Prove Your Worth
The man stepped into the elevator.
The magic-powered elevator carried him silently to the 50th floor, the highest level of City Hall.
He'd heard it was made by fusing the magic of Gris with science, but he didn't know the details and didn't care.
Everything in Neo Seoul operated this way.
A perfect blend of magic and science for maximum efficiency.
It was a necessity in an era of scarce resources.
With most of the land turned to desert, even sourcing stone—let alone concrete—was no easy task.
The bulk of Neo Seoul's materials came from the ruins of old Seoul, destroyed a century ago.
They built with those remnants, Awakeners like enchanters reinforced the structures, and magic-wielding Awakeners created all the conveniences.
Thus, City Hall became the heart of Neo Seoul.
The elevator whisked the man to the 50th floor in an instant.
Stepping out, he removed his deeply pulled-down hat, revealing the face of a man in his early to mid-forties.
An emotionless, icy expression with unfocused eyes.
He had a distinctive aura and appearance that no one could forget after a single glance.
After removing his hat, the man knocked lightly on the door and spoke.
"It's Lee Jung-ho."
"Come in."
A moment later, a deep, resonant voice answered from inside, and the door opened.
As Lee Jung-ho entered, a vast space unfolded before him.
A floor-to-ceiling window offered a panoramic view of Neo Seoul, a massive desk sat in the center, and bookshelves lined the walls, packed with volumes.
But the most striking sight was the man standing before the window.
A middle-aged man gazing down at Neo Seoul with his hands clasped behind his back.
Even from behind, the man in his suit exuded an air of leisure.
Lee Jung-ho bowed his head to the man.
"I've completed the mission and returned."
"Good work."
The middle-aged man turned around.
His features were sharp: blue eyes, neatly combed-back hair, and a stylish beard along his jaw and upper lip.
The man's name was Jin Geum-ho.
He was the mayor of Neo Seoul.
Jin Geum-ho asked,
"Was it difficult?"
"The conditions aligned perfectly, so it wasn't too hard."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"Here are the wings of the Queen Ghost Dragonfly and the Rainbow Pendant."
Lee Jung-ho pulled two items from his subspace and handed them to Jin Geum-ho.
Jin Geum-ho barely glanced at the Rainbow Pendant, his eyes fixed solely on the Queen Ghost Dragonfly's wings.
The wings floated gently in the air on their own, like dandelion seeds.
"Defying gravity like that—definitely the real deal."
A faint smile curved Jin Geum-ho's lips.
"I'm relieved I didn't disappoint."
"You've never disappointed me once. That's why I can entrust you with any task."
"Thank you."
"No other issues?"
"The secondary raid team arrived sooner than expected, but even if we'd crossed paths, it wouldn't have been a problem."
"I imagine not."
Jin Geum-ho nodded.
He knew Lee Jung-ho's confidence wasn't bravado.
Jin Geum-ho commanded a unit called the Numbers—an execution squad.
Killing machines that staked their lives only on his orders.
Lee Jung-ho was one of them.
He was a martial-type Awakener, a swordsman among swordsmen.
A-rank.
That alone would satisfy most Awakeners.
But not him.
He desperately wanted to reach S-rank.
Ordinary methods wouldn't get him there.
So he blinded himself.
To acquire the Heart Eye skill.
He believed the fusion of Heart Eye and swordsmanship would propel him to higher ranks.
Yet he still hadn't reached true S-rank.
Somewhere between A and S.
To break through fully, he needed another catalyst—but he didn't know what it was.
Jin Geum-ho said,
"You've worked hard. Rest up."
"No need. If there's a new mission, assign it to me."
"You won't need to move for a while."
"Understood. Call me anytime if needed."
"I will."
After Lee Jung-ho left, Jin Geum-ho was alone.
Gazing down at Neo Seoul, he muttered,
"Heavenly Punishment—so it begins with this first step."
"Huff! Huff!"
"Damn it!"
Returning to the Hell Mole boss room, the first thing Zeon saw was the sprawled-out Awakeners.
The Inazuma raid team and Jack's raid team lay on the floor, gasping raggedly.
While Zeon dealt with the Ghost Dragonflies, they'd tackled the Hell Mole boss—and somehow taken it down.
But the cost was heavy.
Both teams had casualties. Compared to the slum Awakeners, though, they got off light.
Most of the slum Awakeners were dead or gravely wounded.
Still, the survivors' faces weren't grim. They'd slain the Hell Mole boss, after all.
The living would claim the shares of the dead.
That was the privilege of raid team survivors.
Kouji, catching his breath, spotted Zeon.
"Where the hell were you? We couldn't see you."
"Mana ran dry, so I fell back for a bit."
Kouji frowned at Zeon's reply.
Zeon's contribution had been huge in downing the Hell Mole boss.
Without his Fire Rain, they'd still be exhausting themselves on the endless Ghost Dragonfly larvae.
A skill powerful enough to incinerate them all at once would naturally drain his mana completely.
But a nagging unease lingered, like food stuck between his teeth.
Kouji forced his gaze away and said,
"First, extract the magic stone from the boss. And do something about these stone coffins. We need to free the people inside."
No sooner had he spoken than Shuhan stepped forward with his dagger.
With skilled precision, he sliced open the Hell Mole boss's belly and retrieved the magic stone.
"This should make for decent compensation."
An ominous energy emanated from the magic stone.
It might even yield a skill.
If so, its value would skyrocket.
Jack smashed a stone coffin and shouted,
"Combination master!"
He shook it, but old man Clexy didn't stir easily. His breathing was steady, though—no immediate danger.
Kouji said to Jack,
"Our deal's done successfully, so we take the magic stone as agreed. Any objections?"
"None."
"Then we'll head out first."
At Kouji's words, Jack—for some reason—glanced at Zeon.
Jack's team avoided Zeon's eyes as they hoisted the rescued people.
Zeon watched them silently.
A cold smile crept onto his lips.
"As expected, not a trustworthy bastard among them."
Jack flinched at the mocking tone but didn't argue or snap back.
He had a guilty conscience.
Clexy's subordinates had originally discovered this dungeon.
Stumbling upon a Hell Mole-owned dungeon, Clexy had come to conquer it himself—and vanished.
Yuse-hui dispatched rescue teams to save him, but they all failed.
That's when Tajik approached.
He offered Inazuma's support in exchange for Zeon joining.
Yuse-hui had no choice.
Clexy was her last remaining blood relative.
She wasn't ready to let him go yet.
Jack's team and the slum Awakeners left the dungeon carrying Clexy and the others.
Zeon stood motionless, watching them go.
Kouji asked him,
"Surprised?"
"Not really."
"Tougher heart than it looks."
"I hear that a lot."
"Not always a good thing."
"Not so bad, either."
"Never backs down, huh?"
"Nothing to lose."
"Seen plenty lose their tongues for less."
"Really? Scary stuff."
Zeon shuddered exaggeratedly.
Kouji's eyes grew even more murderous.
Tajik's parting words echoed in his mind.
—Test him. If he's useful, we can work him like a dog.
—What if he falls short?
—Then... well...
Tajik had offered only a faint smile instead of a clear answer.
Kouji knew exactly what that smile meant.
Zeon glanced around.
The Inazuma team had him surrounded before he knew it.
Yuri, Byron, Shuhan, and Comain glared at him, weapons drawn.
Zeon ignored them, locking eyes with Kouji.
"Tajik's orders?"
"Don't speak his name lightly."
"That great, huh?"
"Greater than scum like you can utter."
"Makes me more curious. But you won't spill easily, right?"
"Worry about your neck instead of your curiosity."
Kouji didn't hide his hostility.
Shing!
He drew his katana.
The razor-sharp blade pointed at Zeon.
"Prove it. Show you're worth something. It's your only way to live."
"Fine. I'll struggle a bit. It's what I do best."
Zeon grinned.
The sight grated on Kouji's nerves.
"Begin!"
"Yes, boss!"
Wind mage Yuri swung her fan with her response.
Byron charged with his axe swinging, Comain blinked behind Zeon.
Shuhan hung back, observing.
'I'll dig up every last secret of yours.'
Yuri's wind blades and Byron's axe targeted Zeon's throat. Kouji's katana joined the fray.
Zeon's end seemed a matter of seconds.
But against Shuhan's expectations, Zeon neither faltered nor fell back.
Whoosh!
A massive wall of fire shielded his entire body.
"Guh!"
"Hot damn!"
The intense heat forced Byron back; Yuri recoiled in shock.
Zeon casually swept his hand toward them.
Fire Rain.
The skill that massacred the Ghost Dragonfly larvae unleashed once more.
"Hmph! No chance."
Kouji stepped in, slashing with his katana.
Slash!
The flames pouring toward Inazuma were cleaved apart.
A red aura cloaked his katana.
Aura Sword.
Zeon swung his hand again.
Fire Rain filled the dungeon once more.
This time, Yuri intervened.
"No chance. Tornado Shield."
The wind became a tornado, the tornado a massive wall that contained Zeon's fiery barrage.
The flames trapped inside vanished in seconds.
Kouji smirked coldly.
"Magic-type, fire affinity, right? As you see, your skills won't work on us anymore."
"Seems that way."
He could have unleashed stronger skills but saw no need to explain.
'Everyone's gone.'
His senses confirmed Jack and the others had exited the dungeon.
Now, it was just him and Inazuma.
The red aura on Kouji's sword flared brighter.
"Playtime's over. Time to end you."
"Same here. Think five-on-five evens the odds?"
"What?"
The sand around Zeon stirred.
Shhh...
"Sand Soldier."
Five soldiers rose from the sand.