Chapter 339
If one were to summarize Zeon’s life over the past few days, it would be “hermit-like.”
Quite literally, he had holed up in his house and secluded himself.
He hadn’t stepped outside even once, living entirely within the confines of his home.
If he got sleepy, he would doze off on the sofa; if he got hungry, he would cook a meal; then rest, then sleep again...
Thus, his days went by in a repetitive cycle like a hamster wheel.
During that time, both Brielle and Levin had gone out several times.
It got to the point where Brielle had repeatedly nagged him to at least step outside, but Zeon ignored her and continued his shut-in lifestyle.
"Yaaawn!"
Zeon stretched and got up for the first time in a while.
He must have slept for at least twelve hours.
His whole body creaked and groaned from having been idle for so long.
―Pii?
Gaia looked at him with a worried expression.
Zeon chuckled and patted Gaia’s head.
"I was thinking of moving around a bit today anyway."
―Piii?
"Really!"
Zeon finally peeled himself off the sofa with some difficulty.
Honestly, he felt a bit reluctant.
After lying there for so long, it almost felt like he had fused with the sofa. There was a certain emptiness to leaving it behind.
But Zeon shook off the sentiment and put on the robe hanging on the wall.
Neither Brielle nor Levin was anywhere to be seen—they must have gone out.
Zeon said to Gaia,
"I'm heading outside. You want to hop into the subspace?"
―Pii!
Without hesitation, Gaia opened the subspace and disappeared into it.
Watching Gaia use his subspace as if it were her own home, Zeon couldn't help but laugh.
The glaring sunlight hurt his eyes after so long indoors. But after a moment, the pain subsided.
Zeon’s destination was none other than the Goblin Market.
Not that he had anything special to buy.
It was simply out of habit; whenever he went out, his feet automatically carried him there.
"The streets sure are quiet. Guess a lot of people moved out to the new Mana Stone Mine."
Even though it was broad daylight, there were very few people on the streets.
It felt like more than half the population had vanished.
Of course, not that many had truly left.
You couldn’t just head to the Mana Stone Mine because you wanted to.
You had to have the skills for it.
And there weren't as many capable people as one might think.
In the end, only a few could actually go.
"Here’s the latest drill! A brand-new model powered by the lowest-grade Mana Stones!"
"Durable and sturdy work pants! Made from monster hide—no matter how rough the job, they’ll never tear!"
The Goblin Market, which Zeon hadn't visited in a while, was buzzing with energy.
Merchants were enjoying unprecedented prosperity.
Just like during the old Gold Rush when merchants selling goods made more money than the gold miners themselves.
No matter how much of an open-air Mana Stone Mine it was, items like drills and transport vehicles were essential.
Thus, many people stopped by here to buy supplies.
Thanks to that, the merchants were thriving like never before.
"Not bad!"
As Zeon was walking, smiling to himself—
"Zeon!"
A familiar voice called out, halting his steps.
Turning toward the voice, he saw Yoo Sehee approaching with quick steps.
Behind her were Black Lion and Akashi of the Hellbringer Mercenary Corps.
"Long time no see. How’ve you been?"
"As you can see, it's been hectic."
Yoo Sehee shrugged.
The Goblin Market’s boom had greatly boosted her influence.
She had already been powerful, but with the market thriving, even more power had concentrated around her.
It was an era where goods were so scarce that merchants held all the power.
Before, she had to be wary of powerful raiding parties, but now the situation had flipped.
Raid leaders and mining companies had to curry favor with her instead.
Thus, her shoulders practically soared with pride.
Zeon’s gaze shifted to Akashi standing behind her.
"You seem to be doing well too."
"Ah, yes! I’m just grateful to you, Zeon-nim."
Akashi bowed his head.
He was very satisfied with his current life.
Due to the nature of the Goblin Market, sometimes they needed to dive into dungeons to retrieve rare goods.
All Akashi had to do was scout and avoid monsters.
It was so little work that he felt like he was gaining weight from the idle lifestyle.
Had he known it would be this easy, he would've left the Hellbringer Mercenary Corps much earlier.
Zeon said,
"Good to see. Keep living like that."
"It’s all thanks to you, Zeon-nim. Thank you."
Akashi bowed once again.
"No need for that."
"Still, I’ll definitely repay this favor someday."
"No need. Really."
Zeon looked awkward as he turned back to Yoo Sehee.
She laughed softly and said,
"Need anything? Just say the word."
"No, I’m just out getting some air. If I think of something, I’ll let you know."
"Alright. I’m busy, so I’ll get going."
"Sure."
"See you next time."
Yoo Sehee waved and passed by Zeon.
Black Lion and Akashi nodded politely toward him—the highest courtesy they could offer.
Zeon watched them leave before resuming his walk.
He wandered the Goblin Market for quite a while, but found nothing that particularly caught his eye.
He hadn't expected much anyway, so he wasn’t disappointed.
After leaving the market, Zeon headed toward Old Man Klexi’s shop.
He was almost there when—
"Zeon-nim!"
The cover of a nearby manhole lifted slightly, and someone called out to him.
It was none other than Zetoya.
"Zetoya!"
"I knew it was you, Zeon-nim!"
Zetoya climbed out of the manhole and closed the cover behind him.
Zeon asked with a curious expression,
"What brings you here?"
"I need to discuss something with you."
"Oh? Have you eaten?"
"Not yet."
"Then let’s talk over food."
"You don’t have to…"
"I’m hungry."
With that, Zeon took Zetoya along to Klexi’s shop.
"Welcome. You look well-rested, judging by that oily sheen on your face."
"Yeah! I rested plenty. This kid’s eating too, so bring lots of food, please."
"Good timing. I just got a fresh batch of good meat. He’s lucky, heh heh!"
Klexi chuckled oddly as he looked at Zetoya.
Zetoya shrank instinctively under the gaze of the old fox who seemed to see through everything.
Though he was a D-rank martial artist, Zetoya was still just a boy.
It was too much for him to withstand Klexi’s worldly gaze.
While waiting for the food, Zeon asked,
"So what brings you here? Are other Crocs giving you trouble?"
"No one dares approach our village anymore."
"Really?"
"Yes! I’ve built quite the reputation…"
He wasn’t lying.
Though young, Zetoya’s strength was outstanding among the Crocs.
Few awakened ones could overpower him.
Moreover, Zetoya had a vicious reputation.
Nicknamed the "True Crocodile," once he sunk his teeth in, he never let go.
It was well-known that once he set his sights on someone, he would hunt them down to the ends of hell.
Thus, even the outlaws of the Crocodile’s Den avoided his village.
"So what’s the problem?"
"Not a problem exactly, but… I'm concerned."
"Tell me."
"Actually, we had someone awaken recently."
"That’s something to celebrate."
"Yes, but the issue is…the child’s ability is too powerful. She’s a Healer who can revive someone on the verge of death."
"Wait! A Healer?"
Klexi, who had been cooking, cut in, startled.
"Yes! And she’s A-rank right from the start."
"That’s insane! An A-rank Healer from the start?"
Klexi’s jaw dropped in shock.
It was that incredible of an event.
After the Great Cataclysm, many awakened ones had been born.
Naturally, some were Healers.
But Healers were extremely rare compared to the total number of awakened.
Thus, Healers were treasured by every raiding party—even E-ranks were in high demand.
The current highest-ranking Healer in Neo Seoul was probably a B-rank.
And even that had required tremendous effort and support.
But starting as A-rank?
That was unprecedented.
Zeon muttered gravely,
"If she starts at A-rank, she’ll hit S-rank in no time."
"Of all places, an A-rank Healer appears in the sewers. If outsiders find out, they’ll swarm to snatch her."
"Exactly."
"This isn’t an ordinary matter."
Even Klexi’s face turned serious.
Healing someone from the brink of death in an instant?
Every raiding party and guild would fight tooth and nail for her.
Especially if she was almost guaranteed to reach S-rank.
Zeon asked,
"Who else knows about this?"
"Just the villagers and me."
"Good."
The Crocodile’s Den was completely cut off from the surface.
Only awakened ones like Zetoya could come and go, meaning there was little exchange of information.
Klexi said urgently,
"Hold on! If she’s truly an A-rank Healer, we must protect—"
"Since when did the Goblin Market and Argos care about the Crocodile’s Den?"
"This is different! It's an A-rank Healer! We can treat her more humanely than any other group!"
"I’ll judge that for myself."
Zeon coldly cut him off.
No matter how close they were, there were lines that had to be respected.
Usually, Klexi was good about that, but faced with the temptation of an A-rank Healer, even he wavered.
At times like this, Zeon had to draw a firm line.
Fortunately, Klexi understood.
"Tch! I lost my cool. If you need help, let me know."
"Sure."
Zeon turned to Zetoya.
The boy was looking at him with anxious eyes.
"Let’s eat first, then head underground."
"You’ll come personally?"
"Wouldn’t that ease your mind?"
"Yes! I’m just a D-rank. Thinking about an A-rank’s problem is enough to split my head."
"Alright. Let’s do it."
"Thank you!"
Zetoya’s face brightened.
To him, Zeon was the only person he could truly trust on the surface.
Having Zeon by his side was incredibly reassuring.
At that moment, Klexi placed a large dish in front of Zetoya.
"Eat up. I piled it high with meat. Heh heh!"
Zetoya suddenly found Klexi’s grin more burdensome than reassuring.
"Tsk!"
Zeon clicked his tongue.
Klexi’s true intentions were all too clear.
'Still, a top-tier Healer emerging from the sewers… I just hope this doesn’t stir trouble on the surface.'
