Chapter 96
The man stepped into the elevator.
The elevator, powered by magic, moved him silently up to the 50th floor—the top level of City Hall.
He had heard that it was created by combining magic with a technology called Greece, but he neither knew the exact mechanism nor cared.
Everything in Neo Seoul functioned like this.
A perfect balance between magic and science, maximizing efficiency.
It was an inevitable choice in an era of scarce resources.
With most of the land turned into sand, even obtaining stone—let alone concrete—was difficult.
Most of the materials that made up Neo Seoul were remnants of old Seoul, left behind after its destruction a hundred years ago.
Buildings were constructed using those old materials, reinforced by Awakeners like enchanters.
Then, Awakeners who wielded magic created various conveniences.
And so, City Hall became the core of Neo Seoul.
The elevator swiftly carried the man to the 50th floor.
As he stepped out, he removed the hat he had been pulling low over his face.
A man in his early to mid-forties was revealed.
A cold, expressionless face. Unfocused eyes.
He had a distinctive presence—once seen, impossible to forget.
After removing his hat, the man knocked gently on the door.
“It’s Lee Jeongho.”
“Come in.”
A deep voice answered, and the door opened.
As Lee Jeongho stepped inside, a vast space unfolded before him.
A large window revealed a full panoramic view of Neo Seoul.
A massive desk sat in the center, and bookshelves lined the walls, filled to the brim.
But what stood out most was the man standing before the window.
A middle-aged man with his hands behind his back, looking down over Neo Seoul.
Even from behind, he exuded composure and authority.
Lee Jeongho bowed.
“I have returned after completing the mission.”
“Well done.”
The middle-aged man turned around.
His face came into view—sharp features, blue eyes, neatly combed hair, and a well-groomed beard framing his jaw and nose.
His name was Jin Geumho.
The mayor of Neo Seoul.
Jin Geumho spoke.
“Was it difficult?”
“The conditions aligned well. It wasn’t particularly hard.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Here are the queen ghost dragonfly’s wings and the Rainbow Pendant.”
Lee Jeongho retrieved the two items from subspace and handed them over.
Jin Geumho didn’t even glance at the Rainbow Pendant.
His gaze was fixed solely on the queen’s wings.
They floated gently in the air, like dandelion seeds.
“Defying gravity… It’s definitely genuine.”
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
“I’m glad I didn’t disappoint you.”
“You never have. That’s why I can entrust any task to you.”
“Thank you.”
“There were no issues?”
“The second raid team entered earlier than expected, but even if we had crossed paths, it wouldn’t have been a problem.”
“I thought as much.”
Jin Geumho nodded.
He knew Lee Jeongho’s confidence was not misplaced.
Jin Geumho commanded an execution unit known as the Numbers.
Killing machines who would stake their lives solely on his orders.
Lee Jeongho was one of them.
A martial-type Awakener—a swordsman.
Rank: A.
For most Awakeners, that would be more than enough.
But not for him.
He desperately wanted to reach S-rank.
Yet ordinary methods wouldn’t get him there.
So he blinded himself.
All to obtain the skill Mind’s Eye.
He believed that combining Mind’s Eye with swordsmanship would elevate him further.
But he still hadn’t reached S-rank.
Somewhere between A and S.
To truly cross that boundary, he needed something more.
But even he didn’t know what that “something” was.
Jin Geumho spoke again.
“You’ve worked hard. Get some rest.”
“No. If there is another mission, please assign it to me.”
“You won’t be needed for a while.”
“Understood. Please call for me anytime you require.”
“I will.”
After Lee Jeongho left, Jin Geumho remained alone.
Looking out over Neo Seoul, he muttered:
“Heaven’s punishment… begins with this first step.”
***
“Haah! Haah!”
“Damn it!”
When Zeon returned to the hell mole boss room, the first thing he saw was the Awakeners sprawled across the ground.
Both the Inazuma raid team and Jack’s raid team were lying there, gasping for breath.
While Zeon had been dealing with the ghost dragonflies, they had taken down the hell mole boss.
And in the end, they had succeeded.
But the price they paid was far from small.
Both teams had injured members.
Still, compared to the Awakeners from the slums, they were fortunate.
Most of the slum Awakeners were either dead or severely wounded.
Even so, the survivors’ expressions were not dark.
After all, they had defeated the boss.
The survivors would receive compensation for the fallen.
That was the privilege of those who lived.
Koji, still breathing heavily, spotted Zeon.
“Where did you go? You disappeared.”
“I ran out of mana and had to withdraw for a while.”
At Zeon’s answer, Koji frowned.
Zeon had played a crucial role in defeating the boss.
If he hadn’t used Fire Rain, they would still be struggling against the endless swarm of larval ghost dragonflies.
A skill powerful enough to incinerate them all at once—it made sense his mana had been completely depleted.
And yet…
Something about it felt off.
Like a piece of food stuck between his teeth—an unpleasant, lingering discomfort.
Koji forced himself to look away.
“For now, retrieve the mana stone from the boss. And do something about these stone coffins—we need to rescue the people trapped inside.”
The moment the order was given, Shuhan stepped forward with a dagger.
With practiced skill, he sliced open the hell mole boss and retrieved the mana stone.
“This should be more than enough as a reward.”
The mana stone emitted an ominous energy.
If luck was on their side, it might even yield a skill.
And if that happened, its value would skyrocket.
Jack shattered a stone coffin and shouted,
“Guildmaster!”
He shook him, but the old man Clexi didn’t regain consciousness easily. Still, his breathing was steady—it didn’t seem like his life was in immediate danger.
Koji spoke to Jack,
“Our deal is complete. As agreed, we’ll take the mana stone. Any objections?”
“None.”
“Then we’ll head out first.”
At Koji’s words, Jack oddly glanced at Zeon.
Jack’s raid team avoided Zeon’s gaze as they carried the rescued people on their backs.
Zeon silently watched them.
A cold smile slowly formed on his lips.
“As expected… there’s not a single one worth trusting.”
Jack flinched at the mockery.
But he didn’t argue or lash out.
Because he had a guilty conscience.
Originally, it was Clexi’s subordinates who had discovered this dungeon.
Having stumbled upon a dungeon ruled by a hell mole, Clexi had personally attempted to clear it—only to go missing.
Yoo Sehui had sent multiple rescue teams to save him, but all had failed.
That was when Tajik approached her.
He offered to support the Inazuma raid team—on the condition that Zeon be included.
She had no choice.
Clexi was her only remaining family.
She wasn’t ready to lose him yet.
Jack’s raid team and the slum Awakeners carried Clexi and the others out of the dungeon.
Zeon stood there, watching silently.
Koji looked at him.
“Surprised?”
“Not really.”
“Your nerves are stronger than you look.”
“I hear that a lot.”
“That’s not always a good thing.”
“It’s not exactly a bad thing either.”
“You don’t give an inch, do you?”
“I’ve got nothing to lose.”
“I’ve seen plenty of people lose their tongues for less.”
“Really? That’s scary.”
Zeon exaggeratedly shivered.
Koji’s gaze grew even more menacing.
Before coming here, he recalled Tajik’s words—
“Test him. If he’s useful, we’ll use him instead of the crocodile.”
“And if he falls short?”
“Then… well.”
Instead of answering, Tajik had simply smiled.
Koji knew exactly what that smile meant.
Zeon glanced around.
At some point, the Inazuma raid team had surrounded him.
Yuri, Bairun, Shuhan, and Komain all stood ready with weapons drawn, staring him down.
Yet Zeon paid them no attention, keeping his eyes on Koji.
“Is this what Tajik wants?”
“That man isn’t someone you can speak of so casually.”
“Is he that important?”
“At the very least, not someone for the likes of you.”
“That just makes me more curious. Though I doubt you’ll tell me.”
“You should worry less about your curiosity and more about keeping your head attached.”
Koji made no effort to hide his hostility.
Shing!
He drew his katana.
The gleaming blade pointed straight at Zeon.
“Prove it. Show me you’re worth something. That’s the only way you’ll leave here alive.”
“Well, I’ll struggle a bit. That’s what I’m best at.”
Zeon replied with a smile.
That only irritated Koji further.
“Begin!”
“Yes, captain!”
Yuri, the wind mage, swung her fan.
Bairun charged forward, swinging his axe, while Komain blinked behind Zeon.
Shuhan stepped back, observing.
I’ll dissect everything about you…
Wind blades from Yuri and Bairun’s axe struck at Zeon simultaneously.
Koji’s katana followed.
It seemed only a matter of time before Zeon’s life would be cut short.
But contrary to Shuhan’s expectations—
Zeon neither faltered nor fell.
Fwoooosh!
A massive wall of fire enveloped his body.
“Ghk!”
“Hot—!”
Overwhelmed by the heat, Bairun retreated, and Yuri recoiled in shock.
Zeon casually waved his hand.
Fire Rain.
The same skill that had wiped out the ghost dragonfly larvae rained down once more.
“Hmph! Not happening.”
Koji stepped forward and swung his katana.
Slash!
The falling fire was cleanly cut apart.
A crimson aura surrounded his blade.
An Aura Sword.
Zeon waved his hand again.
Fire Rain filled the dungeon once more.
This time, Yuri intervened.
“Not so fast—Tornado Shield!”
The wind formed a raging tornado, which expanded into a massive barrier, trapping the falling flames.
The fire was extinguished instantly within the storm.
Koji smirked.
“A fire-type mage, right? As you can see, your skills won’t work on us anymore.”
“Seems that way.”
Zeon could have used stronger abilities, but he didn’t bother explaining.
There was no need.
They’ve all left.
He could sense that Jack and the others had exited the dungeon.
Now, only the Inazuma team remained with him.
Crimson aura surged even more intensely from Koji’s blade.
“Enough playing around. I’ll end you now.”
“I was just about to say the same. Five against one… should be about even, right?”
“What?”
At that moment—
The sand around Zeon began to move.
Shrrrrk—
“Sand Soldiers.”
Five figures rose from the sand.