Chapter 235
Between the southern district and the central district stood a massive warehouse.
The five-story structure was the headquarters of the NSSC.
From the outside, it looked like a rundown warehouse, but inside it was fully equipped with training facilities, support gear, vehicles, and weapons.
Naturally, access from outsiders was strictly controlled.
Anyone who entered without permission would be shot on sight.
Because of that, even people living nearby never dared to approach the place.
Unsurprisingly, the security level was at its peak.
Various magical barriers surrounded the warehouse, reacting instantly to any intruder.
The head of the NSSC was Kevin.
He was an Awakened who had devoted his entire life to the NSSC, and he took great pride in it.
That wasn’t all.
Every Awakened in the NSSC shared a strong bond.
If anyone touched even a single member, all of them would rush in and retaliate.
That was the kind of organization the NSSC was, which was why the annihilation of Team 2 had enraged everyone.
They firmly believed that Zeon and Mandy—who were now locked in the underground prison—were responsible for wiping out Team 2.
They had seen it with their own eyes.
At the scene, only Zeon and Mandy had been present.
That meant they had to be the culprits.
After throwing them into prison, they had intended to torture them—to avenge the dead and uncover the truth.
However, for some reason, the Numbers had intervened.
The old man and the twin sisters had strictly ordered that Zeon and Mandy were not to be touched until the truth was revealed.
No matter how powerful the NSSC was, they couldn’t ignore the warning from the Numbers.
So they simply kept the two imprisoned and watched them.
Bang!
At that moment, someone violently threw open Kevin’s door and entered.
The man, with a fierce impression and clad in a tactical vest loaded with weapons, was Yoo Sangcheon, the leader of Team 3.
Slamming his hand on the desk, Yoo Sangcheon raised his voice.
“Captain! Are we just going to leave those bastards alone?”
“They said from above not to touch them.”
“Fuck! When have the Numbers ever helped us? Who the hell are they to boss the NSSC around?”
“Sangcheon!”
“I’m disappointed, Captain! Shouldn’t we at least avenge Team 2?”
“Damn it! You think I’m doing this because I want to?”
“Are you afraid of that sand mage bastard?”
“That’s going too far.”
“Captain! Then let me take responsibility.”
“Sangcheon!”
“Just this once, look the other way. I’ll take full responsibility.”
“…Then I’ll take that as permission.”
Bang!
Yoo Sangcheon slammed the door shut as he left.
Kevin’s voice did not follow.
That alone was enough.
The Awakened of Team 3, who had been waiting in the hallway, asked:
“What happened?”
“Did he give permission?”
Yoo Sangcheon nodded.
“Let’s go.”
“Fuck yeah.”
“Those bastards are dead.”
A vicious aura rose on the faces of the Team 3 Awakened.
Releasing killing intent, they headed down to the underground level.
After descending dozens of meters, the prison appeared.
The entire structure was lined with special metal and magic, completely blocking the flow of mana.
Because of that, the air inside felt especially heavy.
Abilities could be used in the hallway, but once inside a cell, even they would be sealed.
Still, it didn’t matter.
They were all martial-type Awakened.
Even with their skills sealed, their physical abilities remained powerful.
Yoo Sangcheon stopped in front of the deepest cell.
At that moment, every member of Team 3 pulled out batons.
They were made of special metal.
With immense destructive power, a single strike could break bones and tear muscles.
As Yoo Sangcheon unlocked the cell door, he glanced at his subordinates.
The Awakened tapped their batons and nodded.
Click.
At last, the door opened.
The Awakened rushed inside.
Their targets were Zeon and Mandy.
“Die!”
“You bastards!”
“Raaah!”
With savage cries, they swung their batons at them.
Zeon and Mandy couldn’t manipulate mana.
No matter how powerful their abilities were, they couldn’t use them here.
All they had was their physical strength.
Beating them down would be easy.
They felt like they could only vent their rage this way.
Whoosh!
A baton cut through the air and flew toward Zeon.
The attacker naturally assumed Zeon wouldn’t be able to resist.
But as if mocking that assumption, the baton sliced through empty air.
Before he even noticed, Zeon had already moved to the side.
The attacker froze in shock.
“What the hell? I thought he couldn’t use mana!”
“Doesn’t matter! Get him!”
Like a pack of wild dogs, the Awakened rushed at Zeon and Mandy.
“Just as expected.”
Zeon clicked his tongue.
The NSSC Awakened needed someone to vent their anger on.
The truth didn’t matter much to them.
They already believed Zeon was the one who killed their comrades, so they had no hesitation in resorting to violence.
He could understand their feelings.
If he were in their position, he might have done the same.
But that didn’t mean he would just sit there and take it.
Even without mana, he was strong.
His body, tempered in the desert with Deioden, was superior even to that of martial-type Awakened.
Crack!
The baton shattered against his fist.
Before the stunned Awakened could react, Zeon’s fist slammed into his face.
“Gah!”
The man screamed and collapsed.
“Fucking bastards! I knew it would come to this.”
Mandy, having transformed into Eloi, also went on a rampage.
Both Zeon and Eloi fought purely with their physical abilities against the Awakened of NSSC Team 3.
Their strength far exceeded what Team 3 had vaguely expected.
Crunch!
Boom!
Each time a heavy impact rang out, another Team 3 member fell with a scream.
“You son of a—!”
“Don’t you know resisting only makes your guilt worse?”
The Awakened roared as they swung their batons.
Some had already been injured by Zeon’s fists, but driven mad with rage, they ignored the pain and charged like beasts.
Even Zeon couldn’t dodge all their attacks.
There were too many people packed into the narrow space.
There simply wasn’t enough room to evade.
Thud! Thwack!
As a result, Zeon had to take some hits head-on.
Fortunately, his bones didn’t break and his muscles didn’t tear.
The robe made from Leviathan leather absorbed most of the impact.
For every hit he took, he returned two.
If his face was struck, he crushed his opponent’s in return.
Even fighting barehanded, Zeon was overwhelming.
Despite being outnumbered, he rampaged like a demon.
Eloi was just as ferocious.
“Oh ho ho! Come at me, all of you. Is that all you’ve got? Pathetic idiots!”
Like a true half-elf, she moved with incredible agility, overwhelming the Team 3 Awakened.
“Get your heads straight! There are only two of them! Don’t get pushed back, you idiots!”
Yoo Sangcheon shouted at the top of his lungs, urging his subordinates on.
This wasn’t how he had imagined things.
Instead of crushing Zeon and Eloi, his own men were the ones going down.
The prison’s magic circle that sealed Zeon and Eloi’s abilities also prevented Team 3 from using theirs.
Even if they could use skills, it would be risky to unleash them in such a confined space.
A mistake could injure not just Zeon or Eloi, but their own allies.
They had no choice but to rely solely on physical strength.
Thud! Crack! Smash!
But the situation was spiraling into disaster.
The ones falling with broken bones and torn muscles were all his subordinates.
They lay sprawled on the floor, groaning.
“Ggh…!”
“Ugh…!”
Seeing his men in such a state, Yoo Sangcheon snapped.
“You piece of shit!”
Whoosh!
His baton aimed straight for Zeon’s head.
Its speed and power were on a completely different level from his subordinates.
He was certain it would crush Zeon’s skull—
—but it stopped midway.
Zeon had caught the baton with one hand.
“Damn it!”
Yoo Sangcheon’s face twisted.
He struggled to pull the baton free, but it wouldn’t budge, as if it were stuck in a press.
Strength, reaction speed, destructive power—Zeon surpassed him in every way.
But Yoo Sangcheon refused to accept it.
“Die!”
Crack!
Letting go of the baton, he drove his fist into Zeon’s face.
The impact made Zeon’s body sway slightly.
Yoo Sangcheon thought he had seized the advantage—
—but realized his mistake in less than a second.
Crunch!
Zeon’s fist slammed into his ribs.
It felt like his entire ribcage had shattered.
Blinding pain clouded his mind, but he clenched his teeth and endured.
“You bastard! Why did you do it? What was so important about those mana stones that you had to kill my comrades?!”
He roared as he struck back.
His fist hit Zeon in the abdomen.
But Zeon showed no sign of pain as he replied coldly,
“I didn’t do it.”
His fist drove into Yoo Sangcheon’s opposite side.
With a sound like an explosion, Yoo Sangcheon’s body folded like a shrimp.
“Ghk!”
The impact pierced through his abdomen, forcing him to vomit everything he had eaten that morning.
Zeon showed no mercy.
He understood Yoo Sangcheon and Team 3.
He couldn’t even begin to imagine the rage and grief of losing comrades, and he acknowledged their anger was justified.
But they had chosen the wrong target.
There was no reason for him to bear their misplaced fury.
Zeon grabbed Yoo Sangcheon by the collar and forced him upright.
Their eyes met.
The mix of rage and fear in Yoo Sangcheon’s gaze was unmistakable.
He must feel wronged.
He must be furious.
He must want to turn this situation around somehow.
But he had chosen the wrong opponent.
In this harsh world, they needed to learn what happens when you pick the wrong fight.
Bang!
Zeon’s fist smashed into Yoo Sangcheon’s face.
He felt bones break.
With that single blow, Yoo Sangcheon lost consciousness.
Zeon released him and lunged at another Awakened.
Crack!
The man struck by Zeon’s knee crumpled like a sandcastle.
Every Awakened who had filled the cell lay defeated.
“Ggh…”
“Ugh…”
The prison cell was filled with their groans.
Eloi stood with her hands on her hips, mocking them.
“Is that all you’ve got? You might as well cut your balls off. What a waste of size, you idiots!”
The Awakened glared at her with resentment.
But no matter how fierce the gaze of the defeated, it couldn’t intimidate her.
Eloi looked at Zeon.
“So, what now?”
“What do you mean?”
“The door’s open.”
When Yoo Sangcheon and the others rushed in, they had left it open.
There was no one guarding it—they could simply walk out.
Zeon let out a small laugh and sat down.
“Why bother going through the trouble of leaving?”
“You’re really not going?”
“I’ve already cast the net. Instead of these small fry, shouldn’t we be catching a big one?”
“You think they’ll step into the net?”
“They will. Definitely.”
Zeon put particular emphasis on the word “definitely.”