Chapter 230
Crack—!
The surface of the Furnace of Siela began to split.
As if shedding its skin, the rust that had covered the furnace peeled away.
Freed from the corrosion, the furnace emitted an even more intense light.
The pure white radiance pouring from it felt sacred—
as if simply bathing in it could cleanse all sins.
Brielle was engulfed in that light.
With her eyes closed, holding the Furnace of Siela tightly, she looked almost divine.
Zeon watched her silently.
He knew nothing about the furnace or the light it emitted, but he could easily tell one thing—
this was not a moment to interrupt.
Only after a long while did the light finally fade.
“Haah!”
Brielle exhaled deeply, releasing the breath she had been holding, and rose to her feet.
She was still clutching the Furnace of Siela.
The furnace had completely changed.
Its shabby appearance had vanished, replaced by elegant, ancient patterns carved across its surface.
A faint aura flowed from its golden body.
At a glance, anyone could tell it was a rare item.
This was the true form of the Furnace of Siela—
a lost treasure of the High Elves that had made its way to Earth.
Using it would at least double the efficiency of alchemy.
In other words, the success rate would increase dramatically.
For Brielle, it was nothing short of the ultimate treasure.
Even Brielle herself seemed different as she held it.
Her appearance hadn’t changed much, but her gaze and presence had deepened.
She looked far more mature than before.
But that wasn’t the only change.
She’s grown.
When Zeon first met her, Brielle had only been an E-rank Awakener.
Trapped underground, making drugs every day, her abilities had never developed.
Her explosive growth began only after meeting Zeon.
With unlimited materials at her disposal, she was able to research and experiment freely—and her abilities grew like bamboo shoots.
Just moments ago, she had been C-rank.
That alone was remarkable.
But now—
she was B-rank.
She had advanced an entire rank in an instant.
All thanks to the Furnace of Siela.
The furnace had awakened because of Brielle, and as their spirits connected, her rank rose.
Now, only Brielle—a High Elf—could use it.
Brielle looked at Zeon and said,
“Thank you! Thanks to you, I’ve recovered a High Elf treasure.”
“You found it. If I’d kept it, it would’ve just been useless junk.”
Zeon believed the treasure had found its rightful owner.
If he had kept it, it would never have revealed its true form.
It was an item that symbolized an entire race—
its criteria for choosing an owner were that strict.
And Brielle had met those criteria.
What she would create with the Furnace of Siela was up to her.
Whatever it was, it would undoubtedly surpass anything made before.
At this rate, even Neo Seoul won’t be able to ignore her.
Though the difference between C-rank and B-rank was just one level, the gap was enormous.
There was a reason B-rank Awakeners were considered high-level.
Most Awakeners never overcame that wall and remained stuck at C-rank.
A B-rank alchemist was extremely rare even in Neo Seoul.
And items made with the Furnace of Siela would far surpass ordinary alchemical creations.
If those items entered the market, they would inevitably draw attention.
This might become troublesome.
Zeon let out a faint sigh.
He would deal with that when the time came.
For now, more immediate matters came first.
Suddenly, he remembered something stored in his subspace—
the mineral he had taken from Park Manho’s vault.
Since he thought of it, he took it out.
At that moment, the Furnace of Siela in Brielle’s arms reacted.
Hummm—!
It emitted a resonant vibration.
In response, a faint light began to glow from the mineral.
Zeon frowned as he stared at it.
The light pulsed—growing dim, then bright again—
like a beating heart.
Brielle widened her eyes in shock.
“What is this?”
“Do you know what it is?”
“N-no! I’ve never seen anything like it. But the Furnace of Siela is reacting to it… It feels like it’s happy—like it’s met an old friend.”
What Brielle felt from the furnace was joy.
Like a baby bird reuniting with its mother after a long time, the Furnace of Siela radiated pure delight.
But she still couldn’t identify it.
Soon, the pulsing stopped, and the mineral returned to its ordinary appearance.
The furnace no longer reacted.
“Whatever it is, it’s not ordinary. Do you want to keep it?”
“No! I don’t think it’s something I can handle. It’s better if you keep it, Zeon.”
“You won’t regret it?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I’ll hold onto it for now.”
Zeon stored the mineral back into his subspace.
Brielle asked,
“By the way, where did you get all these items?”
“The casino.”
“Zeon, you gamble?”
“No. Some friends who work there gave them to me.”
“Really?”
“They’re good friends. They even took care of things like this on their own.”
“They must be very kind. I should thank them.”
“Yeah. I’m just grateful.”
Brielle and Zeon exchanged meaningful smiles.
That alone was enough.
***
Rumble—!
Rumble—!
With a heavy metallic sound, a massive iron gate opened.
What entered through it were a huge armored vehicle and escorting buggy cars.
It was the NSSC—Neo Seoul Service Corps, one of the Awakener units directly under City Hall.
The NSSC was an elite force composed entirely of B- and C-rank Awakeners.
Though not as feared as the execution unit known as the Numbers, which answered directly to the mayor, they were still a force not to be underestimated.
Neo Seoul provided the NSSC with top-tier equipment and weapons.
Unlike the Numbers, their advantage was that they could be deployed anytime when needed.
This time, City Hall had deployed the NSSC to transport a top-grade magic stone.
The armored vehicle they brought was a product of Neo Seoul’s combined science and magic—designed to withstand even the attacks of an A-rank magical beast.
The NSSC was divided into three teams.
Since all members were B- and C-rank, their overall numbers were inevitably small.
The unit dispatched today was Team 2.
The leader of Team 2 was Ji Sangwoo.
He was a man with short black hair and sharp black eyes.
A specially designed anti-monster firearm hung over his shoulder, and on both thighs were his primary weapons—two 60 cm daggers.
The dual-dagger combat skill he wielded was especially powerful in close combat against humans.
Stepping out of the armored vehicle, Ji Sangwoo placed a cigarette in his mouth.
Another Awakener approached and touched the cigarette with his finger.
Fwoosh!
The cigarette lit instantly.
Ji Sangwoo looked annoyed.
“Hey! Who told you to light it?”
“Haha! What can I do? My magic is faster than your antique lighter, Team Leader.”
“Damn it! Using a precious fire-type Awakener just to light a cigarette? If the captain finds out, he’ll kill me.”
“How would the captain in Neo Seoul ever find out?”
“Enough. Check the top-grade magic stone first.”
“Yes, sir!”
The Awakener gave a playful salute and headed toward the warehouse with the others.
Left alone, Ji Sangwoo surveyed the Magic Stone Mine.
He could see the startled faces of the people reacting to the NSSC’s arrival.
The miners watched with curiosity, while the merchants stared with greedy eyes.
Among them were also individuals who appeared to be Awakeners.
Bastards who’d turn into scavengers the moment they get a chance.
Some of them were probably already in contact with real scavengers.
Everyone in the Magic Stone Mine was a potential looter.
Let your guard down here, and you’d be ambushed and stripped of everything before you even realized it.
That was the kind of place this was—
A place where not even a moment of carelessness was allowed.
He had to stay sharp.
Soon, his subordinates returned, bringing the armored vehicle forward.
“Wow! This is insane.”
“I’ve never seen a magic stone this big before.”
They opened the back door of the armored vehicle and showed him the top-grade magic stone.
“Holy shit… this is crazy.”
Ji Sangwoo stared in awe at the overwhelming presence of the stone.
A single top-grade magic stone filled the entire interior of the vehicle.
The dense flow of mana emanating from it was enough to make his head spin.
“So that’s why they mobilized us just to transport one stone.”
“With just this one, they say Neo Seoul’s energy needs for a whole year are covered. Of course there’ll be plenty of people who want it.”
“And with subspace items and extra Awakeners deployed elsewhere… stay sharp. Flies are definitely going to swarm.”
“Yes, sir!”
“We move in a diamond formation with the armored vehicle at the center. Move out!”
At Ji Sangwoo’s command, Team 2 members quickly boarded the armored vehicle and buggy cars.
Without hesitation, they left the Magic Stone Mine.
Watching from afar, Brielle clicked her tongue.
“They came and went like lightning.”
“That’s the NSSC’s motto—move fast and complete the mission before enemies can interfere.”
Eloi, who was familiar with the NSSC, explained.
She had worked alongside them on several operations before.
Each time, their efficiency had impressed her.
It was the same now.
Instead of lingering and giving unknown enemies time to prepare an ambush, they moved quickly—at a speed their enemies couldn’t keep up with.
Levin stretched his arms behind his head and said,
“That’s cool. Total alpha guys.”
“What, you want to join the NSSC? I could recommend you if you want.”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”
“Why?”
“If I join something like that, I won’t be able to act freely. Then I won’t be able to hunt down that bastard either.”
“Ah…”
Eloi realized that the “bastard” Levin mentioned was the murderer of his family.
Feeling awkward, she quietly averted her gaze.
But Levin didn’t care.
It won’t be long now.
Once they left the Magic Stone Mine, Neo Seoul would be close.
Levin planned to resume tracking the murderer as soon as they returned.
Before leaving Neo Seoul, he had only been a C-rank Awakener.
Now, he was B-rank.
No matter what obstacles appeared, he was confident he could overcome them.
Levin’s gaze suddenly shifted to Zeon.
Zeon was speaking with a man named Wol, his expression serious.
After a moment, Wol returned to his place, and Zeon approached them.
“What is it, hyung?”
“We got word from the Goblin Market. Lee Jiryung knows I’ve returned.”
“Already?”
“They warned me to be careful. No telling what he might do.”
“That makes sense. If what he did to us in the dungeon gets out, his reputation will be ruined.”
Levin felt a strange tingling at the tip of his nose.
A sense of danger was already creeping in.
Yet Zeon, the one delivering the news, looked completely calm.
“Will you be okay, hyung?”
“Worrying ahead of time won’t solve anything.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Don’t worry. I won’t fall for it twice.”
Anyone might get caught off guard once.
But if you fell for the same trick twice, you were either broken—or an idiot.
Zeon was neither.
And he never forgot a grudge.