Chapter 354

“Mom!”

Remura wept endlessly as she looked at Heather’s corpse.

In the end, they failed to save her.

It was because of Chensi’s interference.

But aside from Remura, no one mourned Heather’s death.

That was how terrible the atrocities Heather had committed by exploiting Remura had been.

“Hoo……”

Jetoya let out a sigh as he looked at the crying Remura.

His heart felt heavy.

For Remura’s future, it was better that Heather was gone.

But that still didn’t mean Heather deserved to die.

Once Levin killed Chensi, the awakened broke free from the effects of hypnosis.

Only then did they regain their senses and stare around in shock.

“This can’t be happening!”

“Haah… fuck…….”

Fortunately, only two people had died.

One was Heather, Remura’s mother.

The other was the E-rank awakened who had attacked Heather.

Everyone else had suffered injuries large and small, but none had lost their lives.

“Mom! Mooom!”

Remura collapsed over Heather’s corpse, wailing loudly.

Jetoya, Levin, and Brielle silently watched her.

None of them tried to comfort her carelessly.

Because they knew it was better to let her cry until she exhausted all her emotions.

At that moment, Bakum rose to his feet and approached Jetoya.

Jetoya immediately assumed a fighting stance again, but Bakum spoke first.

“There’s no need to be so guarded. I’m not shameless enough to challenge someone who already defeated me.”

“You too, mister.”

“You awakened recently, right?”

“Yes! And you were bedridden until recently. That’s why I managed to win.”

“That’s no excuse. I admit I lost.”

“That’s a relief. I really didn’t want to fight you again, mister.”

“Neither did I.”

Bakum’s answer was unexpected enough that Jetoya’s eyes widened.

Seeing this, Bakum explained.

“You’re going to become strong. You’re already strong now, but you’ll grow even faster from here.”

“That’s just because I got lucky…….”

“No. It’s talent. You possess exceptional talent. In another year or two, there probably won’t be anyone left in the Crocodile Pit capable of defeating you.”

It wasn’t empty praise.

Because he had fought Jetoya personally, Bakum understood just how extraordinary his talent was.

Especially the way Jetoya ran along the sewer walls and ceilings as though they were flat ground while attacking—it was enough to leave one’s mind spinning.

No awakened Bakum knew in the Crocodile Pit could move like Jetoya.

Outside, that talent might not amount to much.

But inside the underground sewers, it was bound to display terrifying effectiveness.

Even now, freshly awakened, Jetoya already possessed battle instincts this incredible.

Bakum couldn’t even imagine what he would become after gaining more experience.

It was then—

“So you were here.”

With a low voice, someone appeared in the underground space where they were gathered.

Bakum was startled and immediately assumed a combat stance, but Levin and Brielle stepped forward first.

“Zeon!”

“So you’re all safe.”

The man speaking with a smile was Zeon.

The instant Bakum saw him, a tremendous shock ran through him.

His heart dropped, and his shoulders trembled involuntarily.

His body had instinctively sensed Zeon’s strength.

It was the survival instinct he had developed to survive in the Crocodile Pit.

Though he couldn’t determine an opponent’s exact level, he could roughly estimate it.

But Zeon’s level was far beyond the limits of what Bakum could estimate.

That was why his body reacted on its own.

‘That man is these children’s guardian? He’s a monster.’

Bakum clenched his teeth to overcome his fear.

“Brother!”

After briefly checking on the two children, Zeon looked around.

“Looks like everything was handled well.”

“Except we couldn’t save Remura’s mother…….”

“Excessive greed tends to bring disaster.”

Zeon did not sympathize with Heather.

Though he felt sorry for Remura, he believed it was ultimately better for her future that Heather had died.

If she had lived, she would’ve continued sucking Remura dry until the day she died, like a leech.

It was better for everyone that things ended here.

Brielle asked Zeon,

“What about outside?”

“That side’s been dealt with too.”

“And Johan?”

“He went to the side of the god he longed for so much.”

“Guess he’s happy.”

“I hope so.”

“Hehe! Anyway, that’s good. We don’t have to worry about them anymore, right?”

Brielle burst into laughter.

Zeon nodded and looked toward Jetoya and Remura.

Now, the fate of the Crocodile Pit rested in their hands.

Depending on how they acted, the future of the Crocodile Pit would change.

The aftermath caused by Dongdaemun’s defeat and Johan’s death was enormous.

After all, this was none other than Dongdaemun—a collective of religious fanatics.

It was a place overflowing with zealots willing to throw away their lives at any moment for God and Johan.

Anyone who provoked them would be swarmed like a nest of suicide hornets.

That was why even the powerful factions within Neo Seoul, despite possessing strength greater than Dongdaemun, had never dared provoke them.

The only reason conflicts had erupted recently was because the A-rank healer had become an issue.

Without such an extraordinary incident, no other district would ever have chosen to fight against Dongdaemun’s fanatics.

So the news that the feared Dongdaemun had been utterly destroyed by Zeon alone was enough to shock everyone.

Not only the slum dwellers, but even the rulers of Neo Seoul were deeply shaken by the news.

It was a battle where a single individual had triumphed against a colossal faction.

People already knew Zeon possessed a one-of-a-kind class, but most never imagined he was this powerful.

Among those most shocked were the South District and West District, both of which had previously clashed with Zeon.

The South District’s ruler, Xiaolun, had never been on good terms with Zeon to begin with.

And the West District’s ruler, Kim Kyungsoo, had once imprisoned Zeon.

Because of that, neither had a good relationship with him.

That didn’t mean Zeon had good relationships with the other districts either.

At best, the North District viewed him somewhat favorably. Even the East District wasn’t on good terms with him.

They acknowledged that the Sand Mage class was unique and possessed enormous potential and overwhelming power.

But they still believed he couldn’t possibly compare to organizations like themselves, who controlled entire sections of Neo Seoul.

That was why the fall of Dongdaemun shocked them so deeply.

For the first time, they realized a massive faction could be destroyed by a single individual.

Every faction declared an emergency.

Leadership councils were convened to predict the consequences of Dongdaemun’s collapse and prepare countermeasures for how the chain of events would affect each district.

Among them, the faction taking the most aggressive measures was naturally the South District, which had directly clashed with Zeon several times.

Inside a massive conference hall, Xiaolun sat at the head while all the South District’s executives gathered around him.

“It’s hard to believe. To think Dongdaemun would collapse like that.”

“He killed hundreds of awakened by himself. Zeon already possesses combat power on the level of a one-man army.”

“Isn’t that insane? No matter how broken the Sand Mage class is.”

“It feels unfair.”

The chatter among the executives resembled a chaotic marketplace.

At that, Xiaolun’s brow twitched.

The South District was enormous.

Naturally, its population and vested interests were enormous as well.

Everyone gathered here were leaders controlling parts of that massive power structure.

They possessed minds as hard as steel—people who normally neither panicked nor wavered at ordinary events.

At least, Xiaolun had believed that until now.

Up to this point, they had never viewed Zeon as that great of a threat.

Because whenever they were around him, they always carried themselves confidently, and they had successfully managed the South District thus far.

But once the monster named Zeon appeared, they could no longer hide their confusion, fumbling helplessly and exposing their true natures.

‘Pathetic…….’

A chill surfaced on Xiaolun’s face.

But the others were too busy arguing to notice his expression.

“We can’t just leave Zeon alone. If his influence keeps expanding like this, he’ll definitely become a major obstacle to our operations.”

“So what, you want to fight him?”

“That’s not what I meant…….”

“Then what are you suggesting?”

“Stop speaking so aggressively. We’re discussing countermeasures, not talking about starting a war.”

“I’m frustrated too.”

“The atmosphere’s gotten too heated. Everyone, calm down for a moment.”

A beautiful woman who looked barely in her early twenties intervened to soothe the tension.

Her hair was elegantly pinned up, revealing her pale neck, and she wore a qipao that perfectly outlined her figure.

Her name was Cheong Ming.

She was Xiaolun’s direct disciple and an exceptionally talented awakened.

Despite her young age, she already held an important position and had produced outstanding results.

She was the youngest person in the room, yet no one dared look down on her.

Thanks to Cheong Ming, the heated atmosphere gradually settled.

“My apologies, Lord Xiaolun. We showed you something disgraceful.”

The oldest executive, Tan Long, apologized to Xiaolun.

Tan Long was a man in his mid-forties with a strong jawline, beard, and sharp eyes.

He was the awakened who led the Vermilion Bird Guild, the largest guild in the South District.

The Vermilion Bird Guild had expanded its power through Xiaolun’s full support and boasted the South District’s strongest combat force.

The young man seated opposite him was Chu Wei, who oversaw all administration in the South District.

He was known for being as cold and precise as a machine, to the point people called him inhuman.

Yet even he seemed deeply shaken by this incident, his face flushed red.

The other awakened present, such as Go Tao and Yeom Cheong, still hadn’t calmed down either.

Xiaolun swept a cold gaze across them before stopping at Cheong Ming.

“At least you’re the most composed one here, Cheong Ming.”

“No, Lord Xiaolun.”

“If you hadn’t stepped in to calm the atmosphere, these idiots would’ve continued embarrassing themselves.”

At Xiaolun’s words, the men felt a chill run through them.

Their ruler, Xiaolun, was by no means merciful.

To him, subordinates were nothing more than replaceable parts.

If he disliked them or found them lacking, he would replace them without hesitation.

Knowing that, it was impossible not to feel anxious after exposing such an ugly side of themselves before him.

Thankfully, Cheong Ming had sensed Xiaolun’s mood and managed to smooth things over at the last moment.

“We apologize, Lord Xiaolun!”

“It won’t happen again.”

Go Tao and Yeom Cheong bowed their heads deeply in apology.

Their faces had turned deathly pale from tension.

Xiaolun stared at them for a moment before speaking again.

“Zeon truly is remarkable. He managed to terrify all those fools who strutted around puffing out their chests.”

“We’re not terrified…….”

“If that’s not fear, then what is it?”

At Xiaolun’s sharp words, Yeom Cheong immediately shut his mouth.

Looking at him with disdain, Xiaolun continued,

“There’s no one here who doesn’t recognize Zeon’s greatness. But he’s still human.”

“Human?”

“That’s right. Just like us, blood flows through his veins, and when his mana runs dry, he can no longer use his abilities.”

Xiaolun’s voice carried a force that naturally drew everyone’s attention.

“And because he’s human, he undoubtedly has weaknesses as well. From now on, we gather every piece of information about Zeon. His abilities, relationships, movements, anything that could become a weakness—learn everything.”

“Are you planning to go to war with him?”

“What idiotic nonsense. We’re preparing for war. There’s already a deep divide between him and us. Maybe not now, but someday we may have to clash with him. So we prepare starting now.”

Xiaolun remained calm and rational.

He neither overestimated his own strength nor underestimated Zeon’s.

If they clashed with Zeon now, even victory would inflict devastating damage upon the South District.

He had no need for hollow victories drenched in blood.

Xiaolun always prepared for war.

That was why he had managed to win countless conflicts without suffering catastrophic losses.

“Cheong Ming.”

“Yes, Lord Xiaolun.”

“I’m entrusting this matter to you.”

“You mean… entirely to me?”

“That’s right.”

At Xiaolun’s words, Cheong Ming revealed a captivating smile.

It was a smile that had bewitched countless men throughout the South District.