Clash with the Crocodile
A man with tattoos covering his face wore an incredulous expression.
"You're laughing? You think this situation is funny?"
"Can't I even laugh?"
"You've got some balls, poking out past your gut. No wonder you crawled all the way down here without a care."
The man sheathed the dagger he'd been using to trim his nails and stood up.
His massive frame loomed as he rose.
Zeon eyed him with keen interest.
The man's body was unusual.
What caught Zeon's attention was his skin.
It was rough and bumpy, like a crocodile's.
Even at a glance, the texture was nothing like human skin.
The man spoke.
"What, does my skin look weird to you? Stick around in a damp hole without a ray of sunlight, and yours'll end up like this too."
"So it's not something you were born with—it changed naturally."
"That's right!"
"Definitely intriguing. First time I've seen a case like this."
The man's face hardened at Zeon's nonchalant reply.
It was different from most people he knew.
Anyone who saw his skin and body usually recoiled in fear, averting their eyes. But Zeon looked at him like he'd spotted an amusing new toy, eyes gleaming.
This reaction was a first.
"You're a funny guy."
"Then you'll return the mana generator?"
"Sorry, can't do that. It's a rare gem, hard to come by."
"A gem?"
"Yeah! Tiny thing, but the power output is insane. Feed it high-quality magic stones, and it pumps out massive amounts of stable electricity."
"Why do you need electricity?"
"Why do you think? People need it. No power down here in the underground."
"Lots of people living underground?"
"Way more than you think."
"I see."
Zeon nodded slowly.
"So give it up. I'll put it to better use than you ever could."
"Sorry, but no. I'm a bit possessive like that."
"I've been talking shit this whole time, huh? Pissing me off. Ptui!"
The man spat a thick glob of phlegm onto Zeon's shoe.
As Zeon glanced at the mess, the man laughed.
"What, feel dirty now?"
"Not great."
"Can't get squeamish over that. We're just getting started."
The smile curling at the man's lips deepened.
Zeon stared straight at his face.
Those bright yellow eyes and bumpy skin.
"You really do look like a crocodile."
"That's why they call me Croker."
"Fits you perfectly."
Zeon nodded.
In that instant, Croker kicked off the ground.
His fist cleaved through the darkness, smashing toward Zeon.
Boom!
Zeon's body shook with the explosive impact. But Croker's fist never touched his face.
He'd blocked it with his right hand, gauntlet-clad.
Even as his attack was stopped cold, Croker didn't lose his smile.
"Not bad."
"You're no slouch either. At least C-rank, I'd say."
"Hmph!"
Croker answered with another strike.
Whoosh! Bang! Bang!
The air burst viciously under his flurry of blows.
As Zeon had guessed, Croker was a C-rank martial Awakener.
He pressed Zeon like a storm. But Zeon deflected every assault without breaking a sweat.
Croker was strong, no doubt.
He was perfectly adapted to the sewer environment.
His eyes pierced the darkness like daylight, and his skin was tough and resilient.
He could tank most hits without skills. But he'd picked the wrong opponent this time.
Among those Zeon had faced, none were weaker than Croker.
Croker thought his attacks flashy and unpredictable, but Zeon saw every move crystal clear.
As his blows kept missing, frustration crept onto Croker's face.
"You bastard! How long you gonna keep dodging?"
That was when it happened.
As if to refute him, Zeon unleashed a powerful straight punch.
Croker couldn't evade the lightning-fast strike.
He crossed his arms to block.
Boom!
"Gah!"
Croker's pained groan echoed with the blast.
He slid back, face drained white.
His arms dangled broken.
He couldn't believe it.
His bones and muscles were far tougher than any other Awakener's. Yet one punch from Zeon had snapped them.
Only then did it dawn on Croker.
Zeon was beyond what he'd imagined.
'Martial type, at least C-rank.'
On par with him, maybe a touch stronger.
If he used his hidden skills, he might win. But the opponent hadn't shown his real skills either.
There was a chance he'd lose.
His decision was swift.
To fight this guy, he needed more prep.
"Damn it!"
He chose retreat.
The mana generator mattered, but not more than his life.
Croker and his men fled toward the rear exit.
Fortunately, Zeon didn't pursue.
Before vanishing, Croker called out.
"Because of you, tons of people are gonna suffer. When those who could've lived off that generator die, it's on you."
"That's not on me—it's your incompetence. Don't push your responsibility onto me."
"Grr!"
Zeon dismissed it flatly.
Blame yourself for not buying it fair and square, not him.
Zeon's resolve wasn't soft enough to fall for that gaslighting.
"We'll meet again for sure."
With that, Croker and his crew disappeared completely.
Zeon stood still, watching where they'd gone.
A deeper, filthier sewer stretched into the darkness.
He had no intention of going in.
Eight years rolling through deserts and dungeons.
Now he wanted a cleaner place.
The underground held plenty of loot Croker's gang had stolen, but he ignored it.
He stored only the mana generator and alarm device in his subspace and headed out.
"Hoo!"
Emerging from the manhole, Zeon took a deep breath.
Outside air was the best.
He glanced around briefly before heading home.
Climbing eighteen floors was a hassle, but not for him.
Thankfully, no one had broken in while he was gone.
Zeon installed the mana generator right away.
He eyed the pyramid-shaped device, then pulled a magic stone from his subspace.
Slotting in the fist-sized stone unleashed a burst of intense light.
The generator was drawing electricity from it.
Soon the glow stabilized—proof of steady power.
The stone was from a C-rank monster, far purer and more potent than mine-extracted ones.
Stable output was inevitable.
"Nice!"
A smile tugged at Zeon's lips.
With reliable power secured, next up.
He retrieved a black gem from his subspace.
Three years back, from a conquered dungeon.
Plain-looking, but it was the dungeon's core.
That dungeon was unique—a powerful barrier.
It detected and blocked intruders, perfectly isolating inside from outside shocks.
In a way, the safest space on earth.
Zeon spent three months cracking it.
He could've brute-forced like other dungeons, but that would've ruined it.
He wanted the barrier intact.
So he studied its weaknesses and found a clean way in.
Thus, he claimed the core: this black gem.
Then he learned its true nature.
Watching Eye.
That was its official name.
A barrier core from Kurayan royalty.
Used only for key spots like vaults or the king's chambers.
Rare and hard to make—few existed.
One survived to Earth, becoming a dungeon.
Regrettably, its contents had vanished.
Zeon placed the Watching Eye atop the mana generator. Power from it flowed in.
Red lines shot out, spreading like rose stems, filling the house.
Zeon watched from the center.
The barrier was mapping the space.
The lines faded—now invisible but active, recognizing and protecting his home.
Only Zeon could enter.
As long as magic stones fed the generator, the Watching Eye would defend perfectly.
Next, he installed the alarm on the door.
Reinforced with vampire wood and sand gator hide, now with the barrier.
No average Awakener could dent it, let alone break in. The alarm meant he'd know even from outside.
A satisfied smile crossed Zeon's face.
"Now the house is finally complete."
Heuksa-ja reported to Yuse-hui.
"He's back home."
"He went into the sewer at dawn, so four hours or so?"
"Yes!"
"What do you think, oppa? Did he find the mana generator?"
"According to the watcher, he came out empty-handed."
"Empty-handed?"
"Yes! Looks like he didn't find it."
"Went in all gung-ho, but yeah, too much to hope for."
Yuse-hui stroked her chin.
News of the crocodiles stealing the mana generator had reached her.
It was Dokkaebi Market's property.
Of course she'd care.
If not the crocodiles, she'd have sent forces to reclaim it already.
The problem was their sewer hideout.
The slums' underground was far more labyrinthine than the surface.
No one knew all the facilities or tangled waterways below their feet.
Even Yuse-hui, self-proclaimed slum info queen, knew little of it.
No Awakener wanted to plunge into the stinking depths.
That's why they couldn't track Zeon inside.
Clexy's watchers on him couldn't stomach the stench and air, waiting at the manhole.
Zeon emerged empty-handed hours later, so they assumed failure.
Heuksa-ja said cautiously.
"Lately, the crocodiles have been acting up. Coming topside more often. Someone's backing them for sure."
"Figures."
No effect without cause.
Yuse-hui issued orders.
"Strengthen security at Dokkaebi Market for now. Obvious target."
"Got it."
No juicier prize in the slums.
Rare goods flowed through it.
Many had eyed Dokkaebi Market, but none seized it— for good reason.
"Time to show them what happens when they mess with Dokkaebi Market."