Chapter 356
Late at night, Levin returned.
Levin looked surprised when he saw Zeon and Brielle packing their bags.
“Huh? Where are you going? Why are you packing?”
“We’re going to hunt Ironclad Ants.”
“Huh? All of a sudden?”
At Brielle’s lively response, Levin blinked in confusion.
“We need Ironclad Ant fluid to make the sand hardener. So we’re going to hunt Ironclad Ants.”
“What? The sand hardener’s finished?”
“Mr. Bryce completed it and even built a house.”
“What’s it like? Does it actually seem livable?”
“It was nice. Clean and cool. It looked more than good enough for an entire family to live in.”
“Seriously? It’s that good?”
“Yeah! I think it’d be great if lots of houses like that appeared around the outskirts of the slums.”
Levin looked shocked at Brielle’s answer.
It was extremely rare for her to praise something this highly.
If Brielle was speaking like this, then the houses made with the sand hardener had to be genuinely impressive.
Only then did Levin understand why Zeon and Brielle were immediately heading out to hunt Ironclad Ants, the material source for the sand hardener.
Levin asked Zeon,
“Can I come too?”
“Of course. But don’t you need to keep visiting the Crocodile Cave?”
“I already brought them everything they need for now. I probably won’t have to stop by for a while.”
“Really?”
“Jetoya’s leadership is incredible. I don’t think we’ll need to worry about them for a while.”
“That much?”
“That little guy is unbelievably strict. Bakum and the other awakened can’t even argue with him.”
Jetoya was expanding his influence at an astonishing speed.
He knew exactly how to use the assets at his disposal.
The mana generator, Remura the healer, awakened fighters like Bakum—
Using all of those advantages, he either absorbed other factions or convinced them to join him voluntarily.
As a result, despite not much time having passed, he had already formed the largest faction in the Crocodile Cave. Most people would have been satisfied with that, but Jetoya had no intention of stopping.
Jetoya wanted to unify every faction in the Crocodile Cave and create a prosperous life underground, just like on the surface.
Fortunately, Remura, Bakum, and the others supported his ideals and cooperated enthusiastically.
At this rate, the entire Crocodile Cave would soon fall under his control.
“I still can’t believe that little guy has such overwhelming charisma. It’s honestly amazing.”
“He really is impressive.”
“I’m serious. Next time you go to the Crocodile Cave, you’ll probably be shocked by how much it’s changed.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Let’s go together next time.”
“Sounds good.”
At Zeon’s response, Levin smiled.
At that moment, Brielle spoke to Levin.
“Quit standing there grinning like an idiot and pack your stuff already. We don’t know how many days we’ll be gone, so fill your subspace backpack to the brim.”
“Don’t worry. I’m used to this by now, so I can pack quickly.”
“Don’t get cocky. Pack carefully.”
“Okay!”
Levin simply smiled despite Brielle’s scolding.
Brielle pouted, clearly annoyed by Levin’s attitude, but she didn’t say anything more.
***
Early the next morning, Zeon, Brielle, and Levin left the house.
Carrying a huge backpack by himself, Levin grumbled,
“Can’t you make me a smaller subspace bag too? I’m always the only one carrying the giant one.”
“Do you know how difficult it is to make a subspace bag?”
“I know. But Zeon hyung has one, and so do you. Yours don’t even stand out.”
“Aww, were you jealous?”
“Yeah.”
At Levin’s honest answer, Brielle let out an incredulous laugh.
“Seriously… Fine. After we get back this time, I’ll try making you the smallest one possible. No promises that it’ll work, though…”
“Yeah! I’m counting on you.”
Grinning brightly, Levin shook Brielle’s hand.
“Honestly…”
“While you’re at it, make mine into something like a gauntlet or necklace too.”
“You sure have a lot of demands.”
“But you can do it, right?”
“Tch! I’ll try.”
“Yes!”
Levin shouted happily when his request was accepted.
Talking and laughing like that, they eventually arrived at an open area on the outskirts of the slums.
The forces prepared by the Goblin Market were already waiting there.
“Mr. Zeon!”
A heavily armed man in his early thirties approached Zeon.
The man, carrying a sword at his waist and a massive bow on his back, was Kim Jinsu, captain of the Goblin Market’s First Escort Unit.
Kim Jinsu was a B-rank martial-type awakened who was uniquely skilled with many different weapons. They said there wasn’t a weapon he couldn’t use—sword, bow, axe, spear, and more.
His tactical backpack contained numerous disassembled weapons. Once battle began, he could assemble and wield them in an instant.
Kim Jinsu bowed to Zeon and spoke.
“I’m Kim Jinsu, captain of the First Escort Unit. It’s an honor to accompany you.”
“The honor is mine. I look forward to working with you.”
“Please don’t worry. Just tell us the destination, and we’ll escort you there safely.”
Kim Jinsu’s attitude toward Zeon was extraordinarily respectful.
As someone affiliated with the Goblin Market, he knew better than most who Zeon was.
Knowing Zeon’s abilities and everything he had accomplished, he couldn’t help but both respect and fear him.
“You heard the mission?”
“Yes! We’re securing Ironclad Ant corpses.”
“That’s right. First, we need to find their habitat.”
“Where is it?”
“For now, we need to head southwest of Neo Seoul.”
“Southwest?”
“Yes.”
“Understood. Please board the armored bus. We’ll depart southwest immediately.”
“Sounds good.”
Zeon, Levin, and Brielle boarded the armored bus Kim Jinsu indicated.
As Kim Jinsu climbed into a buggy car, he called out to his subordinates.
“Move out.”
“Yes, sir!”
Two buggy cars, one armored bus, and ten transport vehicles departed the slums and headed into the desert.
Brielle sat beside Zeon and whispered,
“So there’s an Ironclad Ant colony southwest of Neo Seoul?”
“I saw one there once before.”
“What if they moved their habitat in the meantime?”
“Creatures like Ironclad Ants that live by digging tunnels almost never relocate. Their nests aren’t disposable shelters they use once and abandon.”
“So they invest that much effort into building them?”
“Exactly.”
“Okay! Totally understood.”
Brielle looked extremely satisfied to have learned something new.
As a High Elf, Brielle already possessed extensive knowledge about magical beasts, but even she couldn’t compare to Zeon.
The same went for everyone else. Across the entire slum district and Neo Seoul, there was no one who knew more about magical beasts than Zeon.
It wasn’t knowledge he learned from someone else. Zeon had personally wandered the desert and accumulated the information himself. It was precious knowledge no one else could obtain or teach.
“I hope we reach the Ironclad Ant nest quickly. About how long will it take?”
“If the terrain hasn’t changed much, around a week. If it has changed, then much longer.”
“So roughly seven to ten days?”
“It’ll be easier on your mind if you think of it that way. Even if it gets boring, bear with it.”
“Why would I be bored? Gaia’s here.”
“Gaia? Don’t tell me you’re planning to play with Gaia inside the bus? The driver will see.”
“Hehe! I already prepared for that.”
Grinning mischievously, Brielle pulled a large jewel out from inside her pointed hat.
The transparent jewel was engraved with incomprehensible patterns.
Levin, who had been quiet until now, asked curiously,
“What’s that?”
“A crystal enchanted with a perception interference magic circle.”
“What? Perception interference?”
“If I inject mana and activate it…”
The moment Brielle infused mana into the crystal, a brilliant light burst forth, forming a magic circle throughout the bus interior.
There were four people inside the bus: the driver, Zeon, Brielle, and Levin.
Yet the driver sitting at the wheel didn’t notice the burst of light behind him at all.
Watching him, Brielle explained,
“To his ears, it’ll only sound like we’re having meaningless small talk. Even if he turns around, he’ll see nothing except an illusion of us resting.”
“Whoa! That’s actually possible?”
“Of course it is. That’s why I made it. Which means there’s no danger of Gaia being discovered. Come on out now, Gaia!”
The instant Brielle finished speaking, Gaia poked her round head out from subspace storage.
–Ppi?
“Yeah! It’s okay now. You can come out.”
–Ppi-pi!
“Feeling cramped?”
–Beh! Ppi!
“I know! That’s why I made this. Inside here, you can stay out as much as you want.”
Brielle hugged Gaia’s head.
Watching Gaia pat Brielle with her pectoral fin, Levin chuckled.
“Pfft! You two really are hilarious. It hasn’t even been that long since you last saw each other.”
Even before boarding the bus, Gaia and Brielle had chatted endlessly.
Whether it could truly be called chatting was debatable, but they clearly understood each other well enough to keep talking all night.
At that moment, Zeon spoke.
“Your skills have improved again, Brielle.”
“Seriously. Enchanting perception suppression magic into a crystal? That growth rate is insane.”
“At this rate, you might rise in rank before Levin does.”
“Really?”
Levin’s eyes widened in shock.
Brielle was currently B-rank. And she hadn’t even reached B-rank that long ago. Yet now there was talk of her advancing again.
Her talent and growth speed were truly monstrous.
Of course, without Zeon’s help, such explosive growth would have been impossible, but it also would not have happened without her own talent and hard work.
Whenever nothing unusual happened, Brielle devoted herself entirely to alchemy.
Even while chatting with Gaia, one corner of her mind remained filled with thoughts about alchemy.
The field of alchemy was unimaginably vast.
It was a discipline that could be applied to everything used in daily life.
That meant countless other fields of study were fused into it.
Metallurgy, magic, barriers, science and technology—
Only by studying and integrating innumerable disciplines into real life could one become a true alchemist.
That was how she had succeeded in creating a crystal imbued with perception suppression magic.
The driver couldn’t even perceive that perception suppression magic had spread throughout the bus.
The people riding in the other vehicles were even less aware.
To them, all they could see through the windows was Zeon’s group casually resting inside.
Riding in a buggy nearby, Kim Jinsu glanced sideways at the armored bus traveling beside them.
From his perspective, Zeon, Brielle, and Levin appeared to be chatting happily together.
Whatever was so amusing, Brielle and Levin kept talking nonstop while Zeon occasionally nodded along.
“Looks like going into the desert doesn’t make them nervous at all. Anyone watching would think they were out on a leisurely picnic.”
“Would a Sand Mage fear the desert? If anything, he’s probably excited to be out here.”
At his subordinate’s words, Kim Jinsu nodded.
“I suppose that makes sense. When the entire desert is filled with sand that can become his weapon, ordinary magical beasts probably don’t even register as threats.”
“Life really is unfair when you think about it. Some of us bust our asses moving our bodies nonstop just to survive as martial-types, while others only need to wiggle a finger and the sand shreds magical beasts for them.”
“Be grateful for even that, bastard! At least you awakened. You know perfectly well how people who never awakened at all have to live, so quit whining…”
“I’m just saying, okay? It’s not like I don’t know that. Tch!”
“Still, I am jealous. Look at them laughing and chatting so comfortably.”
Kim Jinsu looked toward the bus once more.
What he didn’t realize was that the scene he was watching was merely an illusion created by Brielle.
The only ones actually chatting excitedly inside the bus were Brielle and a whale.
Zeon and Levin had fallen into a deep sleep long ago.