Chapter 156
Xiaolun’s brow was deeply furrowed.
Even his already wrinkled face gained even more lines.
“So you’re saying he rejected my offer?”
“I’m sorry… I was not capable enough…”
Pan Cheongcheon, sitting in a wheelchair, trailed off.
With all four limbs broken, he couldn’t even walk on his own and had to rely on the wheelchair.
Xiaolun looked at him with clear disdain.
He had kept him close despite his arrogance because he was useful—but now he had returned in such a pathetic state.
His limbs weren’t severed, so with treatment he could likely regain his former abilities.
The problem was that Xiaolun had already lost interest in him.
“Did he really control sand?”
“Yes! I saw him manipulate sand freely.”
“Then he really is a sand user… What should I do about this?”
Tap, tap!
Xiaolun tapped the table with his finger.
“Does that mean there’s no way to restore our relationship?”
The Crocodiles who supplied drugs had been wiped out by him, and even Tajik had lost his life.
Now Pan Cheongcheon had returned as a cripple.
Since the first step had gone wrong, everything afterward had fallen apart.
To fix a broken relationship, one must go back to the beginning—but that was impossible.
“In the end, we have no choice but to become enemies.”
“You must not underestimate Zeon. He threatened that if we antagonize him, he would join hands with another district.”
“So?”
“…Pardon?”
“You’re saying you just listened to his threat?”
“I had no choice. If he joins another district, we’ll be in danger.”
“To my ears, it sounds like you begged for your life.”
“That’s not true! I acted for your sake, Lord Xiaolun…”
“I’m disappointed, Cheongcheon. If he threatened you, you should have fought to the death. Instead, you tucked your tail and came back. If that’s not begging for your life, then what is it?”
Xiaolun’s voice was chillingly cold.
At that moment, Pan Cheongcheon hurriedly got off his wheelchair and dropped to his knees.
His bones hadn’t healed yet, so the pain was immense, but he ignored it.
“Please forgive me, Lord Xiaolun!”
“Cheongcheon, Cheongcheon… you pitiful thing. If you’re a fighting dog, you should die fighting. Instead, you ran back and disgraced your master?”
“Please…!”
At that moment, a fierce light burst from Xiaolun’s eyes.
Fear filled Pan Cheongcheon’s face.
“N-no!”
Instinctively, he tried to avoid Xiaolun’s gaze.
But their eyes had already met.
Crack—!
His body began to turn to stone.
Starting from his toes—the farthest point from his heart—the petrification spread upward to his calves and thighs.
Seeing his own body turning to stone, Pan Cheongcheon begged.
“No! Please… forgive me… Lord Xiaolun!”
“I can forgive defeat, but I cannot tolerate you tarnishing my reputation.”
“I’ve been loyal like a dog…”
“Yes. I will remember your loyalty for a long time.”
“Aaaaargh!”
Frozen in his final scream, Pan Cheongcheon turned into stone.
A living, breathing man had become a statue.
This was Xiaolun’s awakened ability—Petrifying Eyes.
An overpowered ability that could turn anyone he locked eyes with into stone.
That was why those who knew him called him the Basilisk.
Of course, it didn’t work on everyone.
It had no effect on those with higher awakening ranks than Xiaolun or those with defensive skills against it—but such people were rare.
However, once used, the backlash was severe, so he couldn’t use it often.
Xiaolun stared coldly at the petrified Pan Cheongcheon.
Once turned to stone, there was no way to bring him back.
Xiaolun casually waved his hand.
Boom!
With a loud crash, the statue shattered into pieces.
“Clean it up.”
“Yes!”
As soon as he finished speaking, waiting subordinates appeared and cleared away the remains.
Left alone, Xiaolun looked out the window.
In the distance, the towering city hall building entered his view.
“…There’s no way he would join hands with Jin Geumho, right?”
***
Several days passed after the clash with Pan Cheongcheon.
During that time, Xiaolun and the Southern District made no moves.
Thanks to that, Zeon was able to rest peacefully.
Early in the morning, Brielle saw Zeon putting on his robe and asked:
“Where are you going?”
“Out.”
“Where exactly?”
“I’m going into Neo Seoul for a bit.”
“Neo Seoul?”
“Want to come?”
“No, I’ll pass. It’s too crowded, and not my style.”
Brielle shook her head.
Neo Seoul was a city where everything was controlled.
From the moment you entered, everything was monitored and recorded.
Brielle disliked that atmosphere.
For an elf who cherished freedom, the cold and rigid environment of Neo Seoul felt suffocating.
Zeon smiled as if he understood.
“Then I’ll go alone.”
“When will you be back?”
“Since I’m going in anyway, I’ll stay a few days. But I won’t be gone too long.”
“Alright. Have a safe trip.”
“Yeah.”
Zeon waved his hand and stepped outside.
Once outside, he headed straight for the entrance to Neo Seoul.
Awakeners stood guard at the gate.
As Zeon approached, they immediately became wary.
“Stop. State your identity.”
They looked ready to attack at any moment if he failed to comply.
Zeon held out the pass he had received from Seo Taeran.
“I was invited by City Hall.”
“City Hall?”
An awakener examined the pass.
It bore the mayor’s official seal.
“…Are you Zeon?”
“That’s right.”
“My apologies. You may pass.”
The awakeners guarding the gate had already received orders to let Zeon through.
Zeon took back his pass and entered Neo Seoul.
The guards at the gate whispered among themselves as they watched his back.
“So that guy is the sand user?”
“Damn… a slum rat got lucky with a good awakening ability and turned his life around.”
“Shh! Keep it down. He might hear you.”
“So what? Did I say anything wrong?”
“Well… not exactly, but…”
“Hah! I’m jealous. If I had that kind of ability, women would be lining up for me.”
“Bullshit. With that face? Even then, no chance.”
“What did you say, you bastard?!”
The awakeners suddenly started arguing among themselves.
But Zeon paid them no attention and continued walking silently.
About ten minutes later—
Screech!
A car stopped in front of him.
It was a vehicle powered by magic stones.
A woman in a red jacket and skirt stepped out.
Zeon recognized her immediately.
‘Seo Taeran.’
She was the secretary of Mayor Jin Geumho.
A hint of surprise appeared on Zeon’s face at her sudden appearance.
It had only been ten minutes since he passed the gate—yet she already knew and came to greet him.
“Nice to meet you.”
“How did you come out to greet me so quickly?”
“The moment your pass goes through the gate, a signal is sent to City Hall.”
Seo Taeran answered as if it were nothing.
He didn’t know how the signal worked, but it was clear that City Hall tracked the movements of anyone with a pass.
‘Is this what they call Big Brother?’
It wasn’t that City Hall and Jin Geumho were unaware of the districts and awakeners.
They were clearly monitoring everything like reading the lines on their palm.
Zeon found it unsettling.
Yet no one questioned it or resisted.
Because it had been the system since Neo Seoul’s founding, everyone accepted it as natural.
No other colony Zeon had visited had such a system.
Neo Seoul was the only one.
Perhaps this system itself was Jin Geumho’s greatest weapon.
Zeon got into the car, and it began to move smoothly.
Vehicles used in the desert were extremely noisy.
They were built to endure rough terrain, with no concern for comfort.
In contrast, cars in Neo Seoul prioritized quietness.
“The ride is very smooth.”
“If you move into Neo Seoul, you could ride in cars like this too.”
“I’m not that interested in cars…”
“Well, I suppose you wouldn’t need one. As long as there’s sand, you can move freely anywhere.”
“On the contrary, without sand, I’d have to walk. Like here in Neo Seoul.”
The streets of Neo Seoul were spotless.
There wasn’t even a grain of sand or a pebble in sight.
That was thanks to the magic formation and barrier protecting the city.
No external sand could pass through.
As a result, the air here was always clean.
That was the greatest benefit enjoyed by Neo Seoul’s residents.
Meanwhile, people in the slums had to breathe dusty air all their lives.
They existed in the same space—but in completely different worlds.
This advanced city, where not even a speck of sand could be found, was fundamentally incompatible with Zeon.
“Is there really a need to use sand inside Neo Seoul? There are so many convenient alternatives.”
“It just feels empty without it.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
Zeon didn’t respond.
It wasn’t worth answering.
Telling a sand user to live without sand was like taking away a beast’s fangs and claws.
Seo Taeran didn’t press further.
If he were someone who could be persuaded with a few words, he would have already joined another faction.
‘He’s like a wolf. Rather than follow others, he’d become the leader of his own pack.’
Seo Taeran had already completed a full investigation on Zeon.
She couldn’t uncover how he lived during his eight years in the desert, but she thoroughly traced everything from his childhood to his return to Neo Seoul.
As a result, she understood his nature and personality better than anyone.
Different people required different approaches.
Forceful coercion like in Dongdaemun or the Southern District would never work on him.
‘With a man like this, you have to approach him logically.’
If he were any other awakener, she wouldn’t bother this much.
There were countless martial, magic, curse-type, and mechanized awakeners.
But a sand user like Zeon was unique.
Not only rare—but overwhelmingly powerful.
City Hall had to recruit him.
While Seo Taeran was lost in thought, the car arrived at City Hall.
Zeon stepped out and looked up at the massive building.
Seeing it from afar and standing beneath it were entirely different experiences.
It felt like a giant towering over him.
From above, he felt an intense gaze.
Even without explanation, he knew who it was.
‘Jin Geumho.’
From the highest point of Neo Seoul, Jin Geumho was looking down at him.
A chill ran down Zeon’s spine, and his fists clenched unconsciously.
His body reacted instinctively to that gaze.
He had never felt anything like this before.
Not even when facing Leviathan.
It felt as if the entire City Hall building was Jin Geumho himself.
“…Hoo.”
Zeon took a slow breath.
The overwhelming pressure eased slightly.
Then he spoke to Seo Taeran:
“Let’s go.”
“…Pardon?”
A flicker of surprise appeared in Seo Taeran’s eyes.
Many had felt Jin Geumho’s gaze here—but Zeon was the first to regain composure so quickly.
‘Is he even more remarkable than I expected?’