Chapter 139
Eli’s residence existed deep underground in the northern district—the deepest point of all.
It was the complete opposite of Serian and the other district rulers, who preferred high places.
Before Eli, someone was kneeling on one knee.
It was Mariel, the captain of the Thorn Assault Unit.
Eli asked with a grave expression,
“So… the Crown of the Spirit King?”
“Yes! I clearly heard them muttering it.”
“The Spirit King, the Spirit King….”
Eli’s expression grew even more serious.
The Thorn Assault Unit had visited the White Bear Caravan together with Borin’s Blue Falling Leaves Special Operations Unit.
Officially, they were there to support the Blue Falling Leaves team—but in truth, their mission was to gather information and report it back to Eli.
Eli was the second-in-command of the northern district.
In place of Serian, she effectively managed the entire region.
But no matter how well she ran things, the glory always went to Serian.
After enduring that for a hundred years, Eli had developed a deep inferiority complex toward her.
That inferiority only made her more resentful—and drove her to burrow deeper underground instead of remaining above.
“What was Borin’s reaction?”
“It was the first time I’ve ever seen her that serious. And she said this: ‘There’s a chance the real Spirit King might be sealed inside the Crown.’”
“The real Spirit King might be sealed… the Spirit King….”
They would already be grateful if even a low-ranking spirit appeared—but if it were truly possible to summon the actual Spirit King, it could change not only Neo Seoul, but the balance of the entire world.
A glint of greed appeared in Eli’s eyes.
“They’re putting the Crown of the Spirit King up for auction?”
“Yes.”
“If Serian gets her hands on it, I’ll never be able to surpass her.”
Even now, the gap in their power was vast.
No matter how much Eli had strengthened herself in secrecy, the difference in their innate caliber could not be closed.
Serian quite literally possessed the dignity and power of a queen.
Eli, too, was an outstanding awakened, but she fell short of Serian.
That was why she still remained second-in-command.
Mariel asked cautiously,
“What will you do?”
“We have to obtain the Crown of the Spirit King before Serian does.”
“Then…?”
“Leak the information to the scavengers. Tell them there’s a treasure in the caravan that could change the world. They’ll definitely make a move. We’ll use that chaos to steal the Crown.”
“Understood.”
Mariel replied with a firm expression.
After leaving the White Bear Caravan, Zeon, Levin, and Brielle headed to Old Man Clexi’s shop.
“Give us some food.”
“Ah! I’m starving.”
Levin and Brielle started making a fuss about being hungry even before they sat down.
“Didn’t they feed you at the caravan?”
“You knew?”
“With how loudly you all went, how could I not?”
Old Man Clexi chuckled at Zeon’s question.
As he prepared the food, he asked,
“So? How were the items up for auction at the White Bear Caravan?”
“They all looked quite useful.”
“From what I’ve heard, they were more than just that.”
“I didn’t win any of them myself.”
“Well, the true value of an item is something only its user can know.”
“Still, a few of them seemed like they could be extremely useful.”
“Is that so? Then their movements probably aren’t just a coincidence…”
Old Man Clexi suddenly frowned.
Zeon looked at him with curiosity.
“What do you mean, ‘their’?”
“The scavengers. There’s been some unusual activity from them.”
“Unusual activity?”
“Their movements suddenly became hectic—like they received orders from someone.”
Old Man Clexi frowned deeply.
Since the arrival of the White Bear Caravan, rapid movements had been detected all across Neo Seoul.
Clexi didn’t like these changes.
As people age, they tend to prefer stability.
The drive and dynamism of youth fade away.
Clexi was no different.
Neo Seoul and the slums weren’t exactly to his liking—but he also didn’t want things to change drastically in a short time.
Zeon asked,
“You think they received orders from someone?”
“They’re too coordinated. Normally, scavengers run wild in complete chaos, but this time there’s none of that.”
“So you believe someone is controlling them.”
“That’s the only explanation. The problem is—we don’t know who’s giving them orders.”
“Even Argos’ Eye couldn’t find out?”
“Argos’ Eye is only effective within the slums. Even we can’t fully grasp what’s happening inside Neo Seoul.”
Old Man Clexi admitted his limits honestly.
There was a reason Neo Seoul and the slums were divided.
Those towering walls didn’t just separate status—they cut off information as well.
In many ways, they were entirely different worlds.
Clack!
“It’s ready.”
Old Man Clexi placed the food in front of them.
It was a rice bowl topped with meat.
“Looks delicious.”
“Thank you for the meal.”
Levin and Brielle quickly grabbed their utensils.
Zeon followed shortly after and began eating.
Old Man Clexi watched the three of them with a faint smile.
‘Seeing them so often… I’ve grown attached to those brats too.’
When he first met Zeon again, he had only thought of him as a suspicious fellow.
No one knew what he had gone through over the past eight years, but he had returned to Neo Seoul like a cunning serpent.
They had tried to dig into Zeon’s background, but found nothing.
So they had remained wary—but after meeting him repeatedly, they had grown attached.
The same went for Brielle and Levin.
Seeing them often, they had begun to feel like real grandchildren.
Of course, he had an actual granddaughter, but still.
A little while later, after finishing their meal, the three walked home.
As they entered a quiet, deserted street, Brielle spoke.
“Zeon!”
“Yeah?”
“You know… that thing.”
“What? The Crown of the Spirit King?”
“Yeah!”
“What about it?”
“Do you think the Spirit King is really sealed inside?”
“No idea. Why?”
“I just… had a bad feeling about it….”
Brielle trailed off.
Her expression had already darkened.
“A bad feeling?”
“Mm.”
“What kind of feeling?”
“The moment I saw it, I got chills. It felt like I couldn’t even breathe….”
“I see.”
Zeon nodded.
Brielle was a High Elf.
Though her senses had dulled somewhat from drug use, they were still far superior to those of ordinary elves.
If even she felt chills, there had to be a reason.
Levin spoke cautiously,
“Aren’t you being too sensitive?”
“You’re just dull.”
“Me?”
“Yeah! Idiot!”
“Damn it. Getting called an idiot by an elf…”
Levin grumbled.
But he didn’t look upset.
This kind of banter was part of their daily life.
Watching them argue, Zeon fell into thought.
‘If Brielle felt chills… then I wasn’t mistaken.’
He had sensed something similar.
It had been a long time since he felt such a sensation.
Zeon turned his gaze toward the direction of the White Bear Caravan’s fortress.
The sky was dyed completely red by the sunset.
Beneath the blood-colored sky, the towering fortress looked especially ominous.
The desert sands, which burned hot enough during the day to scorch all life, would rapidly cool at night—cold enough to freeze everything.
Because the temperature difference between day and night could reach dozens of degrees, anyone venturing into the desert unprepared would freeze or collapse.
That was why those who entered the desert had to be fully prepared.
The ones who had just left Neo Seoul were no exception.
However, their preparations were excessive.
They wore camouflage suits that blended perfectly with the desert sand and were heavily armed with all kinds of weapons.
With their faces hidden behind masks and coverings, there was no way they were normal people.
They were scavengers.
The scavengers moved stealthily, suppressing their presence as they advanced.
Their destination was the fortress of the White Bear Caravan.
Behind their masks, their eyes were filled with greed.
‘The Crown of the Spirit King….’
‘Damn! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to change our fate.’
‘If I get that, I can live in luxury forever.’
Treasure blinds people.
The item called the Crown of the Spirit King was valuable enough to do just that.
Information that the Crown was in the White Bear Caravan spread rapidly among the scavengers.
It didn’t matter who started the rumor or where it came from.
What mattered was that obtaining it could change their lives.
The scavengers who got the information moved immediately.
They knew that hesitation meant losing their chance.
In the distance, the fortress stood tall in the middle of the desert.
Awakened guards stationed on top came into view.
Without any particular orders, several scavengers stepped forward.
They were all individuals with long-range sniping skills.
“Heh…”
“Let’s begin.”
Some held anti-materiel sniper rifles, while others drew their bows.
At the same time, they fired bullets and arrows at the guards on watch.
The scavengers had no doubt the guards would fall.
But in the next moment, something unexpected happened.
Clang!
A blue barrier formed in front of the awakened guards, deflecting the bullets and arrows.
The scavengers immediately recognized it.
“A barrier.”
“Damn it! No wonder their defense looked so lax.”
They glanced at each other.
Normally, they should have retreated.
Attacking further would only increase their own losses.
But scavengers weren’t the rational type.
“They can’t maintain that barrier forever. It’ll disappear soon.”
“If we launch a full assault, we can break it easily. Attack!”
A few stepped forward and incited the others, and the rest were quickly swept up.
“Attack!”
“Charge!”
The scavengers rushed forward like wild dogs, competing to get ahead.
More than hundreds of them revealed themselves.
“It’s an attack!”
“The scavengers are coming!”
The awakened guards of the White Bear Caravan, saved by the barrier, shouted.
“Everyone, prepare for battle!”
“Prepare for battle!”
Inside the fortress, the awakened were already fully prepared to face the scavengers.
Alexandro and Damian watched the scene.
“They attacked just like you said.”
“The nature of scavengers is always the same. I knew they’d move the moment they got the information.”
“Still, I didn’t expect such a direct assault. That means there’s someone behind them pulling the strings.”
“Most likely.”
“It’s going to be a long night.”
“Yes. A hard night. Sorry, Captain, for dragging you into this.”
“Don’t say something so pointless. Thanks to you, Akutsk was saved. Even if it were worse than this, we wouldn’t resent you.”
“Then I’ll make sure to burn it all down properly—so no one regrets it.”
“I’m looking forward to that.”
At that moment, the scavenger forces reached the fortress gate.
Then Damian gave the order:
“Kill them all.”