Chapter 357

Chapter 357

While concentrating solely on driving, the driver brought the bus to a stop and spoke.

“All the other vehicles have stopped. Looks like we’ll be camping here for the night.”

Even now, the driver couldn’t see Gaia.

Despite being only a few meters away.

Gaia blinked wide-eyed and wagged its tail in wonder at the driver, who seemed oblivious to its presence.

If the driver took even a single step closer, he would have entered the magic circle of perception suppression. But he remained strictly at the boundary.

He had heard again and again from Kim Jinsoo not to provoke Zeon.

Not that he needed the warning—he had no intention of getting too close to Zeon in the first place.

He’d learned through hard experience that excessive curiosity shortens one’s lifespan.

He was an F-rank Awakened.

At F-rank, you couldn’t expect proper treatment anywhere. If you weren’t used as a meat shield, you were lucky.

His job on this trip was simple: drive until they reached their destination.

For an F-rank, there weren’t many jobs this cushy.

To keep such a sweet gig, he knew he had to stay well within the lines.

Having said all that needed to be said, the driver exited the bus first.

Only then did Zeon rise to his feet and speak to Gaia.

“Wait here a bit. I’ll be back after I eat.”

—Beep!

“Yeah, it won’t take long.”

Zeon gently patted Gaia’s head, sensing its reluctance.

Then Brielle said,

“I’ll stay with Gaia. You two go eat.”

“What about your meal?”

“Hehe! I brought plenty in my subspace.”

“Okay. Then stay in the bus, Brielle.”

“Yup!”

Leaving Brielle and Gaia in the bus, Zeon and Levin stepped out.

Levin stepped onto the sand and let out a soft chuckle.

“She’s really attached to that whale, huh?”

“No kidding.”

“Anyone without a whale must be dying of jealousy.”

“You want me to catch you a Gaia of your own?”

“Ugh, no thanks. I’m more suited to roaming around. If I had a Gaia, I’d be stuck at home all day.”

“Smart choice. If not for Brielle, raising Gaia would’ve been a huge hassle.”

Gaia shared a mental link with Zeon.

They were essentially one being. Yet the one who spent all her time with Gaia was Brielle.

She treated it like a friend, even a younger sibling—because of her, Gaia had grown up to be a cheerful and bright creature.

Without her, Gaia’s personality likely would’ve been much gloomier.

These days, Gaia practically felt more like Brielle’s than Zeon’s—but he didn’t mind in the slightest.

Zeon and Levin walked toward the rest of the group.

Kim Jinsoo, the Awakened, and the porters were preparing their evening meal.

Zeon glanced around and remarked,

“This looks like a good campsite.”

“Haha! I’ve been doing this for years. I’ve gotten good at picking spots.”

Kim Jinsoo said, chuckling as he gestured for Zeon to sit beside him.

Without hesitation, Zeon took the seat next to him.

Kim Jinsoo asked with a puzzled look,

“I don’t see the young lady?”

“She said she’d eat inside.”

“Should we bring her a meal?”

“She brought plenty of her own. No need to worry.”

“Ah, that’s a relief.”

Kim Jinsoo was genuinely pleased.

When it came to long expeditions like this, the biggest concerns were always food and rest.

Deploying an armored bus like this was extremely rare.

It was a precious resource in Neo Seoul—equipped with various amenities, but prone to malfunction and very costly. Unless the situation was exceptional, it wasn’t used.

In fact, this was the first time Kim Jinsoo’s First Escort Squad had ever been issued an armored bus.

It was proof of just how much attention Yoo Sehee was giving Zeon.

Naturally, Kim Jinsoo couldn’t ignore Zeon either.

Among everything, the one he’d been most concerned about was Brielle.

Although she was actually a High Elf, most—including Kim Jinsoo—believed her to be a human girl.

He’d worried that a young girl might throw tantrums over food—an absolute nightmare on a long trip.

But if she was taking care of her own meals, then there was nothing to worry about.

The food the porters were preparing was all preserved rations. Like most rations, they weren’t exactly tasty.

In fact, they were tasteless.

Designed solely for sustenance and replenishing energy.

There was no way a child would find it palatable.

Only people like Kim Jinsoo and his battle-hardened men could stomach it.

And yet, Zeon and Levin ate it without complaint.

Not out of forced politeness—they chewed every bite deliberately.

Watching them eat, Kim Jinsoo nodded in approval.

‘These two are clearly used to camping. No need to fuss over them.’

Relieved, Kim Jinsoo focused on his own meal.

Night soon fell over the desert.

After finishing his meal, Kim Jinsoo cautiously asked,

“You said we still have at least a week of travel southwest, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“If it’s not too much trouble… could you tell us what types of monsters we might encounter in that direction? We’ve never ventured that way.”

Kim Jinsoo’s eyes gleamed in the darkness.

In the past, if satellites and planes were still operational, they could’ve categorized monster habitats systematically. But after the collapse of the world, launching even a single plane was a fantasy.

So they had no choice but to venture out and learn monster territories through firsthand experience.

For people like the First Escort Squad, who frequently traversed the desert, this was vital.

It was a matter of life and death.

Whenever they had the time and chance, they desperately tried to gather information about monster territories.

No one in Neo Seoul knew as much about desert monsters as Zeon.

To Zeon, this might’ve been trivial—but to Kim Jinsoo, who had to stake his life crossing the desert, it was everything.

That’s why, swallowing his pride, he asked Zeon for the information.

Zeon didn’t dislike that about Kim Jinsoo.

He wasn’t just any man—he was a leader.

And for the sake of the people under him, he had to do whatever it took.

That was the duty of a leader.

Zeon recalled the route he’d taken through this area.

A moment later, he began to relay information about the monsters they would encounter.

“About seventy kilometers further southwest from here, we’ll run into a pack of flame wolves. I assume you already know how to handle them.”

“Yes, we’re well-versed in their behavior and how to deal with them.”

“Good. After that, we’ll likely hit a sandworm nest.”

“Ah… sandworms could be a problem…”

“I’ll take care of them.”

“Thank you.”

Kim Jinsoo’s face lit up.

Sandworms were notoriously difficult for regular Awakened to handle.

They moved through sand, making them hard to detect, and even harder to damage.

Zeon continued to list the types of monsters they’d likely encounter ahead. Kim Jinsoo listened attentively.

His subordinates also perked up, ears focused on Zeon even as they kept watch around the camp.

They knew just how precious this information was.

Then Zeon addressed Kim Jinsoo’s men.

“There aren’t any monsters in the vicinity, so you don’t need to be so tense.”

“Sir? But just in case…”

“If anything approaches, I’ll let you know. Please relax and enjoy your meal.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Only then did Kim Jinsoo’s men ease up and gather closer to Zeon.

* * *

The next morning, Zeon’s group departed the campsite early.

Luckily, no monsters had attacked during the night, so everyone had gotten solid rest.

As a result, they were all in good shape.

One of Kim Jinsoo’s men riding in the buggy murmured,

“Man, traveling with a Sand Mage is luxury.”

“Luxury?”

“I mean it. I never thought I’d sleep so peacefully in the desert. I slept like a baby.”

“Now that you mention it, so did I.”

Kim Jinsoo agreed with a nod.

Just having Zeon, a Sand Mage, with them made the whole trip feel safer.

Whenever they went out alone, they always had to stay on edge at night.

They had to assign sentries, set up all sorts of traps and alarm items, and even then, they couldn’t sleep properly.

So they always braced themselves for sleepless nights.

Not that they complained—they were paid well for the hardship.

At that moment, the window of the armored bus beside them opened and Zeon leaned out.

Kim Jinsoo also leaned out and shouted,

“What’s going on?”

“There’s a pack of flame wolves about one kilometer ahead. We should prepare.”

“Thank you. Everyone, battle stations!”

Kim Jinsoo immediately gave the order to his men.

The wolves weren’t visible yet, but Kim Jinsoo didn’t doubt Zeon for a second.

About a kilometer later, they spotted the flame wolf pack in the distance.

The wolves, noticing them as well, bristled and began to adopt a defensive stance.

“There must be at least three to four hundred of them.”

“Shit… if they charge, we’ll lose a few vehicles for sure.”

“Make sure the porters are protected, even if we lose a few trucks.”

“Of course.”

The subordinate responded with fierce determination.

Trucks could be repaired or replaced—but lives lost couldn’t be recovered.

The porters traveling with the First Escort Squad were all veterans.

They had experience not just in transport but also in dungeon expeditions.

It wasn’t easy to find such skilled porters in the slums.

They had to be protected at all costs.

But their opponents were a horde of several hundred flame wolves.

It wouldn’t be easy to shield the porters completely.

Even the drivers of the transport trucks wore uneasy expressions.

The trucks were well-armored—but against that many wolves, nothing was guaranteed.

And now, they couldn’t just turn and flee.

Breaking formation to escape alone would only make them targets.

The porters looked grimly toward the advancing flame wolves.

Then—

Screech!

The door of the moving armored bus suddenly opened.

Zeon stepped out and climbed onto the roof as the vehicle was still moving.

Everyone stared in astonishment at his unexpected move.

“Wait… is he going to fight them himself?”

“If that’s the case, we’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Relief washed over the faces of the Awakened and porters alike.

If Zeon was getting involved, a pack of flame wolves wasn’t even a threat.

Zeon spoke to the bus driver.

“Keep going. Don’t stop.”

“Yes, sir!”

The driver nodded and continued forward.

The distance between them and the wolves closed rapidly.

Normally, the flame wolves would’ve already attacked—but for some reason, they were holding back and even retreating.

The Awakened and porters were confused by the wolves’ uncharacteristic behavior.

Some of the wolves even tucked their tails and urinated in fear.

“What…?”

“What’s with them? Could it be…?”

Kim Jinsoo, staring intently at the wolves, soon realized what they were afraid of.

All their eyes were fixed on Zeon.

Terror filled their gazes as they stared at him.

Grrrr…

Rooaaar!

Some wolves were even so panicked they turned on each other.

“Dear god… the flame wolves are afraid of a human? What the hell happened…?”