Chapter 381

Zeon, Levin, and Brielle had returned to Neo Seoul.

They had wanted to head straight to Brielle’s hometown, but Brielle needed time to prepare herself emotionally. That’s why they had come back to Neo Seoul for now.

“Ugh! Home really is the best.”

As soon as they entered the house, Levin threw himself onto the sofa.

Brielle sat down next to him and tilted her head back.

“I couldn’t agree more. Especially this sofa, it’s the best.”

She closed her eyes and savored the softness of the couch.

Zeon smiled at the sight of the two completely exhausted.

It was no wonder they were worn out, they’d walked through the desert, where their feet sank with every step, for over two weeks.

Zeon opened the window wide and looked up at the sky.

High above, where no one could see, Gaia was gliding through the air.

Gaia spent most of her time drifting like that through the sky. But what was endearing was that she never strayed too far from Zeon’s vicinity.

Just then, Brielle called for Lili.

“Lili!”

—Kyaruru!

Lili appeared with her signature giggle.

Her face lit up with curiosity as she looked around the house.

She was still newly born and had never seen a house like this before.

Brielle laughed as she watched her.

“First, let’s get some fresh air in here. Then I’ll give you a tour.”

, Kyaaa!

When Lili nodded, a refreshing breeze swept through the house.

As the spirit of wind, this was nothing difficult for Lili.

And since Brielle also specialized in wind magic, she and Lili were a perfect match.

Thanks to Lili’s ventilation, the house felt cool and pleasant. As promised, Brielle began taking Lili around the house, showing her every nook and cranny.

“This is my room. Neat, right? Lots of curious things here, they're all used for alchemy research.”

As her chatter picked up, Levin rose from the couch.

“Hyung, I’m heading out for a bit. I should check if my friends are still alive.”

“While you’re out, check on Jetoya for me too.”

“Got it. I’ll make the rounds. I might not be back tonight, so don’t wait up.”

“Alright.”

Zeon smiled.

Levin had always been especially social.

After long outings in the desert, he would always go around checking in on people he knew.

Thanks to him, Zeon could enjoy some peace and rest at home. Unfortunately, this time, Zeon wasn’t granted the luxury of rest.

Yoo Sehee had stormed in.

“What took you so long?”

“Is something wrong? Why are you so worked up?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? We built a house today using the sand hardener!”

“It worked?”

“Of course it did. That’s why I came running.”

“That’s great news.”

“It’s all thanks to you. But seriously, why did it take you so long to get back? Did you stop somewhere on the way?”

“Well… I had some personal matters…”

When Zeon dodged the question, Yoo Sehee raised an eyebrow.

“Figures you wouldn’t tell me.”

“Nope.”

“You really are a man full of secrets.”

She grumbled, but didn’t press any further. She knew full well that Zeon wouldn’t say anything if he didn’t want to.

“Fine! I won’t ask where you’ve been. But just answer this one thing.”

“What is it?”

“We can still get more armored ant corpses later, right? I heard the entire swarm was wiped out because of the orcs.”

“Yes. As I mentioned before, if we find the blue wolf moss that parasitizes on the white snow cactus, ”

“Then that means there’s an armored ant colony nearby, right? Got it!”

“You remembered well.”

“Of course, it’s that important. Anyway, I’m heading back.”

“Already?”

“I want to take another look at the house we just built. Oh, and stop by the Goblin Market sometime.”

“Pardon?”

“You’ve helped us, so I can’t just do nothing in return. I’ll make it worth your while, come by when you’ve got time.”

“Understood.”

“Good. Now get some rest.”

Yoo Sehee closed the door and left.

Zeon stared blankly at the closed door.

It felt like a storm had just blown through. That’s how overwhelming her visit was.

Just then, Brielle poked her head out from her room and looked at him.

“Is that lady gone?”

“Yeah.”

“Jeez, she barged in and scared Lili. Hmph!”

“What about Lili?”

“She got spooked and went back to the Spirit Realm.”

Brielle pouted and closed the door.

Zeon let out a chuckle and sank deep into the sofa.

---

Several days passed after their return to Neo Seoul.

During that time, Brielle locked herself in her room and didn’t come out. Judging by the sounds coming from within, she seemed to be working on something.

Leaving her to it, Zeon stepped outside.

After a glance around, he headed toward the desert.

Construction was in full swing on the outskirts of Sinchon, where it bordered the desert.

Countless people were making bricks and roof tiles out of sand, and building houses with them.

Dozens of houses were being built simultaneously.

The ones doing the building were the slum dwellers themselves.

Among them were the lowest of the low, people who had no homes and lived on the streets.

They had once wandered aimlessly through each day, but now they were working hard of their own accord. It was a startling change.

Zeon saw hope in their faces.

Even if they were outside the slums, the fact that they’d finally have homes of their own had motivated them to action.

“We’re running out of bricks!”

“Any more of that sand hardener?”

“Bring some leftover tiles over here!”

They were working so hard that it felt like several houses were going up every hour.

Because it wasn’t something they were forced to do, they worked even harder.

A few supervisors had come from the Goblin Market, but there was little for them to do.

Their only responsibilities were designating building zones and monitoring the distribution of the sand hardener. The residents handled the rest on their own.

“One more house finished here.”

“Woohoo!”

“This one’s done too. Wow, building’s easier than I thought!”

“Wahaha!”

Cheers and laughter erupted wherever a house was completed.

The joy of building a home for their own families filled the people with happiness.

Those who finished early helped others still building.

With so many hands pitching in, even the slower projects were quickly completed.

Laughter echoed throughout the area.

In just one day, a new village had risen in the desert.

The supervisors from the Goblin Market were astounded.

“Incredible. So many houses built in just a single day?”

“If this gets out, the balance of power in the slums will shift.”

“Of course it will. All the homeless will flock to Sinchon.”

In any era, population meant power.

The more people gathered in a place, the more influence that area held.

As slum dwellers gathered and villages expanded on Sinchon’s outskirts, its power would grow.

Knowing this, Yoo Sehee strictly controlled the sand hardener.

Only enough for one day of building was distributed. Anything left over was stored back in the warehouse.

They also increased security for Bryce, the only alchemist who could make the hardener.

The Awakened didn’t notice Zeon as they chatted.

Listening to their conversation, Zeon felt certain.

‘Sinchon will soon take control of the slums.’

Knowing Yoo Sehee, there was no way she’d let this opportunity slip.

One small batch of sand hardener might just change the flow of the slums, or even all of Neo Seoul.

‘In any case, more people getting livable homes is a good thing.’

Just as Zeon organized his thoughts and turned to leave,

Suddenly, the front gates of Neo Seoul opened, and a convoy of vehicles came out.

Buggies carrying Awakened tore through the desert at terrifying speeds. And in the lead vehicle, Zeon spotted a familiar face.

“Mandy?”

The person staring ahead from the lead car was Supervisor Mandy.

She didn’t notice Zeon and sped right past.

“Something must have happened.”

For Mandy to be dispatched, it had to be a serious matter.

The buggies disappeared over the horizon in a cloud of dust.

“Hm. I hope it’s nothing major…”

Zeon headed toward the Goblin Market.

“Welcome, Sir Zeon!”

“Good to see you.”

The guards were the first to greet him.

Zeon smiled and asked,

“Everything alright?”

“Far from it.”

“What’s wrong? Something happened?”

“There’s just too many people coming in.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Ever since Dongdaemun collapsed, people have been flocking to Sinchon. That’s brought a flood of newcomers to the Goblin Market, too. It’s a mess.”

With the situation as it was, the guards had the hardest time.

Many tried to sneak in with false identities.

They were after goods that couldn’t be found in regular markets.

“I see.”

After hearing the full story, Zeon nodded.

The guards opened the gates for him.

“Please go in. Chairwoman Yoo has been waiting for you.”

“Then I’ll head right over. Thanks.”

“Thank you, Sir Zeon!”

Aside from Yoo Sehee and Old Man Klexi, Zeon was the only one the guards treated with such respect.

—The one who killed a false god.

—The slayer who single-handedly brought down Dongdaemun.

—Neo Seoul may belong to Jin Geumho, but everything outside is Zeon’s domain.

Rumors about Zeon swirled throughout the slums and Neo Seoul alike.

He was a truly singular presence in the slums.

Naturally, the guards showed him utmost respect.

Though Zeon found their deference uncomfortable, he quickly passed through the gate.

“Got any sand hardener?”

“Why would you think you could buy that here?”

“Aw, come on! We know the hardener came from the Goblin Market. Just sell me a hundred barrels.”

“I told you, we don’t have any.”

“C’mon, if you’ve got any, sell me some. I’ll pay whatever you want.”

Even at the entrance of the Goblin Market, people were lining up to buy sand hardener.

The sharpest among them had already sniffed out the money.

With sand hardener, anyone could build and sell houses.

It was practically printing money from sand.

As a result, the Goblin Market was overrun with merchants drawn by the scent of profit.

‘Human greed really knows no end.’

Zeon shook his head at their voracious greed.

The hardener had been created to help the penniless.

Yoo Sehee had no intention of making money off it. That’s why it hadn’t even been put up for sale in the Goblin Market.

And yet, this was the result.

Sigh

Zeon exhaled deeply and made his way through the crowd.

When he reached his destination, Yoo Sehee greeted him with a tired face.

“Glad you’re here.”

“You look exhausted.”

“You saw outside, right?”

“I did.”

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg. People everywhere are probing for ways to get the sand hardener.”

“Must be draining.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re not planning to release it to the market, are you?”

Yoo Sehee answered firmly.

“Of course not. Over my dead body will this stuff fall into the hands of those merchants.”