Shattering Collein No-3
From the midst of the searing crimson flames, Iton burst out.
His entire body was covered in burns, his hair singed and frizzed into curls by the fire.
"You fucking bastard…."
Iton glared at Zeon with murderous eyes.
Just as Zeon wore a robe made from Leviathan hide, Iton too had his own trump card.
Beneath his completely incinerated outer clothes was a black suit.
It was a protective suit crafted from the hide of the iron-armored rhino—renowned for its top-tier defense—enhanced with Neo Seoul's technology.
Its official name was Collein No-3.
It offered excellent protection against most physical and magical attacks, making it highly sought after.
However, acquiring iron-armored rhino hide was incredibly difficult, so production was extremely limited.
Even in Neo Seoul, few people possessed a Collein No-3.
Iton had gone to great lengths to obtain this precious item and wear it. And Collein No-3 proved exactly why it commanded such a high price.
It had shielded him from flames hot enough to melt steel beads.
Without Collein No-3, Iton would have melted down to his bones.
Zeon eyed the Collein No-3 on Iton with a look of genuine curiosity.
"Surviving flames like that unscathed? Must be made from monster hide, huh?"
"Get it now? With Collein No-3 on, your fire magic can't touch me."
"Collein No-3? Neo Seoul make? Impressive stuff."
Zeon was sincerely impressed.
The fireball he'd unleashed moments ago generated heat intense enough to melt most metals. For it to perfectly protect the wearer in such extreme temperatures meant Collein No-3's defenses were extraordinary.
"You're done for!"
Iton unleashed his psychokinesis again.
At his gesture, a streetlamp ripped free from the ground.
The lamp shattered into thousands of fragments in an instant, hurtling toward Zeon.
"Try melting these too."
Iton's eyes gleamed with killing intent.
Boom boom boom boom!
Metal shards embedded themselves where Zeon had stood.
Iton had expected Zeon to be torn to shreds, but no chunks of flesh resembling the man were in sight.
Zeon had already used Sand Step to evade the attack.
Iton's eyes scanned the area, searching for Zeon.
Suddenly, a chill ran up his spine.
'Behind me?'
It wasn't something he'd confirmed with his eyes.
His instincts whispered it.
And sure enough, Zeon stood right behind him, gazing with cold eyes.
"Shit!"
As Iton spun around in panic, Zeon's fist slammed into his gut.
Thud!
"Gahk!"
Iton gaped, mouth wide, from the impact piercing through his abdomen.
Thanks to Collein No-3, there were no external wounds. But that didn't mean the shock was nullified.
With his internals crushed, Iton couldn't even think straight.
Zeon followed up with another fist to Iton's head.
Crack!
"Hng!"
The tremendous blow whipped Iton's neck around as if it might snap.
The focus in Iton's eyes had already vanished into oblivion. The successive impacts had sent his mind flying far away.
Even without the Superheat Gauntlet or his sand powers, Zeon was strong.
He'd undergone brutal training under Dayton and roamed the world for eight long years, battling countless foes.
In that time, Zeon's hand-to-hand combat prowess had skyrocketed.
Iton was no match for him barehanded.
Zeon kept hammering Iton's upper body.
Crunch!
Repeated blows finally cracked the surface of the Collein No-3.
This gave Zeon a clear measure of its defensive capabilities.
'About 50% stronger than raw iron-armored rhino hide.'
The iron-armored rhino already boasted formidable natural defenses.
Pure physical defense alone ranked it among the top ten monsters in the desert.
Enhancing that hide by over 50% was impressive tech in itself.
But it fell far short of Zeon's standards.
If he'd given the same materials to Kaili of the Mot clan, she'd have doubled the defense at minimum and enchanted special abilities into it.
Of course, what Iton wore was mass-produced, incomparable to a master artisan like Kaili.
This gave Zeon a rough gauge of Neo Seoul's technological level.
It was too early to judge based solely on Collein No-3, but it served as a benchmark.
Zeon was done with Iton.
He swung his fist down with full force.
Bang!
The Collein No-3 shattered to pieces, and Iton flopped about like a monster on the brink of death.
Zeon looked down at the defenseless Iton sprawled out.
"You know the rule, right? Fail to steal from someone, and you forfeit your life."
"F…fuck!"
Iton spat weakly.
How could he not know?
That was the law of the slums.
The weak died, and the survivor took all.
Just as Zeon's fist was about to smash into Iton's face—
"My, how hasty."
A woman's voice rang out, and suddenly Iton vanished.
Boom!
Zeon's fist cratered the empty ground instead.
Turning, Zeon saw a glamorously dressed middle-aged woman standing there.
By some means, Iton was cradled in her arms.
Zeon chuckled.
"Neat skill. Teleportation? Space magic users are rare, from what I hear."
"You know a lot. It's not my skill—just an item."
"Mind sharing what item?"
"Such a curious young man. You know trade secrets aren't for sharing."
The middle-aged woman flashed a seductive smile.
Her name was Eiba.
One of Goran's four prized lieutenants and the madam of the brothels.
She and Iton were lovers, so she was more attuned to his movements than anyone.
Eiba caressed the unconscious Iton's face.
"A man whose only good feature was his looks, and you ruin it like this. Not afraid of repercussions?"
"What's scarier than death?"
"Fearless, aren't you? Makes sense why you'd dare try to kill him…."
Her smile and allure vanished.
She stared at Zeon with the emotionless face of a doll.
She continued.
"We'll retreat for today."
"Who sent you?"
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not asking permission."
Suddenly, Eiba's form rippled like water.
"Mirror Image?"
Zeon identified the spell and unleashed flames.
Fwoosh!
The blaze swept through where Eiba and Iton had stood. But they were already gone.
She'd used the illusion to escape.
Zeon scratched his head, muttering.
"Damn, guess even a bit of rest dulled my edge."
Before entering Neo Seoul, he'd never have let this happen.
Carelessness in the desert meant death.
He'd never dropped his guard for a second. But rest in Neo Seoul had loosened him up without realizing.
Self-reproach for falling for a mere Mirror Image, Zeon moved on.
He could track them, but it wasn't efficient.
"Beat the dog, and the master will come."
Zeon shook his head slightly and entered the building.
Reaching his eighteenth-floor apartment, Zeon smirked.
Forced entry marks scarred the door.
Not even an Awakener could break it, but it slid open smoothly at Zeon's touch.
Only he could enter freely; others were barred.
Shedding his robe, Zeon sank into the sofa.
Red neon signs outside assaulted his eyes.
He stared at the view for a long while.
＊＊＊
Yuse-hui lounged deep in her chair, legs crossed.
Everyone cherishes something. For her, it was this chair.
An antique from over a century ago, predating Earth's desertification.
The leather was worn, the springs rusted and creaky. But to Yuse-hui, the sound was a soothing lullaby.
A beautiful red-haired woman in white leather, nodding off with legs crossed—it was captivating to anyone.
But Yuse-hui ignored it, lost in her own world.
She opened her eyes only much later.
"Tricky… so tricky!"
Yuse-hui sighed heavily.
Running Dokkaebi Market meant juggling countless concerns.
Protecting merchants and countering external threats demanded utmost caution.
Even last night, trouble had brewed at the market.
A minor scuffle between merchants, but she couldn't overlook it.
"Lately, these incidents are spiking. Something's stressing them out…."
She had suspicions but needed to tread carefully.
"Miss!"
A massive man in black appeared.
Heuksa-ja, Yuse-hui's bodyguard.
His arrival drew a low sigh from her.
If he interrupted her thoughts, it had to be serious.
"What is it?"
"Unusual movements in Shinchon."
"Goran?"
"Yes. Iton made a move."
"Iton—Goran's secretary, right?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"He went after that man."
"Speak plainly."
"Zeon. The man you've seen before."
Yuse-hui furrowed her brow at Heuksa-ja's reply.
Not from digging through memories.
The name was vividly etched in her mind.
"The guy who dove into the crocodile den for the mana generator? Why would Goran target him?"
Yuse-hui tilted her head.
No connection came to mind between them.
Goran ruled Shinchon, but he didn't pick fights without reason.
"What? Is there something I don't know? Why would Goran go after him…? And the outcome?"
"Iton nearly died."
"For real?"
"Eiba stepped in and barely saved him from Zeon."
"That's confirmed?"
"Yes."
"Insane! Iton’s no slouch in the slums…."
Yuse-hui was genuinely impressed.
Living in the same Shinchon, she knew Goran and his lieutenants' strengths better than most.
That's why Iton's near-defeat shocked her more.
She asked Heuksa-ja.
"How do you think Goran will respond?"
"With his lieutenants still around, probably not personally…."
"If he does, it'll be hell all over again."
Yuse-hui's voice sank low.
Back when factions vied for control, Goran had crushed rivals single-handedly to claim Shinchon.
She knew well the horrors from then.
"Why get tangled with him of all people…."
Yuse-hui truly pitied Zeon's plight.
In her eyes, his brutal end was already clear.