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Chapter 135

Mandy returned with a serious expression after obtaining information linking the scavengers to the East District.

This was not just any area; it was the East District.

No matter how much authority Mandy had as a supervisor directly under the City Hall, she couldn’t dare touch the East District.

The East District was notoriously aggressive and powerful, beyond the control of a mere supervisor.

She had to report it to her superiors and wait for their decision.

After Mandy left, a brief period of peace settled in.

Brielle went back to her room to work on alchemy or research, while Zeon sat on the living room sofa.

Beyond the red neon sign, the City Hall was visible.

Even at night, the City Hall shone brightly like a lighthouse.

The City Hall was a symbol of Neo Seoul.

For everyone living in Neo Seoul and the slums, it was a landmark and a lifelong goal.

If the City Hall collapsed, the hope of those living in Neo Seoul would collapse as well. Hence, it must continue to stand.

“Ha!”

Zeon sighed and shook his head.

The more he thought about it, the more complicated his feelings became.

At that moment.

“Brother!”

Levin burst in through the door.

Zeon stood up and spoke.

“You’re back?”

“You were at home? What about Brielle?”

“She’s in her room.”

“I see.”

Levin nodded and approached Zeon.

Zeon frowned slightly.

There were red stains on Levin’s clothes.

It was undoubtedly blood.

Noticing Zeon’s gaze, Levin smirked and said.

“It’s not my blood.”

“Did you get into a fight?”

“With the scavengers.”

“They’re spreading like a virus.”

Levin nodded as if he was fed up.

“I don’t know where all these scavengers were hiding. They’re swarming out as if they’ve lost all fear.”

Scavengers never targeted high-ranking Awakeneds.

Their method of distinguishing high-ranking Awakeneds was simple.

It was all about their attire and weaponry.

The higher the rank, the better their weapons and items.

Scavengers never touched such individuals.

They thoroughly targeted the weak.

Ordinary people or Awakeneds who didn’t seem strong were their targets.

Among them, the scavengers persistently targeted lower-ranked Awakeneds.

Lower-ranked Awakeneds had moderately valuable weapons, armor, and other items, which were the scavengers’ goals.

Levin appeared to be a typical lower-ranked Awakened at first glance.

That made him a target for the scavengers.

Of course, the scavengers who attacked him without fear were all killed by Levin.

Levin grumbled.

“Because of the items leaked from the White Bear Caravan, the scavengers have lost all restraint. E-rank and F-rank Awakeneds, who are their targets, are in a state of emergency.”

“That’s understandable.”

Zeon nodded.

The slums were in chaos due to the scavengers.

Ethan, the ruler of Sinchon, had tried to exterminate the scavengers, but it wasn’t enough.

Zeon was about to speak when.

Thud!

Suddenly, a strong vibration was felt from the desert.

Zeon looked towards the desert, feeling the intense, heart-pounding sensation.

“What’s wrong, brother?”

Levin looked at Zeon with a puzzled expression.

Unlike Zeon, he didn’t feel anything.

The strong vibration disappeared as quickly as a mirage.

It was so subtle that only an Awakened at Zeon’s level could sense it.

Even though Levin had recently reached C-rank and his senses had sharpened, he couldn’t detect it at all.

‘What is it?’

The vibration came from the White Bear Caravan’s fortress.

Zeon put on his robe.

“I guess I have to go.”

“Are you going out?”

“I’m heading to the Goblin Market.”

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“You too?”

“It’s better to go together than alone.”

“Let’s do that.”

The two stepped outside together. But the atmosphere in the slums was unusual.

Most people on the streets were tense and vigilant.

Although the people in the slums generally distrusted others, the atmosphere wasn’t usually this hostile.

The scavenger outbreak had significantly altered the mood in the slums.

Zeon and Levin passed through the slums and entered the Goblin Market.

The atmosphere in the Goblin Market was no different from the slums.

Due to a recent explosion, the market’s atmosphere was even more grim.

Thorough inspections were conducted from the entrance, and anyone without clear identification was denied entry.

Naturally, the number of people visiting the Goblin Market decreased. Even so, the merchants did not complain.

Zeon went straight to Yoo Se-hee’s office.

“Welcome! What brings you here?”

Yoo Se-hee greeted Zeon while she was engrossed in something.

“I just came to see how the Goblin Market is doing.”

“As you can see, it’s a mess.”

“Yes, it is.”

“You came at the right time. Take a look at this.”

Yoo Se-hee waved a piece of paper in her hand.

“What is it?”

“Read it yourself.”

Zeon took the paper from her and read it.

“This is…”

“Yeah! It’s an invitation. An invitation from the White Bear Caravan.”

“It says they’re holding an auction.”

“They’re bold. They’ve sent out dozens of these invitations.”

Yoo Se-hee had an incredulous look on her face.

The items that had already been leaked caused chaos in Neo Seoul, and now they were openly distributing invitations for a public auction, hinting at selling even more extraordinary items.

“Who received the invitations?”

“It’s obvious. Anyone with power in Neo Seoul got one.”

“Looks like they’re planning to stir things up on a grand scale.”

“The problem is that the scale they’re aiming for might shake Neo Seoul to its core.”

Yoo Se-hee’s top priority was the Goblin Market.

She had worked hard to stabilize it over decades, but now the caravan from outside was disrupting the order of the slums and the Goblin Market.

She was not pleased with the current situation.

“Did you say they’re holding an auction?”

“Yes!”

“Can I go with you?”

“You want to participate too?”

“Yes!”

“Hmm!”

Yoo Se-hee stared intently at Zeon for a moment.

Under her piercing gaze, Levin, who was standing nearby, felt somewhat intimidated.

“Alright! You qualify to participate anyway.”

Yoo Se-hee agreed readily.

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. If you really wanted, you could easily get an invitation like this.”

“But I still appreciate it.”

Without Yoo Se-hee, it would have been quite troublesome.

At that moment, Levin, seizing the opportunity, spoke.

“Could I possibly get some potions?”

“Potions?”

“Yes!”

“Those are quite rare. What kind do you need?”

Yoo Se-hee frowned.

Potions were generally expensive.

The problem wasn’t just the cost; they were also rare.

The ingredients were very costly, and there were very few alchemists capable of making them.

“The ones that have just started circulating recently.”

“Ah, the antidote potions.”

Yoo Se-hee suddenly chuckled.

Antidote potions were a recently released item.

After rigorous testing, only a small quantity was released, but they were very popular.

There were many monsters that carried deadly poisons. To deal with such monsters, antidote potions were essential.

However, due to the limited supply, it was difficult for Awakeneds without connections, like Levin, to obtain them.

The existing antidote potions were scarce and not very effective. Despite their poor efficacy, people bought them out of necessity.

However, the antidote potions recently distributed in the Goblin Market were different.

Though expensive, their efficacy far surpassed that of other potions.

They were said to be almost three times more effective.

As a result, Awakeneds preparing for dungeon raids were desperately trying to get their hands on these antidote potions.

Levin spoke cautiously.

“I tried to buy some at the shop, but they were sold out due to high demand.”

“It’s because we’re still in the early stages of production. Are you planning to use them yourself?”

“I want to have some as an emergency reserve.”

“That’s a good mindset.”

Yoo Se-hee nodded and thought of Brielle.

‘That cheeky kid hasn’t told him yet. Well, I’ll keep the secret too.’

The creator of the antidote potions was Brielle.

When Yoo Se-hee made and tested the antidote potions based on the recipe Brielle provided, she was incredibly shocked.

The potions were far superior in performance to any existing ones.

It was hard to believe that such an amazing potion was made by such a young girl.

As promised, Yoo Se-hee kept Brielle’s identity as the creator of the antidote potions a secret.

There was no reason to expose the goose that laid the golden eggs.

The secret was so well-kept that even Levin, who lived with Brielle, didn’t know she was the creator of the antidote potions.

Yoo Se-hee took out an antidote potion from a drawer and tossed it to Levin.

“It’s valuable, so keep it safe.”

“Oh! Thank you. The cost…”

“It’s a gift, so just take it.”

“But…”

“If you really want to repay me, buy some snacks for the kid.”

“What?”

“Brielle, I mean.”

“Why buy snacks for Brielle?”

“Just buy them for her. No questions asked.”

“Yes!”

Levin answered with a puzzled expression.

Seeing his confusion made her smile.

“Haha!”

—

“Ugh!”

A scavenger in shabby clothes was making a choking sound.

He was actually on the verge of death.

“Please, spare me…”

“Pathetic!”

The person looking down at the scavenger scoffed.

She was a woman wearing a fedora and a trench coat.

Her name was Borin Strabach.

She was the captain of the Blue Leaf Special Forces in the North District.

The scavenger dying before her was extremely unlucky. He had targeted Borin, the captain of the Blue Leaf Special Forces, for his robbery.

He had no idea that the person he attacked was the captain of the Blue Leaf Special Forces.

The price he paid was his life.

Though he wasn’t dead yet, it was inevitable.

No one could survive with their intestines spilling out of their abdomen.

That was the scavenger’s condition.

Borin muttered coldly.

“You think you can attack an elf and live?”

“I-I didn’t know you were an elf. Please, spare me!”

“It’s too late.”

“Damn elf. Go to hell.”

Finally giving up on survival, the scavenger cursed.

Those were his last words.

Borin sighed as she looked at the scavenger’s corpse.

At that moment, something caught her eye.

It was an item protruding from the scavenger’s pocket.

“What’s this?”

She picked up the item and looked at it in disbelief.

It was a necklace.

The necklace had a leather cord and a pendant engraved with an unknown symbol.

The pendant, identical to a coin, emitted a familiar scent.

It was a scent that only elves could detect, not humans.

It was the scent of a Cloud Tree. And Cloud Trees only grew in Kurayan.

“A necklace made from a Cloud Tree. How did this end up in a human’s possession…?”

As far as she knew, the only person in Neo Seoul who had such a necklace was the Elf Queen, Serian Oliana.

An item that didn’t exist in Neo Seoul had suddenly appeared.

And in a human’s possession.

Borin looked toward the desert.

“Could it have come from the caravan?”