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Chapter 134

Johan’s eyes glowed coldly behind his glasses.

Behind him, Kim Jae-kyung stood with her hands politely clasped, head bowed.

She couldn’t bear to look Johan in the eye.

It was because she had failed to brainwash the members of the White Bear Caravan, causing the situation to escalate.

This failure had incurred the White Bear Caravan’s hostility, making her a laughingstock among everyone.

But that wasn’t the only issue.

Today, a series of major incidents erupted in Dongdaemun.

One incident involved Mandy, a supervisor directly under the City Hall, causing havoc.

Numerous Awakeneds from Dongdaemun were deployed to subdue her, but the operation failed.

All the Awakeneds suffered varying degrees of injuries, and Mandy left Dongdaemun unscathed.

This incident alone was a significant loss of face, but then a major incident occurred in the square.

A battle broke out between Awakeneds, leading to a massive explosion that nearly obliterated the entire square.

Fortunately, there were no casualties, but the successive incidents greatly unsettled Johan.

Dongdaemun was his domain.

It was his kingdom, which he had ruled for decades.

Today, his kingdom was trampled and defiled.

It was an unbearable humiliation for Johan.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

“Have you identified those who fought in the square?”

“One has been confirmed to be Zeon, and the other is believed to be from the East District.”

“Zeon and an Awakened from the East District?”

“Yes!”

“They must think very little of me…”

Johan’s jaw muscles twitched.

Anyone could enter and exit Dongdaemun freely. Unlike Neo Seoul, the slums didn’t have barriers dividing the districts.

However, each district had strict rules.

Breaking these rules or fighting at will was tantamount to disregarding the ruler.

Johan looked at Kim Jae-kyung.

“What do you think?”

“We cannot let this go unpunished.”

“Should we wage war with Sinchon then?”

“That…”

“Then should we wage war with the East District?”

“…”

Kim Jae-kyung clamped her mouth shut.

A war with Sinchon was conceivable, but a war with the East District was out of the question.

There was an insurmountable gap between the slums and Neo Seoul.

This disparity extended to the Awakeneds.

In terms of both quantity and quality, the slums could never match Neo Seoul.

No matter how strong Dongdaemun was, it couldn’t compare to the East District.

Waging war with the East District was a guaranteed defeat.

Waging war with Sinchon was the only possible option.

However, even this would result in significant losses.

Moreover, the timing was terrible.

Due to the White Bear Caravan, both Neo Seoul and the entire slums were on edge.

“If we weaken our forces by waging war with Sinchon, we’ll become prey for other factions.”

“Ugh!”

“How disgusting! It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way.”

“I’m sorry. This is all because of my shortcomings…”

Kim Jae-kyung lowered her head.

Johan stared intently at her.

Under his piercing gaze, Kim Jae-kyung felt even more uncomfortable.

After what felt like an eternity, Johan spoke.

“Accept the West District’s proposal.”

“What?”

“Given the circumstances, we need to join forces with the West District and show that we’re not to be trifled with. If we remain passive despite the incident in my kingdom, others will think they can easily look down on us.”

Johan’s voice was icy and sharp as a blade.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop by ten degrees instantly.

Kim Jae-kyung shivered in the chilly atmosphere.

Johan wasn’t finished.

“You will handle this matter.”

“Understood.”

“Do not fail this time. I won’t be able to overlook it again.”

“I will succeed.”

Kim Jae-kyung’s voice trembled slightly.

This was her last chance.

If she failed, death would be the least of her worries.

She would suffer a fate worse than death, haunted by endless torment.

Kim Jae-kyung bit her lip until it bled.

* * *

Damien sat atop a fortress made of stacked freight carts, gazing at Neo Seoul.

Neo Seoul looked like an island floating above the desert.

Everything in the world was blackened, but only Neo Seoul shone brightly.

The towering skyscrapers and the dazzling lights on the massive city walls.

A splendidly reconstructed civilization long forgotten by humanity.

Only the chosen could enter this final city and fortress of humanity.

This was Neo Seoul.

Naturally, it wasn’t easy for an outsider to enter and settle in Neo Seoul.

One had to be an Awakened or possess comparable abilities.

Only the chosen ones could live there.

To Damien and the White Bear Caravan, who had lived in harsh conditions, Neo Seoul seemed like a utopia of the present era.

But Damien knew.

The reality of utopia was far from beautiful.

That towering, great city was built upon countless corpses.

No one remembered their sacrifice.

Not even those living within the city.

“Elves, dwarves, and other such races enjoying the civilization humanity painstakingly rebuilt. It’s truly ironic. They’re the ones who ruined the world and killed my father.”

A dry smile, as arid as the desert climate, appeared on his lips.

Damien had never forgotten the moment Beloff died.

His father, Beloff, was betrayed and killed by the otherworldly races and humans of El Harun.

The blood he shed and his last breath remained vividly etched in Damien’s mind.

Those memories would never fade, even until the day Damien died.

Seeing Neo Seoul always reminded him of Beloff.

Thinking of Beloff naturally brought to mind the otherworldly races.

When Damien thought of them, his blood ran cold, and hatred surged through him.

Damien spent a long time calming these emotions.

It was only after he managed to quell his agitated feelings to some extent that he heard Alexandro’s voice from behind.

“Damien!”

“Yes?”

Damien answered with a smile, as if he had never worn that cold expression.

Alexandro approached him.

“You’ve been up here so long, I came to check on you.”

“I was just admiring the lights.”

“Neo Seoul? It’s quite a sight. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”

“It’s fascinating.”

“What is?”

“That it shines so brightly, yet the monsters don’t attack it.”

“It is indeed strange. With all those lights on at night, why do the monsters leave Neo Seoul alone?”

The desert was teeming with monsters.

Just as the oceans of old were filled with fish, the desert was now filled with monsters.

From the ground to the underground, even the skies were dominated by monsters.

Compared to that, the territory humans held was minuscule.

Monsters wouldn’t allow humans to establish any significant structure.

Whenever humans built something noticeable, the monsters would attack immediately.

This was the nature of monsters.

Because of this, the walls of the Yakutsk Colony had been breached several times during its establishment.

Each time, humans banded together to withstand the attacks and rebuild the walls.

Only after enduring such hardships was the colony finally completed. But even then, the Yakutsk Colony was small and shabby compared to Neo Seoul.

This wasn’t unusual.

Most colonies the White Bear Caravan had visited were in similar situations as Yakutsk.

If a colony was too large or conspicuous, it would attract the attention of the monsters.

It had to be built as inconspicuously as possible.

This was why most colonies couldn’t move beyond a medieval level of development.

But Neo Seoul was different.

The civilization from humanity’s golden age was fully reconstructed there.

Sky-high buildings and dazzling lights that illuminated the night sky.

All the conditions to attract the attention of monsters were present.

Yet, monsters did not approach Neo Seoul.

It was as if they were afraid of Neo Seoul.

Damien’s gaze shifted to the mammoth on one side of the fortress.

Among monsters, it was relatively intact. But it was still a monster.

A large monster with formidable strength.

Most monsters couldn’t even approach the mammoth due to its overwhelming presence.

While Damien’s abilities were the primary reason they had made it to Neo Seoul safely, the mammoth also played a significant role.

The mammoth was that powerful. But even it was afraid to get any closer to Neo Seoul.

Something in Neo Seoul clearly instilled fear in the monsters.

People said there was an anti-magic force in Neo Seoul, but Damien believed there was something more.

Alexandro, having listened to the entire conversation, asked.

“So, what is it?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“If everyone knew, it wouldn’t be a secret, would it?”

“But you’re not just anyone, right?”

“That’s true.”

Damien chuckled.

Alexandro smiled similarly.

Their smiles were quite alike, having shared long years together.

At that moment.

Woong!

A powerful vibration was felt within the fortress.

Damien’s face suddenly turned cold.

“It’s acting up again.”

“Hmm!”

“Is the seal weakening?”

“Do you want to check?”

“Yes!”

The two descended the stairs together.

They headed to the fifth floor, directly below.

The items they had unloaded in Neo Seoul were stored on the first three floors.

The truly important items were on the fourth and fifth floors.

The fourth floor housed items excavated from dungeons, while the fifth floor contained ‘that one.’

The fifth floor was a special area.

Only Damien and Alexandro had access to it.

A blue barrier stretched across the entrance to the fifth floor.

When Damien placed his hand on it, the barrier was lifted.

It was a magic circle that only Damien could deactivate.

The two passed through the entrance into the fifth-floor storage.

Inside, like the entrance, a mystical blue light pervaded.

In the midst of the wavering blue light, something was floating.

A crown hovered in the air, without any support.

Embedded with a blue gem in its center, the crown emitted a mysterious aura.

Damien’s gaze towards the crown was cold.

“The Crown of the Spirit King.”

That was the name of the floating crown.

Despite its mysterious and beautiful appearance, it was a cursed item soaked in the blood of many.

Many sacrifices had been made to obtain the Crown of the Spirit King.

It was the most precious and dangerous item the White Bear Caravan had brought.

Thus, they had set up a sealing magic circle specifically in the fifth-floor storage.

Any other item would have had its power weakened. But the Crown of the Spirit King, instead of weakening, was fiercely emanating its power despite the sealing magic circle.

Alexandro spoke.

“The sealing magic circle won’t hold for much longer. At this rate, those inside Neo Seoul will notice it too.”

“Then it’s time to lay out the bait.”

“So, it’s beginning?”

“Yes!”

“A grand stage of chaos will unfold.”

“I’m sorry. Because of me, the caravan members are getting dragged into this.”

“Don’t say that. We wouldn’t have made it this far without you. Our lives are a gift from you. So don’t speak of regret or futility. We share a common destiny.”

“Let’s burn it all fiercely.”

In Damien’s cold eyes, a strange fire flickered.