Encounter with the Desert Elves
The world had changed like this, monsters had appeared, and heteromorphs had shown up too.
They resembled humans in some ways but were utterly different in others.
They weren't an evolution or mutation of existing humanity—they were an entirely new race.
Humans had dubbed these sudden arrivals "heteromorphs."
Some heteromorphs were said to live inside Neo Seoul. But Zeon had never seen them.
There had originally been quite a few, but decades ago, some incident had wiped out most of them.
The few survivors had sealed themselves off inside the city, strictly forbidding any contact with the outside. That was why Zeon, living in the slums, had never had a chance to see them.
This was his first time laying eyes on a heteromorph.
The pointed ears were the hallmark of elves among the heteromorphs.
These elves had suddenly appeared in this world one day, originally possessing snow-white skin. But influenced by the environment, it had now darkened to a deep tan.
The elves who appeared out of nowhere carried bows and arrows, with swords sheathed at their waists.
They clambered straight up onto the rock where Dayton and Zeon were resting—and spotted the two men.
"Humans!"
"Perfect. Toss 'em to that thing as bait. It'll distract it."
"But how?"
"We survive first, worry later."
Amid the divided opinions, the elves nocked arrows and aimed at Zeon and Dayton. They issued threats.
"Get down from the rock, humans!"
"Climb down if you don't wanna die."
"Sorry, humans!"
"Move!"
Zeon could only stare in disbelief at the elves' threats.
Elves were commonly seen as a noble race. Their striking appearance and icy aura contributed to that image.
Zeon had harbored some romantic notions about elves too—now utterly shattered.
That was when it happened.
Thud! Thud!
A heavy thudding of footsteps echoed.
The sound alone revealed an enormous bulk.
Urgency flashed across the elves' faces.
"It's close. Hurry—toss the humans to lure it."
"Damn it! Chasing us all the way here."
"Get down now, humans!"
The elves drew their bowstrings to the limit, the limbs bending like full moons.
Instead of replying, Zeon glanced at Dayton.
Ever since the elves appeared, Dayton's demeanor had turned ominous.
He'd been nonchalant during monster attacks or scavenger assaults. But now, long-dormant madness gleamed in his eyes.
Oblivious, the elves kept threatening Dayton.
As Zeon swallowed dryly at the brewing tension—
One impatient elf released.
Twang!
An arrow shot right in front of Dayton's face. But it didn't pierce his skull as the elf had hoped.
Dayton's massive hand had already caught it.
The elf who fired gaped at the impossible sight.
Crunch!
The arrow crumbled to dust in Dayton's grip.
"What the—?"
"Filthy vermin race!"
Dayton lunged, seizing the elf's face.
His giant hand engulfed it completely.
"Mmph!"
The elf thrashed, trying to pry it off. But it was futile against Dayton's monstrous strength.
The other elves shouted at the sight.
"You bastard!"
"Let go of him, human!"
Then—
Crack!
The elf's head shattered like a cookie in Dayton's grasp.
Blood and brains sprayed.
Flecks splattered the faces of the elves rushing to save their comrade.
Their bodies froze at the horrific instant.
Shing!
Dayton yanked Clayon from the ground.
"You lot are always like this. Human lives mean nothing if it saves your hides. That's why the world's gone to shit."
The darkness around him churned with his emanating madness.
"Ugh!"
"What is this?"
The elves snapped out of it and recoiled in terror.
They'd never encountered such terrifying bloodlust and insanity in their lives.
Then—
Thud!
With the heavy footfall, the beast that had driven the elves here appeared.
A colossal lizard, five meters at the shoulder, over fifteen meters from head to tail.
Two massive horns protruded from its head, and its tail ended in a mace studded with spines.
As the giant lizard moved, a shhhrk! rasped from the black scales covering its body.
The elves called this beast Megalania—and feared it.
A red aura cloaked Megalania's form.
Equivalent to a martial-type Awakener in humans.
Proof of its overwhelming physical prowess.
Its scales boasted immense durability and magic resistance, impervious to the elves' primary weapons: bows and spells.
A true predator of elves.
Thus, elves fled upon encountering Megalania. But escape was tough—its keen sense of smell tracked them relentlessly.
They'd fled toward the rock where Zeon and Dayton rested precisely because of it.
Ssssk!
Megalania's long, forked tongue flicked from its maw.
Its vertically slit eyes fixed on the elves and humans atop the rock.
Two extra meals. A windfall for the beast.
Dayton's gaze shifted to Megalania.
"A mere monster dares...?"
He swung Clayon horizontally.
For an instant, Zeon felt the world cleaving in two—a dizzying vertigo. The elves felt it too.
It wasn't an illusion.
Slash!
The fifteen-meter behemoth split in half, collapsing into the desert.
Its vaunted scales and B-rank-plus blue aura were paper-thin before Clayon.
"My god!"
"Insane!"
The elves' eyes bulged at the unbelievable scene.
Megalania was a B-rank monster.
B-rank monsters outclassed B-rank Awakeners.
Size mattered among living beings, and B-rank beasts were house-sized.
Hunting them required teams of B-rank Awakeners or professional raid squads.
Megalania was boss-tier in any dungeon.
Its defense ranked among the desert's top three monsters.
Matchups existed between species, and it was the elves' worst nightmare.
No wonder it was their natural predator.
Watching such a monster bisected like paper by Dayton's single swing was utterly unreal.
Who the hell is this guy?
The elves had dropped into this land one day.
They'd originally lived in lush, forested realms—unable to survive without them.
Exposed to the desert, countless perished. But the survivors adapted, slowly rebuilding their numbers.
They called themselves "desert elves."
Desert elves viewed humans as inferior, contemptible.
That's why they'd tried using Dayton and Zeon as Megalania bait. Yet one of those "laughable" humans possessed unimaginable power.
Crunch!
Dayton seized a pensive elf by the throat.
"Looks like you've got a village nearby. Where?"
"Guhk!"
Roooar!
A terrifying aura poured from Dayton's body.
Even Zeon nearby felt his guts churning, barely holding focus. The elves facing it directly fared worse—especially the one throttled, blood trickling from every orifice.
Dayton demanded again.
"Where? Your village."
"Grrk! Why the hell should I...?"
"Answer me, you intruders!"
The choked elf clamped his mouth shut.
He sensed bottomless hatred toward elves from this human.
Instinct screamed not to reveal the village.
Snap!
The elf's neck twisted instantly.
Dayton snapped it without hesitation.
He tossed the corpse aside and eyed the rest.
"Ugh!"
"D-devil!"
The elves, having lost comrades in seconds, collapsed, pissing themselves.
Zeon, snapping to his senses late, tried intervening.
"Hold on. Just stop a sec."
"Shut your trap, you bitchin' idiot!"
"No, don't we need to know why? Why the elves...?"
Zeon couldn't finish.
Boom!
An explosion hurled his body backward.
Dayton's fist had slammed his gut.
Zeon tumbled across the sand, vomiting blood.
Ignoring him, Dayton advanced on the remaining elves.
"Where's your village?"
"Ugh! Like we'd tell...?"
"We don't know."
They shook their heads desperately.
Dayton glared with mad eyes.
One elf, unable to meet them, averted his gaze.
Dayton bared white teeth in a grin.
"Over there, huh."
His eyes locked precisely where the elf had looked.
"N-no!"
Whoosh!
Before the denial ended, Clayon swept.
"Argh!"
"Gack!"
The elves cleaved in two, lifeless.
Boom!
Having slaughtered them all in a flash, Dayton rocketed toward the presumed village direction.
Breaking the sound barrier, a sonic boom erupted.
"Krrk!"
The eardrum-rattling shockwave roused Zeon.
By the time he rose, Dayton was a distant speck.
"That old bastard..."
Zeon rubbed his chest.
At least he'd pulled punches—no broken bones.
Thanks partly to Kaili's breastplate.
He knew Dayton always simmered with madness. But this explosive outburst was new.
What grudge does he have against heteromorphs?
It screamed deep-seated vendetta.
The elves' corpses were gruesome.
First time seeing elves alive—or dead.
"Fuck!"
His stomach roiled.
He still wasn't used to such sights.
Zeon fought nausea, staring where Dayton vanished.
"Fucking old prick."
He activated Sand Step.
Crossing the midnight desert was suicidal, but now wasn't the time for caution.
Zeon pursued Dayton.