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Chapter 104

“Water, water!”

Tajik was tormented by severe thirst.

He seemed to have lost consciousness for a moment, but from the moment he opened his eyes, an insane thirst seized his mind and body.

He couldn’t understand why he was feeling such thirst.

His mind was already paralyzed.

There was only one thought floating in his head.

He needed to drink water right now.

He searched for water.

But in Neo Seoul, there were hardly any places where water could be easily obtained.

Water was a very precious resource and was only supplied inside buildings.

“Water, water!”

Tajik wandered around aimlessly, searching for water desperately, and then he remembered the chemical dye factory that had recently opened.

Without further thought, he rushed to the chemical dye factory.

“Did you leave something behind?”

The Awakened guards at the dye factory were astonished to see Tajik returning with a wild look in his eyes.

“Get out of the way!”

Tajik roughly pushed them aside and went inside.

When he saw the tap, he mindlessly put it to his mouth and drank the water.

But no matter how much he drank, his thirst did not quench.

“This… this isn’t it.”

Tajik spat out the water he had just drunk.

It was disgusting because it was mixed with various chemical substances.

In Neo Seoul, there was no such thing as pure water.

Water was precious, so various chemical substances were added for recycling.

The alien tastes that Tajik had never felt before tortured him.

“Argh! I need water, pure water.”

Tajik screamed in frustration.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Why are you looking for water when there’s plenty…”

The guards looked at each other, perplexed by Tajik’s unusual behavior.

His actions were incomprehensible, considering his usual rational and orderly demeanor.

“Get the hell out of the way.”

Tajik pushed them aside and rushed out.

After wandering around Neo Seoul for a while, he soon ran madly southeastward.

His sprint in the early dawn reminded people of a madman.

“What’s wrong with that bastard?”

“What’s he doing?”

But their voices didn’t reach Tajik’s ears.

Other people’s gazes and voices didn’t matter at all.

The only thing that mattered to him was drinking pure water.

After running for a while, Tajik arrived at a place: the gate leading out to the desert.

He shouted to the guards standing there.

“Open the gate!”

“Stop right there.”

“Now is not the time to open the gate.”

The Awakeneds guarding the gate refused Tajik’s command.

The gate leading directly from Neo Seoul to the desert was strictly controlled.

Those who didn’t notify in advance wouldn’t be allowed out, and there were set times for exiting.

Going out into the desert at this early hour without prior notice was absolutely unacceptable.

“Damn it! Open the gate.”

At that moment, Tajik erupted, swinging the Elena of Blood.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the guards were unable to defend properly and got injured.

Thud!

In an instant, Tajik knocked down the guards and punched the control device with his fist. Then, the large gate opened.

“No!”

The guards, who came to their senses too late, shouted, but by then Tajik had already escaped.

The commander of the guards shouted.

“Ring the emergency alarm and organize a pursuit team to capture that guy.”

“Got it!”

Soon, the emergency alarm rang throughout the area, and a pursuit team was formed.

The pursuit team could only track down Tajik after several days of searching the desert.

The place where they found Tajik was a hundred kilometers away from Neo Seoul.

“Shit!”

“Ugh!”

The Awakeneds who found Tajik grimaced.

Tajik’s body was shriveled like a mummy, making it evident that he had died from dehydration rather than decay, thanks to the scorching sun and searing sands.

Tajik’s desperate thirst was apparent as he clutched his throat with his hands, his tongue and eyes bulging out.

“Madman! Did he come all the way out here just to drink water?”

“What the hell happened?”

The pursuit team couldn’t understand Tajik’s actions.

The leader of the pursuit team nervously ordered his subordinates.

“Is this the time for idle chatter? Let’s recover the body and return to Neo Seoul.”

That’s when it happened.

Kurur!

Suddenly, a strong vibration was felt beneath their feet.

The expression on the leader’s face changed drastically.

“I-it’s a Sandworm!”

“Damn it! Let’s get out of here.”

“Hurry, get in the car.”

Without daring to recover Tajik’s body, the pursuit team got into the car.

As the vehicle left the scene, a giant tongue of the Sandworm emerged from the sand. After curling around Tajik’s body, it disappeared back into the sand.

Fortunately, the Sandworm seemed satisfied with Tajik’s body alone and didn’t pursue the vehicle.

The leader of the pursuit team wiped his disheveled hair and muttered.

“Shit!”

***

Xiao Lun’s eyes were deeply sunken.

“So, Tajik went crazy, went out looking for water, and died of dehydration outside Neo Seoul?”

“Yes!”

“He died dried up a hundred kilometers away from Neo Seoul, and his body became food for a Sandworm?”

“Yes!”

“Perfect. Even if I had planned it, it wouldn’t be more perfect than this.”

“I apologize.”

A middle-aged man dressed in a black suit like Tajik bowed his head.

He was another trusted subordinate of Xiao Lun, just like Tajik.

His name was Pan Cheong-cheon.

His great-grandfather came to Seoul as a Chinese exchange student a hundred years ago.

His grandfather was a master of Chinese martial arts, and his studies were seamlessly passed down to Pan Cheong-cheon, combining his martial arts abilities with his physical prowess.

The combination of refined physical abilities and martial arts produced tremendous synergistic effects.

“Tajik kept looking for water?”

“Yes! There are quite a few witnesses, so it’s an indisputable fact.”

“Are there many witnesses?”

“At least dozens, including pedestrians on the street, Awakeneds guarding the chemical dye factory, and those guarding the gate to the desert.”

“Then it must be true.”

A deep furrow appeared on Xiao Lun’s forehead.

The Tajik he knew always acted according to plan.

He never deviated from his plans, and he never tolerated any deviation.

Neat attire, restrained behavior, and rationality.

But none of these matched the behavior Tajik displayed this time.

This behavior didn’t fit with Tajik at all.

“There must be something that made Tajik behave like that. Have you found out?”

“I apologize.”

“Tsk! Did disabling the surveillance cameras backfire?”

Originally, surveillance cameras were installed throughout Neo Seoul.

It was under the pretext of preventing crimes committed by Awakeneds.

The sabotage of the surveillance cameras was carried out by Xiao Lun and other leaders in each district.

Because if the surveillance cameras were intact, all their activities would flow straight into Mayor Jin Geum-ho’s hands.

Therefore, they attempted to disable them discreetly, and eventually succeeded.

They kept the cameras in unimportant areas but eliminated them in regions even remotely related to their business.

It led to the creation of many shadowy areas.

As a result, they couldn’t know what Tajik had experienced at all.

Pan Cheong-cheon cautiously spoke up.

“There is one suspicious thing.”

“What is it?”

“Do you remember the name Zeon?”

“Zeon? Are you talking about the guy who dealt with Goran and the Crocodiles?”

“Yes! He was in Neo Seoul.”

“Is that so?”

Xiao Lun’s eyes sharpened.

“When Tajik caused a commotion, he was also in Neo Seoul.”

“So, did he make contact with Tajik?”

“That’s not it. It’s confirmed that he was at the hotel when Tajik went crazy looking for water. The hotel staff personally delivered food to him, so it’s clear he wasn’t directly involved.”

“Could there have been involvement from other factions?”

“During his time in Neo Seoul, the only person he directly contacted was a supervisor named Mandy. Her movements did not overlap with Tajik’s.”

“But you still have suspicions?”

“In any case, there’s no one else with a motive to harm Tajik.”

Pan Cheong-cheon replied bluntly.

Xiao Lun tapped his cheek with his finger, lost in thought.

“So, it’s all speculation with no evidence.”

“Yes!”

“It’s ironic. If he’s really the culprit, we’re incompetent, and if not, we’re still incompetent. Either way, we’re incompetent.”

“I apologize.”

“What are you apologizing for? It’s not even your fault.”

“What should we do? Should we apprehend him?”

“Where is he now?”

“He was gambling at the casino and is believed to have returned to the slums today.”

“Is that so?”

Xiao Lun chuckled incredulously.

While it might be unknown in Neo Seoul, exerting influence directly in the slums was not easy.

That’s why he had manipulated the underprivileged like the Crocodiles to his advantage.

The only one who knew the physiology of the slums well was Tajik, and now that he was dead, Xiao Lun would have to start over if he wanted to exert influence again.

“Well, we can’t help it. Just leave him for now.”

“But…”

“After all, there’s no evidence, right?”

“That’s true.”

“Recover the establishments Tajik managed. Losing a manager in an instant will cause chaos.”

“I will follow your orders.”

Pan Cheong-cheon bowed his head and replied.

Xiao Lun gestured silently with his hand, and Pan Cheong-cheon left the room.

Alone, Xiao Lun looked out at the City Hall and muttered to himself.

“Zeon. An interesting guy lurking in the slums.”

***

Zeon looked back at the main gate of Neo Seoul.

The massive gate was firmly closed as if it wouldn’t tolerate any external intruders.

Zeon smirked subtly and headed towards the slums.

To confirm Tajik’s death, he had stayed at the hotel for a few more days.

He deliberately lived in the casino to avoid suspicion if he stayed only in his room.

Fortunately, he had some talent in gambling and made a decent amount of money.

Thanks to that, his pockets were quite full.

“It’s a shame I had to use a Ghost Eyedrop for this, but I still made a decent income, so it’s not a total loss.”

A figure like Xiao Lun would surely suspect him of being involved in Tajik’s death.

But there was no contact, and he had a solid alibi, so he wouldn’t act rashly.

Zeon thought that was enough.

For a figure like Xiao Lun to move, he needed a justification.

Without justification, moving forcefully would make the North, East, and West tense.

Maybe even the City Hall would move.

Xiao Lun would never want that.

That’s why Zeon was certain that Xiao Lun wouldn’t move.

Lost in thought, he arrived in the slums.

A familiar sight greeted him, bringing a smile to his lips.

Unlike Neo Seoul, there were no well-organized streets, no flashy lights, no sleek buildings.

The streets were like ant colonies, packed tightly with shabby buildings, leaving no room to breathe. And the nauseating smell carried by the wind.

Even his own home required climbing eighteen floors.

Nothing compared to Neo Seoul.

Still, Zeon liked it here.

As Zeon arrived home and opened the door, Brielle, with a pouty face, greeted him.

“You’re late.”

“I was busy.”

“So, is everything done?”

“For now…”

Zeon smiled as he replied.