Fanatics' Folly at the Caravan
Eaton assembled the Awakeners.
Most were E-rank, useless in real combat. But they were plenty good enough for show.
With a powerhouse like Zeon around, no other Awakeners were truly needed. Still, to put on a display for the White Bear Caravan, they had to tag along.
In total, twenty Awakeners gathered.
Adding Eaton, Zeon, and Briel made twenty-three.
They left the slums and headed for the White Bear Caravan. But they weren't the only ones making for it.
"Dongdaemun bastards."
"Huh? Yeah, you're right."
People murmured as they spotted a group heading toward the caravan in the distance.
A bunch of men in gleaming heavy plate armor marched behind a flag emblazoned with a cross.
In Neo Seoul, only one group flaunted a cross like that.
Yohan's Dongdaemun.
Eaton's eyes gleamed.
"Yohan's come out himself?"
"No sign of Yohan. Ah! There's Brickston."
At his subordinate's report, Eaton's eyelids twitched.
"Brickston? That berserker's here?"
"The one with that massive hammer—gotta be him."
"Fuck! Is Yohan insane? Sending a rabid dog like that to a place like this."
Eaton's face twisted in horror.
At his reaction, Zeon glanced at Brickston.
The man was huge, dwarfing normal people, clad in matching heavy plate, wielding a hammer that could pulverize a monster's head in seconds.
Just looking at him made your legs go weak.
His name was Brickston.
He wasn't called a berserker for nothing.
When he rampaged with that hammer, no one could stop him.
He was one of Yohan's fanatics.
He'd dive into hell itself on Yohan's command.
But he was too simple and brutish for complex orders.
Then Zeon spotted a woman walking beside Brickston.
Dressed in a nun's habit and trudging through the sand, she was someone Zeon knew well.
Kim Jae-kyung!
Yohan's right-hand woman, wielder of brainwashing powers.
Her presence meant this was no ordinary matter.
Right then—
Kim Jae-kyung spotted Zeon too and flinched in surprise.
She'd nearly fallen to him before, so her shock was understandable.
She whispered something to Brickston.
Then Brickston glared at Zeon, his eyes burning with mad menace.
Brickston led his men straight toward Zeon's group.
Finally stopping before Zeon, he spoke.
"You Zeon?"
"And you're Brickston?"
"That's right. Brickston, Yohan-nim's right arm, in the flesh."
Brickston thumped his chest.
Zeon smirked.
"Not here for chit-chat, I assume. What's your business?"
"I'm here to warn you."
"Warn me?"
"Yeah. Dongdaemun will monopolize all deals with the White Bear Caravan. No scraps for you or Shinchon. Best turn back now."
"The caravan's granting you exclusivity?"
"Hmph! Like it or not, that's how it'll be. We'll make sure of it."
"If that's the case, we'll back off clean."
"You promise?"
"Yeah."
"Good. I'll take your word—for now. Keep it, or this hammer smashes your skull to bits."
Brickston swung his hammer through the air for emphasis, then turned away.
"That arrogant prick."
Eaton finally exploded in rage.
Briel smirked at his belated outburst.
This guy's sneakily spineless.
It made sense.
No Awakener could stand firm before Brickston's intimidation.
Zeon's nonchalance was the oddity, not Eaton.
Zeon strode on calmly, already forgetting the warning.
At last, they reached the caravan's fortress. Zeon let out a whistle.
"Never thought of using trucks like this. Clever heads at work."
"Yeah, perfect for desert camping. Most monsters won't even get close."
Briel agreed.
Eaton chimed in.
"Doesn't look like ordinary vehicles. Reinforced with special materials, I'd say."
"Figures."
No stock truck could cross the desert unscathed.
They'd clearly used exotic stuff to fortify the chassis. Nothing else explained the flawless surfaces.
Then—
"Where you folks from?"
An Awakener guarding the entrance approached.
Zeon nodded to Eaton, who stepped forward.
"Eaton from Shinchon. Here to trade with your caravan."
"Eaton from Shinchon? Confirmed. Come on in."
The White Bear Caravan knew Neo Seoul's power players.
Thanks to that, Zeon and Briel followed Eaton inside without hassle.
The interior was far vaster than it looked from outside.
Fifty massive trucks formed the walls—roomy enough for a whole slum shack inside.
Then a White Bear Awakener approached.
"Eaton's group?"
"That's us."
"I'm Sergey from the caravan. I'll guide you."
"Oh, sure!"
Eaton tilted his head.
Why need a guide? Browse, buy, done.
Reading his mind, Sergey smiled.
"Our goods were all hard-won by Akutsuk Awakeners risking their lives. Monster corpses, dungeon items. We've sorted them into five grades for convenience."
"How'd you grade them?"
"D-grade monster parts and odd materials on the first floor. C-grade dungeon finds on the second. Third has boss magic stones, items from Akutsuk and other colonies. Fourth has dungeon artifacts. And the fifth floor..."
"Why stop?"
"Sorry, fifth floor's for auction later. Can't reveal."
"Auction? What kinda stuff?"
Eaton pressed, but Sergey stayed mum.
He led them to the first floor truck.
"Whoa!"
Briel gasped the moment they entered.
Not at the goods.
The truck itself.
Zeon glanced over; she whispered.
"Multiple magic circles etched into the vehicle."
"Multiple?"
"Yeah! Layered ones—super intricate."
"Any idea what for?"
"Beyond my level."
Briel pouted.
Whoever did it was leagues above her; the fifty trucks' arrays were impenetrable.
"No biggie. Layers aren't the point anyway."
"Still..."
"Focus on what you need. Might not buy even with cash."
"Right!"
Briel snapped to.
Dongdaemun folks were already inside. More would come.
Bidding wars could start from floor one.
"Gotta stay sharp."
Briel slapped her cheeks, firing herself up.
Zeon smirked, glancing at the fifth floor.
His face hardened slightly.
A potent aura leaked from up there.
Sealed by magic or barriers, yet it pierced through.
Proof the fifth-floor goods were extraordinary.
Zeon had never felt an item's presence this strong.
What the hell did they bring?
Same-rank fights favored better gear.
Higher ranks? The gap widens hugely.
Good items don't guarantee wins, but they tilt odds.
That's why high-rankers risk all for top gear.
Neo Seoul's workshops thrived on it.
Secret techniques made Awakeners far stronger.
Famous ones had lines out the door. But some items outpaced even them.
Dungeon drops.
Some were dungeon cores themselves—power beyond Neo Seoul tech.
High-risk dungeons yielded the mightiest.
Intact ones were rare; few owned them.
If the fifth floor held dungeon loot, competition would be fierce.
This could turn Neo Seoul upside down...
Then—
Boom!
An explosion rocked the far end of the first floor.
As puzzled eyes turned—
"That crazy bitch tried brainwashing!"
"Damn it!"
"Busted. Beat 'em down!"
Chaos erupted.
Dongdaemun Awakeners, who'd entered around the same time as Zeon's group, clashed with caravan guards.
Brickston swung his massive hammer, shielding Kim Jae-kyung.
Her face screamed panic.
Zeon pieced it together instantly.
She tried brainwashing the boss and flopped.
She'd tried it on Zeon before. His mental barrier held; otherwise, trouble.
Brainwashing wasn't foolproof.
Strong wills or protective items blocked it.
This was one such case.
The shouting Awakener wore a glowing blue necklace—likely his shield.
Exposed, the furious caravan crew attacked.
"You fucks dare attack us?!"
Brickston tanked hits protecting her.
Kaboom!
His heavy plate shrugged off the skill barrage.
Custom gear, top-tier physical defense.
"Kuhaha! That all you got? Tickles. Guess we'll just take it by force."
Madness gleamed in his eyes.
Plan A: brainwash the boss for cheap buys. But now? Force seemed viable.
Kim Jae-kyung urged frantically.
"We gotta bail!"
"Shut it. Failed bitch giving orders? I'm in charge now."
"You mad bear fuck. We need to retreat and fix this!"
"I ignore losers' commands."
Brickston and his crew rampaged wilder.
No one seemed able to stop him—
"That's far enough, you fanatic!"
A man as hulking as Brickston threw a punch.
Aleksandr, White Bear Caravan's leader.