The Raided Delivery
A mature woman's fragrance wafted into his nostrils.
This was the first time a woman had brought her face so close to his.
Zeon struggled to maintain his composure as he asked,
"Do you know old man Clexy?"
"Know him? I'm itching to wring his neck."
"That serious, huh?"
"If I could, that is."
Yuse-hui's eyes gleamed coldly.
The playful demeanor she'd shown while chewing out the merchants moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
If Zeon had been an ordinary person, her overwhelming presence would have left him unable to breathe.
Fortunately, Zeon was no ordinary man, nor was he weak enough to be cowed by a glare like that.
Yuse-hui also realized Zeon wasn't your average joe.
Above all, Clexy wouldn't hand a precious card like that to just anyone.
"How'd you meet old man Clexy?"
"Would you believe it was by chance?"
"Looks like you're not planning to tell me."
"Figured as much—you don't believe me."
"It's not you I don't trust. It's Clexy. That old fox would never give a valuable card to some random stranger he bumped into."
"He's pretty sly, yeah."
"And you seem just as crafty."
"Me?"
Zeon put on an innocent, wronged expression.
Yuse-hui studied his face intently.
At the very least, she had to admit one thing.
She couldn't read his true intentions from his face alone.
Zeon hid himself thoroughly.
She might uncover something with her unique skill, but she didn't feel like going that far.
The skill was so powerful that the backlash from using it was no joke.
If Clexy had sent him, he wasn't the type to harm Dokkaebi Market, at least.
"What's your name?"
"Zeon."
"Where do you live?"
"You doing a background check now?"
"Yup! Gonna answer or what?"
"In the Ant Den."
"Shinchon?"
"Yeah!"
"Guess I'll be seeing you around, then. Alright, off you go."
Yuse-hui waved him away like she was shooing a fly.
Zeon gave her a slight bow.
"Then..."
Yuse-hui watched Zeon's retreating figure disappear into the crowd with sharp eyes.
Heuksa-ja spoke quietly.
"Should I tail him?"
"Nah! Clexy's probably already got someone on it. We can just share intel—no need to waste our own manpower."
"Understood."
Heuksa-ja nodded in agreement.
He knew Clexy as well as Yuse-hui did.
How meticulous and tenacious the old man was.
Yuse-hui started walking again.
"Things have been chaotic inside and outside the colony lately. Heard a pack of flame wolves attacked an armored bus a few days ago?"
"Yes! Monster packs are appearing closer and closer to Neo Seoul. Looks like the rumors about the city's anti-monster field weakening are true."
What set Neo Seoul apart from other colonies was its powerful anti-monster field.
No one knew why, but a potent aura enveloped Neo Seoul, instilling fear in monsters and keeping them at bay.
Thanks to it, humans could develop the city free from monster threats.
Neo Seoul amplified the field through magic arrays, extending its reach dozens of kilometers.
This protected not just the city but the slums too.
The field had bought humanity time to build and advance.
But for some reason, Neo Seoul's anti-monster field was gradually weakening.
People pointed to monsters appearing ever closer to the city as proof.
It was unthinkable in the old days.
Back then, hunting parties had to venture far from Neo Seoul.
Now, monsters lurked not far from the walls.
The fear that once kept them away was fading into memory.
Yuse-hui gazed at the skyscrapers piercing the sky beyond the massive walls in the distance.
That was where Neo Seoul's rulers held court.
"What the hell are they doing in there to let the anti-monster field weaken? Have they already forgotten that day's lesson?"
Her voice was thick with concern.
Zeon left Dokkaebi Market and walked down Yeonnam-ro.
Meeting Yuse-hui, the market's owner, had been outside his expectations.
Zeon figured she was incredibly strong.
No delay at all when unleashing that lightning magic.
Most magic required some preparation time.
Magic was the manifestation of imagery.
Turning the picture in your mind into reality—that was magic.
Manifesting imagery took time.
The more talented shortened it drastically, but the untalented inevitably lagged.
But Yuse-hui showed no such gap.
She summoned lightning the instant she willed it—and calibrated perfectly so neither Taeo nor Brixon was hurt, just forced back.
Unleashing the devastating power of lightning magic without harming either side spoke volumes of her talent.
He didn't know her exact rank, but she was at least B-rank, no doubt.
That put her near untouchable in the slums.
Even more impressive was her guard, Heuksa-ja.
Heuksa-ja exuded an aura so intense it made even Zeon flinch slightly.
His body overflowed with aura, leaking out involuntarily.
He was the first martial Awakener of that caliber Zeon had seen in the slums.
Heuksa-ja had snapped Zeon out of underestimating the slums a bit.
That alone made the trip worthwhile.
Zeon was glad he'd visited Dokkaebi Market.
Using it from now on would keep him informed on slum happenings.
"Whew!"
Back home, Zeon shed his robe.
The place still felt empty.
Just a bed and sofa—nothing else.
The bulb flickered unstably.
Unreliable power supply.
But a small magic power generator would change that.
Self-sufficient power meant lights, appliances—real civilization.
Zeon sank onto the sofa, waiting for delivery.
They'd said today, so it shouldn't be long.
Then—
Boom!
A massive explosion rocked the building like it might collapse any second. Windows shattered, glass flying indoors.
Zeon frowned and stood.
Beyond the broken window, the intersection lay in ruins.
A truck burned at the center.
Clearly hit by an attack.
Common enough here; Zeon tried to ignore it.
But the emblem on the wrecked truck changed that.
It was Dokkaebi Market's symbol.
A Dokkaebi delivery truck had been ambushed.
A vehicle coming here at this hour...?
A bad premonition hit Zeon.
He leaped out the window without hesitation.
Eighteenth floor.
No hesitation.
As he plummeted, sand surged from a street pile like a pillar, cushioning him softly.
Sand absorbed the impact.
No one saw—everyone gawked at the burning truck.
Zeon shoved through the crowd to the vehicle.
Fierce flames roared.
Keeping people at bay.
Greed lit their faces.
"Fuck! Bet there's good shit inside."
"If only the fire died down a bit."
No thought of extinguishing it.
Just how to loot it.
No one condemned them.
That was the slums.
Zeon pushed past, entering the inferno.
Flames engulfed him—harmlessly.
He reached the cab.
Two corpses melting in the driver and passenger seats.
One was the Dokkaebi merchant Zeon had dealt with.
A long slash across the throat.
Killed before the blast.
Zeon scowled, circling to the cargo hold.
Doors wide open, spewing fire.
Smoke obscured vision, but Zeon saw clearly: empty.
"Hah."
Zeon sighed.
His magic power generator—stolen.
Dead merchant meant no compensation.
"Which bastards...?"
His eyes sharpened.
He'd wanted a quiet life, overlooking minor crap.
But this? His generator hijacked? Unforgivable.
He'd hunt the attackers, punish them, reclaim it.
First: identify them.
Zeon scanned the burning truck.
Spotted a metal shard nearby—not truck debris.
Charred surface etched with "FB130—". Rest illegible, but enough.
Someone ambushed, killed merchant and guard, stole generator, blew the truck to erase evidence.
Dokkaebi investigators would assume it burned up—never suspect theft.
Good thing Zeon arrived before flames consumed all.
He turned from the blaze.
No point asking greedy gawkers.
Street bottom-feeders knew the underbelly.
Zeon knew where to find them.
He headed to the shadiest alleys.
Seemed chaotic, but had its own addresses.
Hard to navigate without long-time knowledge.
Zeon followed memory.
Through alleys, to a warehouse on a big building's first floor.
He entered without knocking.
"What the—?"
"Who the fuck enters without permission?"
Fierce reactions.
Men of shady vibe lounged inside.
Killing intent toward the intruder.
But it vanished at Zeon's face.
"Gasp!"
"Him?"
Faces paled.
Red Skull Gang's den.
The pale ones: Jo Sang-hyeok and his crew.
Boss Jo Sang-hyeok stammered,
"B-Brother? Wh-what brings you here? W-we haven't done anything wrong..."
Zeon said to him,
"Got some questions. Got a minute?"
"Of course!"
Jo Sang-hyeok nodded like lightning.