Harsh Welcome at the Magistone Mine
Cha Dong-seok was a D-rank martial Awakener dispatched from Neo Seoul to the Magistone Mine.
His mission was to patrol the area around the mine, identify threats, and eliminate them.
"Goddamn it!"
Dust had caked up on his goggles, making it hard to see.
It was because of the sand that blew incessantly at random times.
Cha Dong-seok took off his goggles and roughly wiped them with his sleeve, grumbling.
"This fucking sand... can't someone do something about it? I have to clean my goggles every ten minutes."
"The whole world's turned to sand—what can you do? Can't scoop it all out. Just put up with it like the boss does. Heh heh!"
His subordinate snickered at him.
"Shit! If I could, I'd scoop out even more. It's just not possible."
"If that were possible for a human? Even a god couldn't do it."
"Gods are probably all dead too. If they existed, would the world have gone to hell like this?"
Cha Dong-seok put his goggles back on and looked up at the sky.
They said it used to be so blue back then, but now it was just yellowish.
Come to think of it, he'd never seen a blue sky even once. So he couldn't believe the stories about how blue it used to be.
"I wish I could see a blue sky before I croak."
"Heh heh! You think that's gonna happen? Give up on that dream early."
"You bastard! Can't I even dream?"
Smack!
Cha Dong-seok smacked the back of his subordinate's head. Still, the guy just kept grinning slyly.
The subordinate said,
"How about we head back now? Sun's about to set soon."
"Got it. Turn the buggy around."
"Yes, sir!"
It was just as his subordinate was about to turn the wheel.
Something out of place caught Cha Dong-seok's eye.
"Hold up! Stop."
"What's up?"
"Over there—isn't that a person?"
"Huh? What nonsense. A person in the middle of the desert...? Shit! There is."
His subordinate's eyes went wide.
Far off, atop a sand dune, figures were approaching.
They were too distant to make out faces yet, but they were definitely human-shaped.
"Scavengers?"
"No scavenger groups operate around here."
"Still, we don't know, so get ready to fight anytime and drive toward them."
"Got it!"
There were five of them in the buggy, including Cha Dong-seok.
They prepared for combat and sped the vehicle forward.
Moments later, they encountered the mysterious group.
Two men and one woman, plus a double-humped camel—the kind scavengers often used for transport.
Dust coated their heads and shoulders thickly.
Cha Dong-seok stopped the buggy in front of them and shouted,
"This is the magistone mine under Neo Seoul management. Halt and state your identity."
"Magistone mine? Then we've come to the right place."
The woman lit up and looked at Cha Dong-seok.
Blonde hair, blue eyes—a stunning beauty.
The men's gazes in the buggy locked onto her.
Though it must have been burdensome, the woman casually revealed her identity.
"My name is Mandy Sistine. I'm a super supervisor with Neo Seoul, dispatched south with Pathfinder 7 Team for monster ecology research."
"Pathfinder 7 Team's super supervisor?"
Cha Dong-seok's eyes wavered.
Pathfinder teams were elite combat units.
Their strength, focused on exploration, was incomparable to patrols like themselves at the mine.
If she really was a super supervisor with a Pathfinder team, she outranked him for sure.
"Can you prove your identity?"
"If you contact Neo Seoul, they'll confirm right away."
"Hmph!"
At that moment, the man on the double-humped camel spoke up.
"I vouch for her identity."
"And who are you?"
"Kim Sang-sik, mechanic dispatched with the Pathfinder teams. Here's my access card."
Unlike Mandy, Kim Sang-sik carried his access card everywhere due to frequent visits to key facilities.
Cha Dong-seok checked Kim Sang-sik's access card.
It's legit!
Access cards couldn't be stolen or forged.
They reacted to the holder's biometric waves, allowing entry to major facilities.
Cha Dong-seok's gaze shifted to the last man.
"And you?"
"He's with us. I vouch for him."
Mandy stepped forward to guarantee Zeon's identity.
Zeon flipped back the hat on his head and looked at Cha Dong-seok.
"Zeon. From the slums."
"Slums?"
Disdain flashed across Cha Dong-seok's face for a moment.
Reacting to the word "slums."
In Neo Seoul, slum origins meant criminal treatment.
Especially for slum Awakeners—they got viewed through tinted glasses.
Not everyone, but many were tied to crime syndicates. Plus, without Neo Seoul registration, identities were unverified.
Slum Awakeners were at the center of many crimes.
Hence the bad rep.
Kim Sang-sik said,
"He's not dangerous. I vouch for him too."
"Hmph! Understood for now. But once inside the magistone mine, you'll be quarantined. Please understand."
"Got it."
Kim Sang-sik nodded.
Cha Dong-seok pointed to the back seats of the buggy.
"All three of you, get in. We're heading to the magistone mine."
"Finally, a ride."
"We're saved."
Joy lit up Mandy and Kim Sang-sik's faces.
They'd been walking for over a fortnight.
They'd alternated riding the double-humped camel to conserve energy, but the pain hadn't lessened.
Their bodies ached all over.
They wanted to get to the magistone mine fast and rest easy.
The two hurried into the buggy.
Unlike them, Zeon didn't board right away. He approached the double-humped camel.
"You've worked hard. Now live free."
Zeon whispered as he removed the saddle strapped to its back.
The double-humped camel closed its eyes and leaned its face against Zeon's.
It looked like they were communing.
In truth, they'd traveled together for quite a while. But now that Zeon was entering Neo Seoul, parting was right.
"Farewell!"
At Zeon's words, the camel let out a loud snort and bolted into the desert.
Zeon watched its retreating figure briefly, then climbed into the buggy.
A year with Dayton, then seven years wandering alone.
Eight years since he'd last ridden in a vehicle. It felt strange.
"Let's move out."
At Cha Dong-seok's order, the buggy started.
Zeon closed his eyes, feeling the vehicle's vibrations.
Mandy and Kim Sang-sik watched him with complicated expressions.
He really made it safely all the way near Neo Seoul.
Is this even possible?
The fortnight with Zeon felt like a dream.
They'd faced countless dangers en route.
Sometimes massive monsters, other times near-sandpit disasters. But Zeon had sidestepped every threat by a hair's breadth, as if sensing them ahead.
Walking the sands was tough, but they'd never been in true mortal peril.
They knew how absurd that was.
Surviving intact was a miracle in itself. And Zeon had made that miracle.
No wonder they gazed at him with awe.
Zeon, oblivious or not to their stares, stuck his head out the window and looked ahead.
Far off, a rocky mountain rose starkly from the desert.
The magistone mine.
Such a nostalgic sight after eight long years.
Back here again.
He hadn't thought he'd return when he left.
Back then, just following Dayton had been overwhelming.
The massive gate opened, revealing the magistone mine city's interior.
The city looked unchanged after eight years.
Almost nothing had changed.
Cha Dong-seok got out and said to Mandy and Kim Sang-sik,
"I'll escort you two to lodging."
"What about him?"
Mandy pointed at Zeon.
"Slum folk have separate quarters."
"He's with our group."
"Sorry. Mine rules."
Cha Dong-seok was firm.
Mandy started to protest, but Zeon spoke first.
"I'm fine. Go rest easy."
"But..."
"No need to worry about me. As you know, I can sleep anywhere."
"Alright."
With Zeon like that, Mandy had no choice.
She and Kim Sang-sik followed Cha Dong-seok to lodging.
One Awakener said to Zeon,
"You, follow me."
His attitude, tone, eyes—all sharp as blades.
"Sure thing."
Zeon smiled and followed.
The Awakener didn't say a word the whole way.
An awkward situation, but Zeon's expression didn't change.
The place he was led to was a rundown lodging deep in the mine city.
Creeeak!
Opening the door revealed people waiting inside.
All Cha Dong-seok's subordinates.
Thud!
The door shut, and the Awakener who'd brought Zeon spoke.
"Slum rat, huh?"
"Yeah?"
"How'd a slum rat end up with them? What's your purpose at the mine?"
"Purpose?"
"You with the scavengers?"
He treated Zeon like a criminal.
The other Awakeners surrounded him, creating a menacing vibe. But Zeon answered without flinching.
"No ties to scavengers."
"Then why come to the mine?"
"You got permission for this?"
"What?"
"Even if I'm from the slums, I'm still with a super supervisor. Can you handle that?"
"What the fuck? You think that bitch can protect you? Hell, toss you underground and no one finds you. So spill nice when we're being nice. Or better—show your rank badge."
The wrist rank badge was the surest way to check class and rank. That's why it was taboo among Awakeners.
They were breaking that taboo now.
Meaning they saw Zeon as a joke.
The Awakener roughly grabbed Zeon's wrist.
"What's this? Gauntlets? Take 'em off."
He tried to force off Zeon's gauntlet.
Something he'd never do against an equal.
The others just watched, not stopping him.
They saw the slum rat as laughable.
"Haha!"
Zeon laughed at the absurdity. The Awakener gripping his wrist scowled harder.
"What? Asshole! Laughing? I look funny to you?"
"Yeah! Pretty funny."
"You little shit..."
Crack!
A chilling bone-crunching sound echoed.
Mid-curse, the Awakener looked down at his wrist.
The arm he'd used to yank Zeon's gauntlet was snapped clean, dangling limp. Zeon had done it somehow.
Realizing too late, the Awakener screamed.
"Arghhh!"
"Didn't learn that grabbing rank badges snaps wrists? Disappointing."
The room's air turned ice-cold at Zeon's words.
"This fucker..."
"He's nuts."
The Awakeners drew weapons.
Zeon smiled at them.
"Guess none of you learned."