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[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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Chapter 344
After spending nearly a month in the desert, Zetoya’s demeanor was noticeably different.
While his appearance hadn’t changed much, his gaze and presence exuded the aura of a seasoned warrior.
And it wasn’t just for show—his inner self had grown far stronger than before.
Levin and Brielle had kindly given him a step-by-step education in what hell was truly like.
Starting with F-rank monsters and moving on to swarms of E-rank beasts, they had relentlessly driven Zetoya into hellish trials.
Levin and Brielle allowed Zetoya, Aaron, and Dominic only the bare minimum rest before sending more monsters their way.
Having followed Zeon and gained ample experience, Levin and Brielle had a keen eye for gauging someone’s capabilities. Thanks to that, they were able to apply pressure just short of death.
And so, the ones left half-dead from it all were Zetoya, Aaron, and Dominic. But it was true that hardship forged growth.
They grew steadily in proportion to their suffering.
Among them, Zetoya’s growth was almost dramatic.
While his rank hadn't increased, he had developed his own combat style.
Zetoya had far better combat instincts than Aaron or Dominic.
Having been born and raised in the underground, Zetoya possessed extremely sharp senses—and he had the ability to cling to walls and ceilings like a lizard.
Through his battles with monsters, he learned to utilize this ability—by clinging not just to walls, but to the massive bodies of the beasts themselves.
It was a level of combat instinct that neither Aaron nor Dominic could hope to match.
Above all else, Zetoya had a powerful desire to become stronger.
He had suffered countless injustices in his life simply for being weak in a hostile environment. That had fueled his overwhelming desire for strength.
Even when he was at the edge of collapse, gasping for breath, he never gave up—he fought with everything he had.
And after so many battles, Zetoya eventually solidified his unique fighting style.
When Levin and Brielle first noticed it, their shock was beyond words.
“He can fight like that?”
“He’s a genius. A real genius.”
Levin and Brielle acknowledged Zetoya’s talent.
Compared to Zetoya, Aaron and Dominic’s abilities were mediocre at best. They needed to be pushed to the brink just to grow a little, while Zetoya advanced rapidly with every bit of experience.
That was the fruit of his efforts—his current self.
Even Zeon could sense just how much Zetoya had grown.
Zeon looked at Levin and said,
“You trained him well.”
“I poured in every bit of know-how I learned from you, hyung.”
“No wonder…”
“Against another martial Awakened of the same rank, Zetoya probably wouldn’t lose.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Especially in the underground, where he’s at home—he might even beat someone of a higher rank.”
“Well done.”
“I did a lot of reflecting, too. I realized I’ve been slacking off just because my rank went up. I’m planning to push myself again.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Yes!”
Exceptional talent always put those around it on edge.
Seeing Zetoya’s talent had reignited something in Levin.
At that moment, Zetoya bowed deeply to Zeon.
“Thank you. For helping me grow.”
“You should thank Levin and Brielle. They’re the ones who did the hard work.”
“I already did. I thanked them both.”
“Good.”
“Hehe…”
Zetoya blushed in embarrassment.
Zeon looked at him for a moment, then cautiously brought up the topic.
“I’m sorry, but we need to return to the Crocodile’s Den right away.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Dongdaemun has caught wind of Remura.”
“What? How…?”
“I don’t know the details, but they’re looking for her—calling her the ‘Saint.’ Their people have spread across the slums and all of Neo Seoul. One of them just entered the Crocodile’s Den.”
“Already? Damn it!”
Zetoya’s face turned urgent.
Levin spoke up.
“Then we should get to the Den right away.”
“I can’t go.”
“What? Why not?”
“Dongdaemun’s keeping tabs on me. If I enter the Crocodile’s Den and their Dark Saint goes MIA, they’ll know I was involved. And if that happens…”
“There’ll be a war between Sinchon and Dongdaemun.”
“Exactly. That’s why I can’t go. You’ll have to handle this on your own.”
At Zeon’s words, Levin and Brielle’s expressions hardened.
The thought of dealing with something like this without him was a heavy burden.
If it weren’t for Zetoya, they wouldn’t have even considered getting involved.
Over the past month of brutal training, Levin had done a lot of soul-searching.
Now he was focused, but before that, he had spent a long time drifting through life, believing there was no hope in the slums.
Eventually, he got his act together—but he had wasted a lot of time.
Compared to that, Zetoya had grown up in a far harsher environment.
Born in a dark, sunless underground world. No electricity, no appliances—living beside foul-smelling sewage and refuse that gave you a headache just from the stench.
And yet, not once had Zetoya gone astray.
All he thought about was finding a way to improve the underground environment, to give the people down there a better life.
He was younger than Levin, but far more mature—and showed true qualities of a leader. Watching him, Levin was forced to confront how complacently he had lived.
‘To think I just drifted around after getting revenge…’
The more he reflected, the more ashamed he felt.
Now was the time to tighten the reins again.
“I’ll take responsibility for Zetoya’s mission.”
“It’s going to be dangerous. The woman from the Dark Saints is the same rank as you—but she’s been handling operations in the shadows for years. She’s smart—and ruthless.”
“I’ll be careful.”
Levin didn’t make any bold claims. That made his words even more trustworthy.
Zeon looked to Brielle next.
“Brielle.”
“Say it.”
“Take everything you might need. We don’t know what’s waiting down there.”
“Can I bring Gaia?”
“If you’ve got the space in your subspace, sure.”
“I expanded it recently. It’s not quite at your level, but it’s big enough for Gaia to rest comfortably.”
“Then you’re good.”
“Yay!”
Brielle grinned and hugged Gaia.
Lastly, Zeon looked at Zetoya.
“Zetoya.”
“Yes, Zeon-nim.”
“As you heard, Dongdaemun caught the scent. If Remura falls into their hands, not just the surface—but the underground—will turn into hell.”
Zetoya’s face hardened at those words.
Remura was still a child.
She didn’t yet understand concepts like good and evil. But her mother, Heather, was different.
Her eyes were filled with greed.
No one could predict what her desires would lead to.
“I’ll find Remura and try to convince her.”
“Whatever choice you make, I’ll leave it to you. You know her—and the Crocodile’s Den—better than anyone.”
“Thank you. For trusting me.”
Zetoya felt genuine gratitude toward Zeon.
If not for him, Zetoya would never have awakened—and certainly wouldn’t have grown so systematically strong.
More than that, it was thanks to Zeon’s support—like the mana generator—that the people of his village were now living a bit better.
Most importantly, Zeon never once asked for anything in return.
Zetoya knew how rare and difficult that kind of selfless help was.
He made a vow to someday repay Zeon for everything.
That same day, Zetoya, Brielle, and Levin entered the underground sewers.
* * *
After sending them off, Zeon stepped outside alone.
He could feel eyes watching him from somewhere.
Just as he expected, Dongdaemun had stationed someone to monitor him.
Most likely one of the Dark Saints, using stealth skills.
‘Funny how nothing ever deviates from my predictions.’
Zeon chuckled quietly and continued walking.
He couldn’t go underground due to the watcher, but that didn’t mean there was nothing he could do.
There were still things to handle above ground.
Despite the covert surveillance, Zeon headed for Eaton’s office.
“Huh! Welcome, Zeon-nim!”
As soon as he saw him, Eaton sprang up and gave a full ninety-degree bow.
He owed Zeon for becoming the ruler of Sinchon—and for having his life saved multiple times.
When Sinchon was half taken over by Dongdaemun, it was Zeon who had rescued them.
Because of that, Eaton’s loyalty had skyrocketed.
“How have you been?”
“All thanks to you, Zeon-nim. But what brings you here today?”
“I have a favor to ask, Eaton.”
“Whatever it is, just give the word. There are men lined up, ready to die if you ask.”
Eaton answered without hesitation.
Zeon smiled at that.
“It’s nothing that serious.”
“Then…?”
“I want to spread a rumor.”
“What kind of rumor?”
Eaton’s eyes sparkled.
“That the ‘Saint’ Dongdaemun is searching for is actually an awakened—and a powerful healer.”
“Is that true?”
“Whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that people believe it. You understand what I mean, right?”
“Ah, yes! Of course. If the Saint is really a healer, then any faction would want to recruit her, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Everyone’s going to be searching high and low for her.”
“Most likely.”
“Heh… You’re brilliant. Just one false rumor—and you’re already sabotaging Dongdaemun’s plans.”
Eaton gave him a thumbs-up.
He assumed Zeon was spreading a false rumor to interfere with Dongdaemun’s movements.
It never even crossed his mind that the Saint might really be a healer.
Once the rumor spread that the Saint was an awakened healer, not only Dongdaemun, but many other factions would begin the search.
Whoever found her first would claim her.
And later, even if Dongdaemun demanded she be handed over, the faction holding her could simply refuse.
It could even lead to conflict between factions.
There might be heavy casualties.
At first, Zeon had wanted to hide Remura’s existence for exactly that reason.
He didn’t want to see Neo Seoul thrown into chaos by a war between Dongdaemun and the other powers.
But he had changed his mind.
There was no stopping the chaos.
Dongdaemun was a group of fanatics.
They would do anything to fulfill Johan’s orders.
Whether they found Remura or not, conflict with other factions was inevitable.
The chaos in Neo Seoul was already predestined.
If that was the case, maybe it was better to bring it forward—sooner, rather than later.
Let the pressure release now, before it built to an explosion.
That was why he decided to spread the rumor about the healer.
To push other factions into action.
With the exception of the mechanically inclined West District, all the others would start hunting for Remura.
That way, Dongdaemun wouldn’t be able to focus exclusively on the Crocodile’s Den.
Zeon said,
“You understand, right? The source must be completely untraceable.”
“Of course. That’s our specialty.”
Eaton grinned, flashing his teeth.
From that day forward, a rumor began to quietly spread throughout Neo Seoul.
—A high-ranking healer has awakened. Dongdaemun’s fanatics are trying to monopolize her.
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[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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