Chapter 397

Chapter 397

“Ha! Gwang-ryang got taken down that easily?”

“And while in berserk mode, no less. What the hell is that guy?”

Two figures hidden among the crowd kept a close eye on Zeon and Yoo Sehee.

A man and a woman, both cloaked in robes that concealed them head to toe.

The man spoke.

“That must be the sand mage.”

“Of all people to run into... Gwang-ryang, you idiot. I told him over and over to avoid conflict.”

“It’s not exactly his fault, is it? How could he have known someone that strong was hiding in the slums?”

“Still. If he was gonna die, he should’ve gone quietly. Why go berserk and blow our cover?”

The woman spat out venom even after witnessing Ma Gwang-ryang’s death.

At her cold tone, the man fell silent, simply clicking his tongue.

They were members of the same unit as Ma Gwang-ryang—Wolf Fang Squad.

The man’s name was Sou Chen, and the woman’s, Tang Xi’an.

After leaving the Subterranean City, the Wolf Fang Squad wandered the desert—until they encountered scavengers.

To the scavengers, who saw a small group of survivors aimlessly drifting, the squad looked like easy prey.

Naturally, they attacked without hesitation.

But the ones who were wiped out were the scavengers.

Hundreds of them were slaughtered by fewer than a dozen Wolf Fang operatives.

The survivors were tortured for information, which led to a stunning revelation: the existence of a place called Neo Seoul.

When they first heard of a massive city on the surface—not underground—they couldn't believe it.

A megalopolis housing over twenty million people? On the surface?

It sounded too far-fetched to be true.

Still, they sent Jang Woo-hang ahead as a scout and scattered to gather intelligence.

During that phase, they encountered a group of hunters from the Goblin Market.

The hunters had just returned from a successful Ghost Beetle hunt and were enjoying a well-earned rest. Taking them by surprise was easy.

They tortured the hunters as well.

That, too, was to extract information.

Currency used in Neo Seoul, the slums, the Goblin Market—they got it all from them.

The conclusion drawn from those interrogations was simple:

To infiltrate Neo Seoul unnoticed, they would need both legitimate IDs and money.

The only item they had worth selling was the Ghost Beetle shells they stole from the hunters.

Ma Gwang-ryang had boldly claimed he would sell them himself. This—was the result.

Gwang-ryang lost his life, and the Ghost Beetle shells returned to Goblin Market hands.

“Stupid Ma Gwang-ryang! If he was going to die, he could’ve done it without going berserk!”

“Cursing him won’t change anything. That’s enough, Xi’an.”

“Hah! You’re just going to sit there? No revenge? Stupid as he was, he was still one of us.”

“Of course we’ll avenge him. But first—we need information. We know nothing about that man.”

“Sha zhe (idiot)!”

The curse was aimed at the deceased Ma Gwang-ryang.

Even in death, he continued to be berated by his comrades.

Sou Chen turned to Tang Xi’an.

“We should go. If we stay longer, he might notice us.”

Zeon was scanning the crowd with piercing eyes.

Even from a distance, his gaze felt like a blade slicing through the air.

“…Fine.”

Tang Xi’an nodded, pulling her hood tighter.

The two of them slipped away quietly into the crowd.

* * *

Yoo Sehee returned to the Goblin Market with her team.

Ma Gwang-ryang’s corpse was handed over to the market’s butchers.

Their primary task was dismantling monsters.

There wasn’t a single person in Neo Seoul who had handled more monster corpses than them.

Their job was to dissect and process monsters brought in by hunters or traders.

There were few monsters they hadn’t seen.

Yoo Sehee had no doubt—they’d uncover the truth behind Ma Gwang-ryang’s transformation.

“Find out why a perfectly normal human turned into a monster. No matter what it takes.”

“Don’t worry.”

“We’ll examine every cell. You can count on us.”

Yoo Sehee nodded at the butchers’ confident reply.

They loaded Ma Gwang-ryang’s massive corpse onto a cart and disappeared into their workshop.

She then turned to the Black Lion.

“That bastard wasn’t on our access list, was he?”

“No. We checked thoroughly—no trace of him passing through the barrier.”

The Goblin Market was protected by a special barrier.

To pass through it, one needed an official entry card issued by the Market. And when used, the card left a trace.

It logged who entered or exited, and at what time.

Naturally, the Market could access that data.

But this time—there was a problem.

There was no record of Ma Gwang-ryang’s entry or exit.

In the Market’s decades-long history, this was a first.

Yoo Sehee’s expression grew grim.

“Someone on the inside must’ve helped him—or there’s a flaw in the barrier.”

“They haven’t been in the slums long. Two, maybe three days tops. That’s not enough time to recruit someone from inside.”

“Then the barrier’s compromised. Summon a barrier specialist immediately.”

“Understood. I’ll make arrangements.”

“These aren’t ordinary intruders. Their tactics… their combat power… They’re beyond dangerous. And we don’t know how many more of them are already inside. Strengthen the perimeter.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The Black Lion lowered his head in affirmation.

The Goblin Market had built its reputation on two things: verified identities and safety.

That’s why so many merchants and customers trusted it.

If either were compromised, the trust they’d built would shatter—and the people would leave.

To Yoo Sehee, this was the greatest crisis the Market had ever faced.

She issued another command.

“Contact the other districts. Find out if anyone suspicious has entered. No matter how well they hide, they’ve only just arrived—something will be off.”

“Understood.”

The Black Lion exited the room at once.

Left alone, Yoo Sehee crossed her arms and muttered.

“Damn bastards. Should’ve stayed rotting in that Subterranean City. What the hell are they doing coming all the way out here? Pillaging is all they know\... If I get my hands on them, I’ll chew their bones to dust.”

＊＊＊

“You’re home early, hyung.”

Levin looked up in surprise to see Zeon already back.

“You’re the one who’s late.”

“Ah... I got caught up with something. Took longer than expected.”

“What kind of something?”

Zeon tilted his head in curiosity.

“I saw this weird old man on the street. Just... didn’t sit right with me.”

“What about him felt off?”

“He dressed like the locals, but the armor under his clothes… the wooden staff in his hand... He was trying to act like he belonged here—but he didn’t. It felt like he was watching and studying everything. It rubbed me the wrong way.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes! So I had the kids keep an eye on him.”

“Hm.”

Zeon stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Levin was unusually perceptive.

He might seem laid-back and always smiling, but he never let his guard down.

If something seemed off to Levin, there was probably good reason.

The issue was—Zeon had felt something strange, too. From a completely different source.

“Actually, I had a similar experience.”

“You too?”

“Yeah.”

Zeon told Levin everything about his encounter with Ma Gwang-ryang in the Goblin Market.

Levin’s face darkened with concern as he listened.

“Then they’re probably from the same group.”

“That’s what I’m thinking.”

“What the hell are these bastards planning? They’ve gotta be connected to that Jang Woo-hang guy in the South District.”

“Seems like his comrades have slipped into the slums.”

“Haa... Fuckers. They finally make it all the way here—and instead of lying low, they’re scheming already.”

“You said you’ve got someone watching the old man?”

“Yes. I assigned two kids to rotate shifts and keep an eye on him.”

“Then we know where he is now?”

“Of course.”

“Let’s go.”

“You wanna move now?”

“No point wasting time.”

“True. The longer we wait, the deeper they’ll embed themselves. We’ll lose our chance.”

Judging by how quickly they were grasping Neo Seoul’s systems and atmosphere, it wouldn’t be long before they blended in completely.

Once that happened, finding them would be next to impossible.

This was their best shot.

“Let’s move.”

“Yes, hyung.”

Levin rose and followed Zeon outside.

They immediately sought out Aaron and Dominic.

“Hyung!”

“What brings you out at this hour?”

The two greeted Zeon but looked uneasy.

It was late—no ordinary errand would bring him out at this time.

Levin answered.

“It’s about that old man.”

“The one from earlier?”

“He’s still being watched, right?”

“Of course. Kevin and Tom should be on him right now. You heading out?”

“Yeah.”

“Got it. We’ll lead you there. We thought something was weird too.”

“Like what?”

“You’ll see.”

Aaron and Dominic gladly took the lead.

They guided Zeon and Levin to a massive building tucked into a corner of the Shinchon slums.

Just looking at it made your breath catch.

It was like ten apartment blocks fused into one. A colossal structure housing three thousand units.

Assuming four people per household, that meant twelve thousand people were crammed into a single building.

Among all of Shinchon’s buildings, this one had the highest density.

Zeon’s own place was known as the Ant Nest for its miserable conditions—but this one was so bad, they called it the Demon Den.

Criminals and scavengers had long used it as their base.

For over a hundred years, the building had been expanded again and again. Its inner layout was more complex than a labyrinth, and the walls were thick—perfect for defense.

And with twelve thousand people packed into a tight space, a strong sense of camaraderie formed naturally.

They might fight among themselves—but when outsiders showed up, they united like a single body.

Since Zeon settled in Shinchon, crime had gone down somewhat—but many criminals still hid here, pretending to be ordinary citizens.

The Demon Den earned its name for a reason.

Even from the entrance, the stench was overwhelming.

A foul mix of urine and feces clung to the walls, thick enough to disorient the senses.

But the four men entering didn’t flinch.

They were born and raised in the slums. This kind of stink meant nothing to them.

Creaaak!

As Zeon’s group entered, a door creaked open near the entrance and someone peeked out.

A stranger shows up, and the locals react instantly.

Aaron stepped forward.

“It’s me—Aaron. Keep it quiet.”

The person nodded silently and closed the door.

Aaron had grown up here.

After Awakening and meeting Levin, he’d left—but many of his contacts still lived in the Demon Den.

They didn’t even ask why Aaron had returned. They just helped.

Thanks to that, Zeon’s team easily reached the upper levels.

“Hyung!”

The moment they arrived, two kids ran out from hiding in the hallway.

It was Kevin and Tom—the ones watching the old man.

Aaron patted their heads and asked,

“You two okay?”

“Of course!”

“Hehe. This is our turf.”

Kevin and Tom were born in the Demon Den too.

Which made tailing the old man easy.

Just then, Zeon’s eyes sharpened.

He spotted bugs clinging to the kids’ clothes.

In that instant, a deep sense of danger surged through him.

“Get down!”

“Huh?”

Instead of answering, Zeon ripped the bugs off their clothes and hurled them out the window.

BOOOOM!

They exploded in mid-air.