First Steps into Neo Seoul
Zeon sat on the street in the slums.
There was no particular reason.
He just felt like it.
Hunched on the steps in front of a building, staring blankly at the passersby, no one paid him any mind.
Thanks to that, Zeon could enjoy some rare leisure.
The scorching sunlight pouring down, the thick air—everything felt good.
Just as Zeon was savoring the midday peace, a noisy commotion shattered the calm.
“Hurry up!”
“We gotta process the corpse before it rots.”
“Out of the way! Move, you beggar scum!”
Dozens of Awakeners were visible entering the main road leading to Neo Seoul.
They looked like they'd just come from a brutal fight, covered head to toe in sand and monster fluids, battered and ragged.
What caught Zeon's eye was the massive truck they were hauling.
A gigantic monster corpse was loaded in the truck bed.
“Crown Bear? Rare sight.”
The Crown Bear was a massive monster with crown-shaped horns on its head.
Capable of both quadrupedal and bipedal movement like a bear, it could even use its front paws like human hands, making it a nightmare to fight.
An adult's hide was tough enough to shrug off most weapons without a scratch, and it resisted magic fiercely.
That was why ordinary Awakeners stood no chance against a Crown Bear.
Hunting one required a well-balanced party or raid team mixing martial and magic Awakeners.
And it was worth the effort.
A mature Crown Bear was a treasure trove in itself.
Its bile, commonly called bear gall, boosted mana. The organs were key ingredients for potions.
The meat and bones served as alchemy materials too, so catching just one could rake in a fortune.
The key was time.
Crown Bear corpses rotted incredibly fast, so they had to be processed quickly.
That was why the hunters were rushing like mad.
“Move! You filthy bums!”
They bellowed as they sped toward Neo Seoul like maniacs.
Pedestrians on the street scattered out of their way.
They knew getting hit by that truck wouldn't earn them a second glance.
To these people, slum dwellers were less than roadside pebbles.
Pebbles could at least build walls with; slum folk had no use even if dragged in.
Like a desert sandstorm, the Crown Bear hunters vanished into Neo Seoul in a flash, leaving the street in chaos.
“How much you think a Crown Bear goes for?”
“You got a hidden one stashed?”
A voice came from one side of the street.
Zeon turned to see a man who didn't fit the slums at all.
Dressed in a neat suit with slicked-back hair, it was Tajik.
Zeon replied without missing a beat.
“I wish. But what's a guy like you doing in this shithole?”
“Came to see you.”
“Me?”
“Yes!”
“Why?”
Zeon blinked like he genuinely had no clue.
Tajik found the act infuriating but swallowed his rising anger, feigning calm.
“It's about the Inazuma Raid Team.”
“Oh! Inazuma Raid Team. They were damn capable. Shame what happened.”
“A shame?”
“If I'd been a bit stronger, I could've gotten out with them. Sorry.”
Tajik's eyelid twitched at Zeon's innocent reply.
It happened inside the dungeon.
No one but the survivors knew what went down.
A collapsed dungeon vanished completely from the world, leaving no trace.
Tajik had no way to know exactly what occurred.
Kouji's got a fierce temper. And he never disobeys my orders. He must've picked a fight with the guy.
He'd ordered Inazuma to gauge Zeon's rank.
The surest way to size up an opponent was to clash directly.
So Kouji and Inazuma had surely fought Zeon.
The problem? Inazuma never made it out, but Zeon did—alone.
“So, Inazuma lagged behind and got trapped when the dungeon collapsed?”
“Tragic, right?”
Zeon's face didn't change as he replied coolly.
Tajik scrutinized for any tells, but got nothing.
This bastard...
Killing intent flared briefly.
He suppressed it instantly, but couldn't meet Zeon's eyes.
Zeon had read him instead.
Oblivious, Tajik pressed on.
“To sum up: Inazuma failed to escape and vanished with the dungeon. Right?”
“Yep!”
“Hard to buy.”
“What part?”
“Inazuma weren't idiots who couldn't escape a collapsing dungeon.”
“Really? Bad luck then. Sudden collapse.”
“Hah!”
Tajik sighed despite himself.
Zeon's story had no cracks.
He'd failed to gauge Zeon and lost Inazuma for nothing.
Should I just come clean and recruit him?
He needed replacements for the Crocodiles.
Zeon seemed perfect.
But talking to him changed his mind.
No, he's not the type to take orders. Look how he handled Inazuma—calculated, rebellious. No boss for him, and he'd never follow commands.
Tajik composed himself with a cold smile.
“Thanks for the chat.”
“Need anything else?”
“Nope.”
“Got it.”
“See you around then...”
Tajik bowed slightly and vanished.
Zeon muttered, staring after him.
“Guess it won't blow over quietly.”
Zeon knew Tajik's type well.
Men with eyes full of ambition and confidence tolerated no failure.
Failure bruised their pride.
No chance he'd dropped plans to use Zeon.
All that remained was obsession to reclaim his pride.
“Leaving him be will just mean headaches down the line.”
Zeon sighed softly.
＊＊＊
A colossal wall that overwhelmed just by sight.
This was the barrier dividing Neo Seoul from the slums.
Fifty meters high and over five meters thick, it was plastered with magic circles and weapons.
Built to shield Neo Seoul from giant monsters, it barred unauthorized humans.
Especially the massive gate linked to the slums, guarded by Awakeners—slum folk couldn't even approach.
Even on constant watch, slum visitors were rare, countable on one hand.
They just gawked from afar out of curiosity, never drawing close.
The Awakeners mocked them.
“Ha! More beggar scum sniffing around.”
“Let 'em. Curious about inside, huh.”
“Plenty to wonder about.”
“Ugh, the stench...”
The Awakeners pinched their noses theatrically.
Human or not, they didn't see slum dwellers as people.
To them, humans were only Neo Seoul residents.
Even inside, status divided: Awakeners and civilians.
But civilians weren't always lesser.
Successful ones—running slaughterhouses or magistone processors, or excelling in fields—got better treatment than average Awakeners.
In Neo Seoul, people lived by their capabilities.
The human societal system, collapsed a century ago, thrived here intact.
Awakeners scorned those outside it: slum humans.
Neo Seoul ran fine without them.
So they ignored their fates.
The chuckling Awakeners spotted a man approaching the main gate.
He strolled casually, hood of his robe pulled low.
An Awakener stopped him first.
“Who're you? State your business.”
“Name's Zeon.”
It was Zeon.
“Zeon? From the slums?”
The Awakener looked puzzled.
Everyone knew those leaving Neo Seoul. Zeon's face was new, so slums seemed likely.
“Yeah!”
“What brings a slum rat here? No Neo Seoul origin or pass, no entry.”
“Got one. Pass.”
“You do?”
“Yep!”
Zeon pulled a temporary pass from his pocket and tossed it over.
It was what he'd gotten for saving Mandy before.
A one-month temporary pass.
The Awakener scowled, inspecting it.
“Issuer: Mandy Sistine. Guarantor: Mechanic Kim Sang-sik? Verify it.”
He passed it to another, who scanned it.
A blue light flashed: authentic.
Neo Seoul passes had anti-forgery magic. Still, the Awakener eyed Zeon suspiciously.
“Purpose of entry?”
“Meeting Mandy Sistine.”
“The issuer?”
“Yeah! Problem?”
“None. You're clear!”
With issuer and guarantor confirmed, no reason to block.
The gate guards let Zeon through.
Grind!
The heavy gates groaned open.
“Go in. One-month stay limit. Overstay, and the guards will hunt you down.”
Zeon's temporary pass had tracking magic. Past expiration, it alerted guards.
“Won't be that long. Finish my business and I'm out.”
Zeon smiled and passed through.
Stepping into Neo Seoul, the air changed.
Like an air purifier running—crisp, fresh.
Worlds apart from the perpetual smog outside.
Lungs felt cleansed deep down.
Streets spotless, no stray pebbles; not a grain of desert sand.
Sleek skyscrapers pierced the sky; passersby dressed sharp and stylish.
Silent cars and transports glided by.
The sights Zeon had only heard tales of unfolded before him.
The world's most advanced city.
A cutting-edge colony beyond any he'd seen.
Perhaps humanity's current pinnacle.
Zeon took his first step into that urban marvel.