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Chapter 41

Damian’s lips trembled faintly.

He looked at Zeon and Dyoden with an expression of disbelief.

It took just about ten minutes for the two of them to defeat all of El Harun’s warriors.

While Zeon struggled a bit against Hammerson, Dyoden mercilessly killed the El Harun’s warriors one by one without exerting much effort.

His cruelty was evident in the way he dealt with the dwarf warriors and elf rangers, causing them to panic and flee.

Yet, no one could escape from Dyoden’s grasp.

Dyoden ruthlessly killed them one by one, as if crushing ants.

The elf rangers and dwarf warriors writhed in intense agony and fear as they died, and Dyoden enjoyed his handiwork, laughing.

Such a sight filled Damian with tremendous horror.

Only now did he realize how dangerous a man he and his father had provoked.

“Father!”

Damian looked at the lifeless body of his father in his arms.

The face of the late Beloff still bore the expression of fear and bewilderment he felt just before dying.

“I told you not to accept their request, didn’t I? What is this now? Dammit!”

Damian bit his lips forcefully.

Tears welled up in his eyes unnoticed.

Not only Beloff but also the Awakened members of the Caravan were either dead or severely injured.

The Caravan that was responsible for the finances of the Kamchatka Colony collapsed.

The downfall of the Caravan meant the downfall of the Kamchatka Colony.

“Ha!”

Damian sighed deeply, wiping away tears.

Though his heart ached as if it were being torn apart, it wasn’t the time to grieve now.

He had no right to mourn; it was because of them that this tragedy had occurred, and he needed to take responsibility somehow.

He carefully laid his father’s body down and walked towards Dyoden.

Dyoden looked at Damian with an expression of interest.

Damian, kneeling before Dyoden, spoke.

“I apologize. I brought this upon myself.”

“Then, you should die.”

“Still, please forgive me just this once.”

“Forgive? The little brat talks boldly. If you ask for forgiveness, do I have to grant it?”

“I’m not entirely shameless.”

“Then?”

“I want to make a deal.”

“A deal?”

“Do you want to know the location of El Harun?”

“Do you know?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“And you talk about making a deal? Is something wrong with your head?”

“As you know, my ability is navigation. If I set my mind to it, I can find any path.”

“Ho!”

Finally, Dyoden showed interest.

It was amusing. The kid wasn’t appealing to emotions but spoke of the benefits he would gain from sparing him.

After losing his father just a while ago, it wasn’t easy for Damian to be so pragmatic.

In a way, Damian was also an item.

“I will definitely find the way to El Harun. So, please spare my life.”

“How can I trust you? You might be lying.”

“As I mentioned before, our Caravan is in the Kamchatka Colony. If I’m lying, you can come anytime and kill me.”

Damian raised his head, looking directly into Dyoden’s eyes.

His face was stained with tears, but his eyes shone with determination.

Dyoden chuckled.

“You better keep your promise.”

“I will keep it. Then, I will assume that you have given permission to go.”

Damian bowed his head respectfully, then rose from his kneeling position.

As he passed by Zeon, he spoke.

“I’m sorry, brother!”

“…”

“If you need anything from me, please come visit me any time.”

Zeon just nodded without saying a word.

Now that Dyoden had decided to let Damian go, there was no need for Damian to stay any longer.

In a way, Damian was a pitiable character too.

He was thoroughly exploited by El Harun and the Golden Dragon Haeltoon.

In contrast, he and Dyoden suffered no losses whatsoever. In essence, they incurred no damages.

Damian, on the other hand, suffered immense losses.

He lost his father, and most of his subordinates were killed or injured.

In this state, it was uncertain if the Caravan could recover.

Even though he was a *Navigator, the desert wasn’t forgiving enough for a young boy to survive.

[TL/N: Changed “Guide” to “Navigator”.]

The path ahead for Damian would be as treacherous and arduous as the one Zeon had traversed thus far.

“Wait!”

Zeon suddenly called out to Damian.

“Why?”

Damian looked at Zeon with a puzzled expression. Zeon pointed at the items of the elf rangers and dwarf warriors.

“I want to entrust the handling of these items to you.”

“Me?”

“These are the belongings of the elves and dwarves, right? They might fetch a good amount if sold. Don’t you think so?”

“Yes. These items are rare and valuable. They could bring in a lot of profit.”

The mana particle canon brought by the dwarves was a precious item combining science and magic. Although it didn’t affect Dyoden, it could heavily impact other Awakened and creatures.

The armor worn by the elves and the weapons of the humans could also fetch a high price.

“But I don’t have the Mana Stones to pay for these items right now.”

“You can settle the value later.”

“Thank you, brother!”

Damian didn’t refuse Zeon’s consideration. The situation wasn’t favorable enough for him to assert his pride.

Zeon spoke to Dyoden.

“I apologize for deciding on my own without permission.”

“Ha! It’s fine. These items are of no use to me. Do as you wish.”

Dyoden didn’t spare a glance at the items scattered on the ground.

Such things held no significance for him.

If he had desired wealth, he would have stayed in Neo Seoul and become a person of power.

What mattered was that Zeon was finally realizing and utilizing his talents effectively.

At least he was doing more than his fair share.

At this rate, Dyoden wouldn’t be hindered at crucial moments.

Dyoden raised his head and looked towards the eastern sky.

He felt that their destination wasn’t far away now.

***

Damian left the Valley of Death with the Caravan, carrying the bodies and items like the mana particle cannon.

He probably didn’t want to stay even a moment longer in a place where he had lost his father and his subordinates who were like family.

Zeon understood Damian’s sentiments.

He would have felt the same way.

On the other hand, Zeon and Dyoden had no reason to hurry.

The fact that different species had obstructed them meant they were already within the sphere of influence of Haeltoon.

It was evident that Haeltoon’s lair was not far from here.

From now on, they needed to move cautiously.

They needed to rest whenever possible to conserve their strength.

Therefore, the two decided to take a day’s rest in the Valley of Death.

Zeon looked at the Valley of Death with a fascinated expression.

The Valley, entirely composed of sandstone, boasted an eerie beauty.

If the world hadn’t turned into a desert, many people would have visited to witness this scenery.

As Zeon gazed at the Valley of Death for a while, he suddenly removed his gauntlet. His wrist was itching.

As he looked at his wrist, Zeon’s eyes lit up.

The third line was emitting light.

It was proof that Zeon had reached C-rank.

“C-rank?”

It didn’t feel real.

It seemed like just yesterday he had Awakened as F-rank. Being C-rank already felt strange. If he had been in Neo Seoul, he would have been ecstatic. However, after traveling with Dyoden for so long, his achievement didn’t seem that significant.

Moreover, considering the opponents he would face in the future, it felt even less significant.

The opponent was a dragon.

Even if it possessed half the abilities rumored in legends and myths, it could still turn the world upside down.

In terms of weaponry, it was more powerful than past nuclear weapons.

The being Dyoden was preparing to fight was ridiculously strong.

To a degree that Zeon’s imagination cannot fathom.

To face such an adversary, Zeon had to become stronger.

Survival couldn’t be guaranteed if he stayed at C-rank.

“Phew! We still have a long way to go.”

Unconsciously, Zeon let out a sigh.

Though Dyoden saw Zeon like this, he said nothing.

Initially, it was due to his coercion that he followed along. However, after battling the Awakened from Neo Seoul, it was Zeon’s determination that kept them together.

Hence, every event unfolding from now on was under Zeon’s responsibility.

Contemplating and making decisions fell entirely on Zeon’s shoulders.

As Zeon slipped on his gauntlet, he muttered to himself.

“I need to find a way to become stronger.”

While others might consider him plenty strong even now, Zeon wasn’t satisfied.

Zeon’s goal was to surpass Dyoden.

He handled sand manipulation quite well already, but he needed to excel even further.

‘I need a powerful skill for one-on-one battles—one that can guarantee a decisive blow with a single strike.’

He felt it keenly during the battle with Hammerson—the necessity for a powerful one-on-one skill.

Zeon closed his eyes, recalling his skills.

The Sand Blaster and Sand Missile could be considered offensive skills.

The Sand Mixer was close to an area-of-effect attack and proved effective against monsters.

However, the Sand Soldier was still inadequate to be used as a primary skill.

‘Then there’s Exion…’

Exion was his ace in the hole.

Its power was immense, but it couldn’t be used recklessly in front of others.

Its strength lay in being concealed until the right moment, enhancing its impact.

‘The sand lacks cohesion. That’s why the Sand Blaster and Sand Missile don’t exhibit their full power. I need a new, stronger skill.’

Zeon pondered how to enhance his abilities.

The Sand Missile’s impact was stronger than the Sand Blaster’s. Strengthening the Sand Missile seemed like the right path.

‘I need to condense the Sand Missile further. To do that, I must change its form, shedding all excess.’

The Sand Missile was the size of a child’s forearm.

Its shape resembled that too.

At that moment, a steel ball came to Zeon’s mind.

The spherical steel ball was a powerful weapon in itself.

He thought about refining the Sand Missile’s shape into that of a steel ball.

Zeon didn’t miss the sudden inspiration that came to him and immersed himself in thoughts.

Swoosh!

The sand around him surged.

Zeon’s concentration had involuntarily moved the sand.

Dyoden silently observed Zeon.

He, too, had gone through a similar process.

He had created skills that suited his abilities the best through such contemplation.

Though challenging and arduous, it was because of such considerations that the current Dyoden existed.

Following the paths taught by others had clear limitations.

Most Awakened parading in Neo Seoul, boasting their greatness, had chosen the comfortable path.

Dyoden did not acknowledge such people.

At least Zeon was walking a different path from such individuals.

That alone warranted acknowledgment.

Dyoden suddenly brought out Kreion.

Under the firelight, Kreion emitted a more intense crimson glow.

Thud!

Dyoden plunged Kreion into the ground.

“Friend!”

—Your mind seems troubled, friend!

For a moment, Kreion responded.

A voice only Dyoden could hear, not audible to others.

Zeon always thought Dyoden was just talking nonsense by himself, but the truth was different.

Swoosh!

A human-shaped figure appeared in front of Kreion.

A man in his late twenties to early thirties.

Blond hair, blue eyes, and a tall stature—a typical Caucasian handsome man.

Dyoden gazed at the man.

It wasn’t his actual form.

It was a mere projection of the man’s appearance when he was alive.

The caring brother of his wife.

The beloved uncle of his daughter.

The one who was Dyoden’s best friend.

The one who had lost everything and become the ego of his sword.

He was Kreion.