chance of obtaining valuable items.
That’s why Neo Seoul’s Awakeners were concentrating on that one.
On top of that, for various reasons, Neo Seoul couldn’t mobilize many Awakeners right now.
“So this unidentified dungeon has been entrusted to the Goblin Market.”
“I see. But I don’t think I can enter the dungeon.”
“Is it because of Dongdaemun?”
“You’re well informed.”
“Haha! Not because of you specifically, but because Dongdaemun is under watch.”
“Then you probably understand why I can’t go.”
“What if I mediate?”
“…What?”
“I can’t completely resolve it, but Dongdaemun will restrain themselves a bit.”
“That’s possible?”
“I have some connections with Johan. If I ask, he’ll likely listen.”
“That’s impressive. To have that kind of influence over Dongdaemun.”
Zeon spoke with genuine admiration.
From what he had judged, Johan wasn’t someone easily swayed or one to listen to others.
If he listened to Tajik, it meant Tajik was either formidable—or backed by someone even greater.
“With that, would you be willing to go?”
“Please, I’m asking too, Zeon!”
Before Zeon could answer, Yoo Sehui stepped in.
For some reason, she looked extremely anxious.
At this point, it was hard to refuse.
“Alright. When does the expedition depart?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“Understood. I’ll join in the morning.”
“Thank you for accepting such a difficult request! I’ll make sure to repay this debt.”
“Alright.”
Owing Yoo Sehui a favor wasn’t a bad thing for Zeon either.
As long as he lived in Sinchon, he would inevitably be entangled with the Goblin Market.
The real issue was the man named Tajik.
The way he treated Yoo Sehui, the influence he held even over Dongdaemun—
Tajik was clearly a big player, or someone backed by one.
Which meant Neo Seoul had started taking an interest in Zeon.
After organizing his thoughts, Zeon stood up.
“Then I’ll take my leave. I have some preparations to make.”
“If you need anything, buy it freely. I’ve already told the merchants—they’ll give you whatever you want.”
“Understood.”
Zeon gave Tajik a slight nod as well before leaving.
After he disappeared, Tajik spoke.
“He’s a very composed person.”
“Who? Zeon?”
“Yes. Of all the people I’ve met, he’s the hardest to read.”
“That much?”
Yoo Sehui looked at Tajik in surprise.
She didn’t know much about him, but she knew he was someone trusted by Xiaolun.
Xiaolun—the ruler of southern Neo Seoul.
That name carried immense weight.
It meant he was one of the top five powerholders in Neo Seoul.
Tajik was someone trusted by such a man.
Which meant he possessed considerable ability and influence.
If someone like him acknowledged Zeon, then Zeon’s value must be even greater.
“If I can break his spirit a little, maybe I could use him instead of the crocodiles…”
Tajik muttered quietly.
“What did you just say?”
“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”
A faint smile lingered on Tajik’s lips as he answered.
＊＊＊
Zeon paused for a moment and looked back at Yoo Sehui’s office.
Tajik… he smells rotten.
Every person carried a different scent.
Some of it was innate—but much of it depended on the life they had lived.
Those who spilled a lot of blood carried the scent of blood.
Those who dealt with dirty work carried a damp, unpleasant odor.
For someone to carry such a strong stench of rot meant they had likely done many filthy things.
This job is probably just as dirty.
Zeon shook his head.
That was the problem.
Humans were no longer the rulers of Earth.
Maybe they had been in the past—but not anymore.
Aside from a few human-controlled areas, most of the world was dominated by monsters.
Land routes were blocked, and even the skies were no longer safe—making communication between colonies difficult.
Ideally, the colonies should restore their networks and unite their strength.
But instead, their leaders were consumed with internal power struggles.
At this rate, how could they ever reclaim the world from the monsters?
Zeon believed it would never happen.
Just then—
“Where did you go? I’ve been looking everywhere!”
Brielle came running toward him.
She had piled so many items on her back that she was practically buried under them.
“What did you buy so much of?”
“Ghost dragonfly wings, a magic crystal from a sandworm, and flame wolf mane hair. The best ghost dragonfly wings come from queens right after molting—they’re barely affected by gravity, so they’re super useful.”
“You don’t need to explain in that much detail.”
“Really? I still had a lot more to say.”
“How did you pay for all that?”
“When I said your name, they gave it to me on credit.”
Zeon’s face twisted at her shameless answer.
This high elf was adapting to human society faster than expected.
In the end, Zeon said one thing:
“Next time, earn your own money.”