Soulbound Slaves
Numerous sand spines that had pierced through the Armored Great Horn Bear's body crumbled away like a lie.
There was no trace left anywhere proving that the sand had formed massive thorns.
All that remained was sand stained red with blood.
Even that was quickly buried under fresh sand carried by the wind.
"What the hell was that?"
"No way?"
Kim Kyung-soo's party blinked in disbelief.
It wasn't a mistake or an illusion.
They had clearly seen with their own eyes how Zeon had manipulated the sand into thorns.
It was neither fake nor a hallucination.
It was unmistakably Zeon's ability.
'He definitely used a fire-type skill before.'
'And now sand too? A dual awakener?'
A chill crept up their spines.
Even being a dual awakener was shocking enough, but for the second ability to control sand?
They instantly realized just how extraordinary and dangerous Zeon's power was.
They couldn't pinpoint his exact rank, but the mere fact that he could wield sand at will meant his potential was limitless.
Zeon's gaze turned toward the four of them.
"You know you have to keep this a secret, right?"
The four nodded heavily.
Invisible chains tightened around their hearts.
They instinctively knew that the moment they broke the oath and opened their mouths, those chains would burst their hearts.
'We've become his slaves...'
'Fuck!'
'Shit!'
'This life's fucked.'
They bowed their heads.
A single moment of greed had reduced them to slaves.
They couldn't blame anyone.
It was the calamity brought by their own avarice.
Zeon spoke to Kim Kyung-soo.
"You're their leader, right?"
"Y-yes, that's right."
"Then keeping them in line is your responsibility too."
"Yes! I'll make sure of it."
Kim Kyung-soo lowered his head.
Resignation filled his face.
The others were no different.
No one had anticipated that one wrong choice would lead to such a terrifying outcome.
'At least we survived. Is that the silver lining?'
Then Zeon asked.
"Where's your living area?"
"We reside in Central District Block 13."
"Block 13 is near City Hall, right?"
"Yes."
"Perfect."
Zeon smiled.
He had forced their submission using the soul oath scroll because he needed people inside Neo Seoul to handle odd jobs.
Kim Kyung-soo's party had excellent conditions.
Native to the Central District, they knew Neo Seoul inside out.
All four were awakeners, offering endless utility.
This was the best hand Zeon could have drawn.
Slave Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Their status was set in Zeon's mind.
Kim Kyung-soo asked cautiously.
"What should we do now?"
"Nothing changes."
"Pardon?"
"Live your lives as usual. When I give an order, you carry it out."
"What kind of orders...?"
"It'll vary depending on the situation."
"Huh?"
"Feeling hard done by?"
"Well..."
"This isn't my doing. It's the fire your greed ignited. If you hate following my orders, you have only one choice left."
Kim Kyung-soo and his comrades' eyes twitched.
They sensed the cold killing intent hidden beneath Zeon's gentle tone.
The man smiling before them was no soft pushover.
Someone like that wouldn't have dared use the soul oath scroll during their ambush.
Behind that smiling facade lurked a terrifyingly cold, merciless predator.
Now they had a glimpse of Zeon's true nature.
'We messed with someone like this.'
Regret came too late, but it was useless.
They could never act against Zeon.
"We'll follow your orders."
Kim Kyung-soo bowed his head.
The others followed suit.
Zeon smiled.
He knew their words weren't sincere.
He didn't expect true loyalty anyway.
They were merely tools to execute his commands faithfully.
That was all Zeon demanded of them.
Zeon asked Kim Kyung-soo.
"Got any communication items?"
"We have dungeon bidirectional communicators."
Kim Kyung-soo pulled an earring from his pocket.
It was a workshop-made item.
Designed for party communication in dungeons, all members of his party wore one.
Zeon hooked the earring into his ear.
"Perfect. We'll use these from now on."
"Understood."
"Head back to Neo Seoul first with that. I'll contact you separately."
Zeon pointed to the Armored Great Horn Bear's corpse.
"But our vehicle's engine..."
"Take my car. Its engine's fine, so it'll handle towing yours. When you reach Neo Seoul, return the vehicle to Will, the butcher shop owner in the Shinchon slums."
"Y-yes, Master..."
"Just call me Master."
"Yes! Master. Then how will you get back?"
"Forgot what my power is? The desert sand's no obstacle for me."
"Urgh!"
Kim Kyung-soo groaned and turned away.
He said to his comrades.
"You heard Master? We're taking the Armored Great Horn Bear corpse back to Neo Seoul."
"'Master' comes out that easy?"
"And if it doesn't?"
"W-we still have our pride. How can we call him Master?"
Lee Jun-soo glanced at Zeon as he replied.
Kim Kyung-soo glared at him.
"Is that thick skull just for show? Our lives are in his hands. You wanna parade your half-assed pride now?"
"B-but..."
"If he says die, we pretend to die, you idiot! Wake the fuck up to reality. Don't piss me off."
"Damn it!"
"And you know what happens if today's events leak. Keep your mouths shut if you don't wanna die."
"Got it."
In the end, Lee Jun-soo and the others answered weakly.
Plummeting from proud awakeners to slaves in an instant left them drained. At least they were alive—that was their consolation.
"Let's go!"
At Kim Kyung-soo's command, the three loaded the Armored Great Horn Bear's corpse onto the vehicle and hooked up the buggy.
Once prepared, they departed for Neo Seoul at dawn.
Left alone, Zeon pulled out a strip of jerky and chewed it.
"Worked out well. I needed a line into Neo Seoul anyway."
They all had proper citizenship.
That gave them wide latitude to maneuver.
Endless utility.
It was unfortunate for Kim Kyung-soo's party, reduced to slaves overnight, but Zeon felt no guilt.
If you try to kill someone, be prepared to be killed yourself.
That was the law of the world.
"Now just wait for Levin to come out?"
Rumble!
A faint vibration trembled underfoot.
From Levin battling the vampire bats.
Proof Levin was still alive.
Zeon lay on the sand floor, chewing his jerky steadily.
"Raaagh!"
Purple radiance erupted from Levin's entire body.
Crackle! Zap!
Purple currents flickered across Levin's body as he floated in the air, ghostified.
Bam-bam-bam!
The purple lightning spread through the air, scorching and bursting the vampire bats swarming him.
Dozens fell in a heap at once.
Floating midair, Levin muttered.
"I ranked up."
The purple glow had been the phenomenon of his promotion moments ago.
Levin was now C-rank.
He'd hit D-rank fighting the murderer, and now C-rank in no time. An unprecedented hyper-speed promotion.
As a C-rank, he could tell.
His power was on another level from D-rank.
The vampire bats' ultrasonics no longer affected him.
Perfect ghostification.
His attack, Purple Lightning, had strengthened too.
The purple currents packed far more destructive force than white lightning.
To reach this rank-up, Levin had survived death dozens of times.
Sometimes mana-depleted, fighting barehanded.
Biting throats, blocking with limbs.
Wounds covered his body.
Too much blood drained, mind fogging.
He'd wanted to give up and die easy.
But Levin shook off the temptation, fighting desperately.
After days of battle, at his limit, the rank-up hit suddenly.
As C-rank, wounds healed like washed clean, vitality surging.
Countless vampire bats remained, but fear was gone.
Levin shouted.
"Come at me, you bat bastards!"
Bzzz!
His voice echoed through the underground space.
The remaining bats, provoked, attacked en masse.
But their assaults passed harmlessly through his ghostified body.
Even ultrasonics did nothing.
A cold smile curled Levin's lips.
"You're all done."
Crackle!
Purple lightning net spread from Levin's body.
His skill, Purple Lightning.
Only the color changed, but the power was incomparable.
The Purple Lightning filling the cave incinerated or exploded every bat.
The cavern reeked of burnt meat.
"Ugh! Can't stand this."
Ghostified didn't block smells.
Senses sharpened, making it worse.
Levin ascended to the surface without unghostifying.
He passed through sand easily, emerging in the desert.
"You're back."
Zeon greeted him, eyeing the rippling purple Levin.
"Ranked up, huh. Congrats."
"Thanks, hyung!"
Levin unghostified, regaining form.
Looking around, he said.
"Where's the car we came in? Gone."
"Some business came up."
"Huh?"
"Besides, no car needed now. Most monsters can't hurt you."
"Yeah!"
Unless special skills or specter-types, nothing could wound Levin.
He couldn't traverse desert like Zeon, but near Neo Seoul, no monsters threatened him.
"Let's head back to Neo Seoul."
"Yeah, hyung."
Levin happily followed Zeon.