A Chilly Reception
'Not exactly a warm welcome.'
Zeon picked up on the frigid atmosphere hanging over the open lot.
But he didn't take it personally.
To them, he was just an outsider.
Come to think of it, he'd always been an outsider everywhere he went.
He'd visited plenty of colonies and met all sorts of people, but no one had ever rolled out the red carpet from the start.
They were wary. Suspicious.
No one flung open the locked doors of their hearts to a stranger.
Everything around them was a potential threat to survival, and people knew it all too well.
So they treated newcomers like enemies first and foremost.
Zeon was no different, which was why he never felt slighted by it.
Jack approached Zeon.
"Zeon?"
"That's me. And you?"
"Name's Jack. I'm the raid leader for the Dokkaebi Market team. You'll follow my orders from here on out."
"Got it."
"I know you've got some impressive skills. But that doesn't mean you get to go rogue. While we're clearing the dungeon, stick to my commands."
"Understood."
Zeon gave his answers without a hint of backtalk.
Jack looked genuinely surprised.
The stronger the Awakener, the more they tended to do their own thing. He'd laid down the law a bit harshly upfront to establish discipline, but Zeon's easy compliance threw him off.
Jack studied Zeon's face closely, but the deep hood of his robe made it impossible to read.
'Types like this are the tricky ones. Not easy to control.'
He masked his thoughts and called out to the Inazuma team.
"Everyone's here. We can head out."
"Then let's move."
Inazuma's leader, Kouji, replied indifferently and started walking.
A row of buggies waited where he headed—desert-modified vehicles loaded with gear.
The Inazuma raid team, Jack's group, and the other slum Awakeners piled into their buggies and rolled out.
A convoy snaking through the dunes.
Dosuyeol, riding in Jack's buggy with Zeon, spoke up.
"Damn, it's hot as hell. You not sweating buckets, bro?"
His question was aimed at Zeon.
Zeon gazed out at the desert as he answered.
"It's bearable."
"Some kinda item?"
Dosuyeol's eyes flicked to Zeon's robe.
The coat-like robe looked expensive at a glance—no wear and tear, gleaming with luster.
Not a speck of dust despite the sandstorm, so he'd guessed as much.
Zeon nodded.
"Yeah."
"Clean magic plus temp control? Which workshop's work?"
Neo Seoul had no shortage of workshops, each with their specialties. Knowing the maker let you guess the specs.
Little bits of info like that added up to big advantages later.
As point man for Jack's team, Dosuyeol made a habit of collecting it.
"Friend of mine made it."
"Ho! Custom job?"
"You could say that."
"Which shop? Any good? Might hit 'em up myself if they are."
"Decent enough. But I can't really recommend. They're not from around here."
"Outsider?"
"Talking this much dried out my throat."
Zeon took a swig of water instead of answering.
The message was clear: conversation over.
Dosuyeol got the hint.
'Knows how to dodge, huh? Doesn't matter—he'll spill everything eventually.'
They'd be on guard now, but once inside the dungeon, they'd rely on him. Reliance bred psychological pressure, and people let info slip without realizing.
Dosuyeol had scored plenty that way before.
He was confident it'd work again.
Zeon ignored him entirely, eyes on the desert.
It was his first time venturing this far out since entering Neo Seoul.
Maybe that's why the hot sand-laden wind felt refreshing.
It'd torment anyone else, but not him.
If anything, the sand caressed him pleasantly.
Suddenly, Zeon felt a prickling stare.
It came from the Inazuma buggy.
Specifically, an old man named Shuhan, sniffing the air like he was trying to gather intel on Zeon.
Snap!
Zeon flicked his fingers lightly.
A blinding flash erupted around him.
"Agh!"
Shuhan clutched his nose and yelped.
The intense heat in the flash had temporarily numbed his sense of smell.
Kouji asked Shuhan.
"What?"
"Tried sniffing out his info..."
"And?"
"Blasted my nose with heat. Numbed it."
"Permanent?"
"Just temporary."
"Good enough."
"But..."
"Tajik's got eyes on him. Means he's got skills."
Kouji's gaze on Zeon turned icy.
Behind that chill lurked raw killing intent.
'Tajik said gauge him. Recruit if he's worth it. Kill if not.'
A cold smile tugged at Kouji's lips.
Dozens had met their end on Tajik's orders.
All of them offered their necks to the katana at his side.
Kouji figured this one would be no different.
The convoy tore across the desert at high speed.
Rattle-rattle!
Just twenty kilometers in, and the engines were already straining.
The sand was taking its toll.
Magic and tech had advanced far, but the desert sands remained unconquered.
Long hauls by vehicle demanded a mechanic on board. Without one, breakdowns were unfixable.
Especially for these light rigs.
That's why their range stayed pinned near Neo Seoul.
'A new dungeon, huh? Been a while since one popped up around here, right?'
Sand limited Awakener ops, so they stuck to local gates.
Neo Seoul's nearby dungeons had been scraped clean ages ago.
Kouji asked Yuri beside him.
"Dungeon type?"
"Confirmed cave-type for now."
"Cave? Could be a maze."
"High chance, yeah."
"A maze would be a pain."
"Shuhan's key then. Guides are everything in mazes."
Kouji glanced at Shuhan.
"You got this?"
"Leave it to me, boss!"
Shuhan boasted, his smell fully back.
They spoke softly, but every word reached Zeon crystal clear.
'Maze dungeon, huh. I've cleared my share of those.'
Few in Neo Seoul had tackled more dungeons than him.
Since Dayton's death, he'd plunged into countless ones—sometimes by choice, sometimes not.
That experience was his edge.
Zeon trusted himself not to flinch at any dungeon.
Then the buggies slowed.
Ahead, under a massive dune, a group guarded the entrance.
The Awakeners holding the new dungeon.
Kouji hopped out and approached.
"Status?"
"No changes. Same as discovery."
"Good. Lucky break."
Some dungeons shifted types, but those showed signs at the gate.
These guards were Neo Seoul vets—solid judgment.
Kouji issued orders.
"Ten minutes, then we enter. Final gear checks, everyone."
"Yes sir!"
Inazuma checked their kit.
Jack's team and the slum Awakeners sat and did the same.
Dungeons were no joke.
Who knew what lurked inside?
Checking twice, thrice—never too much.
While all bustled, Zeon alone paced the entrance.
"Cave-type..."
A deep furrow creased his brow for some reason.
He asked a guarding Awakener.
"Anyone gone in?"
"You're the first. Why ask?"
"Just curious."
Then—
"Hey, you scrawny freak."
A gravelly voice called Zeon out.
It was Byron, one of Inazuma's, axe slung over his shoulder, glaring.
"Me?"
"Who else looks like a freak around here?"
"What do you want?"
"Why ain't you checking gear? You planning to go in like that?"
"What's wrong with this?"
Zeon spread his arms.
Byron's glare sharpened.
"No armor?"
"You're barely wearing rags yourself."
"I'm a barbarian. Don't need armor. This axe is plenty."
"I don't need extra gear either."
"Mage?"
"That what you're dying to know? You'll see inside."
"Tch! Cocky little shit."
Byron's face twisted.
Barbarian aura crushed down on Zeon.
But Zeon's face stayed steady.
Kouji grabbed Byron's shoulder.
"Enough."
"But boss..."
"Save it for the dungeon."
"Grr... fine."
Byron backed off, scowling.
Kouji eyed Zeon.
"My man's out of line."
"No big deal."
"He's not wrong, though. Dungeons are deadly. Prep as much as you can."
"I know."
"Skipping it means you're that confident, right?"
"Yes."
Kouji's eyes sharpened at Zeon's reply.
"Gutsy. But listen."
"Yeah?"
"Don't disappoint me in there. The second you do, you're dead by my hand."
Kouji's icy words froze nearby faces.
The air dropped a few degrees from the sheer chill.
Even Jack felt it.
'That's Inazuma's leader aura? Chilling.'
He figured Zeon felt the same.
But Zeon's face wore a faint smile.
"Won't happen."