Episode 30
Rio was someone who absolutely should not have died like this.
He was the most crucial figure in the hunt for Deiodeun.
His ability to snipe from long range was absolute, so much so that even the Mayor of Neo Seoul had reluctantly yielded him. And yet, they had lost him before the real battle even began.
Jang Yongbeom glared at Deiodeun.
Deiodeun stood in the middle of the desert, smiling.
There wasn't a single trace of impact from a bullet anywhere on his entire body.
They hadn't even been able to leave a scratch with magic-processed anti-Awakened bullets.
"That's right! It should be at this level. Only then is hunting worth the effort."
In addition to his own party, seven more parties had participated.
They were all individuals well-versed in hunting Awakened.
There were no S-rank Awakened who could be called strategic weapons, but numerous A-rank and B-rank Awakened were included.
Countless Awakened parties exist in Neo Seoul and the slums.
They seek out and subjugate Dungeons that pose a threat around Neo Seoul. However, among them are those who hunt fellow Awakened instead of demonic beasts. Because that way, they can earn big money much more easily.
They were wary of getting entangled with one another whenever possible.
Because they knew each other too well. The fact that such people had gathered for this request was because the reward was that great.
The fact that it was a personal request from the Mayor, the supreme authority of Neo Seoul, was reason enough to participate.
"We will hunt him."
"We can finally take the Slaughterer's head. Hehe!"
The Awakened riding in the other buggies burned with fighting spirit.
They had heard countless legends about Deiodeun.
The Slaughterer.
The Madman of the Desert.
The Living Disaster.
There were innumerable words to describe him.
The problem was that every single one of those words was negative.
Nevertheless, they were not intimidated; rather, they were excited.
Because it was a golden opportunity to hunt the legendary Deiodeun.
Whoever hunted Deiodeun would take all the honor and become a new legend.
"We have to get there first. Step on it."
"We can't let the others take him."
The buggies carrying the Awakened raced forward, vying to be first.
"You fools!"
Jang Yongbeom frowned as he watched them.
He wondered if they could even take him on if they worked together, yet here they were in a chaotic free-for-all from the start.
The signs were not good.
Eideun spoke.
"Captain, let's fall back a bit."
"Damn it!"
"We need to stay calm."
It was Eideun, who could be called the brain of Jang Yongbeom's party.
Tracking down Deiodeun in this vast desert had also been thanks to his merit. If it weren't for him, they would still be wandering the desert searching for Deiodeun.
Jang Yongbeom nodded.
"Okay! We'll drop to the very rear."
"Yes!"
Eideun slowed down slightly. At that, the other buggies overtook them.
They closed the distance to Deiodeun in an instant.
"Old man! Hand over your life."
The Awakened riding in the lead buggy lunged toward Deiodeun.
A giant axe was in his hand.
An intense Aura flared around the axe.
When he swung the axe, an axe-shaped Aura flew toward Deiodeun.
He was confident that this single move would inflict a serious wound on Deiodeun.
Deiodeun was empty-handed.
Blocking his skill without a weapon was impossible.
Then, Deiodeun swung a bare fist.
Boom!
In that instant, the Aura the Awakened had sent flying with his axe was extinguished just like that.
"What?"
The Awakened who had charged aggressively widened his eyes.
Because Deiodeun, who had extinguished his Aura, had vanished from sight.
The place Deiodeun reappeared was right in front of his nose.
He had moved through space in the blink of an eye, as if he had used Blink.
Crack!
Deiodeun's massive hand wrapped around the Awakened's face.
"Kuk!"
The Awakened tried to swing his axe to strike Deiodeun's torso. But Deiodeun was far faster in applying force to the hand gripping his face.
Crunch!
The Awakened's head, which had been swinging the axe, crumbled like a cookie.
The Awakened's blood and brain matter trickled down between Deiodeun's fingers.
"Hehe! Are you the ones Jin Geumho sent?"
Jin Geumho was the Mayor of Neo Seoul.
He was a living giant who had weathered the same era of upheaval as Deiodeun.
He had rendered distinguished service in building the present Neo Seoul and had become the Mayor himself.
The supreme authority standing at the pinnacle of Neo Seoul was Jin Geumho.
He had once been Deiodeun's comrade, a companion walking the same path.
However, a hundred years of time had torn them apart, and now they were worse than enemies.
"Shut up! Monster."
"All-out attack!"
The Awakened leaped from the buggies and launched an all-out attack.
Boom, boom, boom!
The Awakened's skills tore up the desert sand.
But by the time their skills exploded, Deiodeun was no longer there.
The place he reappeared was in the midst of the Awakened horde.
Squelch!
With a single punch, a B-rank Awakened's head burst apart.
The next victim was a female Awakened who used magic.
Her pride and joy, the skill Flame Wind, didn't even get a chance to unfold.
The last thing she saw were Deiodeun's eyes, brimming with madness.
"A, ah…"
Bang!
In that instant, her torso exploded.
"Kuaaack!"
"D, don't panic…"
"Aack!"
Screams and bewildered voices echoed across the desert sky.
'Not like this!'
The one who stepped forward at that moment was an Awakened named No Jigwang.
"Flame Lance."
Multiple spears of flame appeared in the air.
At No Jigwang's gesture, the flame spears flew toward Deiodeun.
Boom-boom-boom-bang!
Along with the roar of explosions, Deiodeun was engulfed in flames.
Not missing that opening, the other Awakened unleashed their skills in unison.
The martial fighters charged while igniting their Auras, and the mages bombarded from afar.
Flames and sand covered the desert.
Someone gulped dryly and muttered.
"He should be dead after that, right?"
It was then.
Screech!
A sudden, spine-chilling sound of tearing air resounded.
Startled, they turned to look, and saw a massive greatsword flying from afar.
It was Keureion, which Deiodeun had thrown.
Keureion spun fiercely, sweeping through the Awakened.
Swoosh-slash!
"Keuack!"
"Save me!"
Everything caught in Keureion's path was severed.
The Awakened, and their weapons alike.
Rank could not protect them.
Whether A-rank, B-rank, or C-rank, they were ripped apart equally.
Half of the Awakened who had joined the strike force died in an instant.
"Good God!"
"This is the Slaughter...er?"
The faces of the surviving Awakened turned ashen.
Keureion, which had slaughtered the Awakened, settled back into Deiodeun's hand.
Though the Awakened had attacked with all their might, Deiodeun remained unscathed without a single wound.
"Hehehe!"
Deiodeun's mad laughter made the Awakened's blood run cold.
Only now did they understand why Deiodeun was called the Living Disaster, and why he was known as the Slaughterer.
Deiodeun was strong.
He wasn't simply strong; he was terrifyingly strong.
Assigning ranks to him was meaningless.
Only now did they realize why there were no S-rank Awakened included in this strike force.
Because even an S-rank Awakened could not confidently guarantee survival before Deiodeun.
The Mayor of Neo Seoul must have surely believed that this strike force was more likely to fail than succeed.
"Then why did he send us?"
"That fucking Mayor bastard!"
They cursed Mayor Jin Geumho, who had commissioned this strike force.
Without even sparing a glance at the strike force floundering like a disorganized mob, Deiodeun spoke.
"Did you see?"
"Just because you call me a retard doesn't mean my eyes are retarded too."
The one who replied curtly was Jeon.
"They are all fellows who pride themselves on being someone in Neo Seoul."
"So?"
"With your skill, you would be treated about as well as them in Neo Seoul."
"So?"
"I'm saying this is your last chance to return to Neo Seoul, you retard!"
"So?"
"If you follow me now, you can never return to a normal life again. So if you want to go back to Neo Seoul, go now. It's your last chance."
"A normal life?"
"Yeah! A life just like everyone else's."
"Fuck! Are you kidding me?"
"What?"
"You think I can live a normal life now? You're talking nonsense, you dog-like old man!"
From the moment Jeon met Deiodeun—no, from the instant he Awakened as the Sand Sorcerer—a normal life no longer suited him.
With a heart full of desire to grow stronger, how could he follow them back to Neo Seoul?
If he went back, he would clearly become a tool for the powerful or be dissected thoroughly.
For him, returning to Neo Seoul was no different from another word for death.
Deiodeun smiled.
"Hehe! The retard's finally broken his head too. Congratulations on becoming a true retard."
"Well, thanks a fucking lot for that."
Jeon raised his middle finger at Deiodeun.
"Hehe!"
Deiodeun burst into laughter and leaped into the midst of the Awakened.
They had been unable to stop Deiodeun even when he was bare-handed; there was no way they could stop him now that he held Keureion.
Deiodeun was a lion that had leaped into a flock of sheep.
Squelch!
Every time he swung Keureion, Awakened broke, were torn apart, and crushed.
In an instant, the desert was dyed red with the blood of the Awakened.
"Fuck! How is that human?"
"We'd better just pull back. Before we become that human's target for nothing."
Thanks to their ominous premonition, Jang Yongbeom's party, which had been hanging back, fortunately escaped Deiodeun's massacre.
Mauntin, who had feared nothing in the world thanks to his gigantic frame and tremendous strength, had a deathly pale face, and Eideun and Jijel's faces were no different.
Jang Yongbeom looked at Deiodeun with an incredulous expression.
"Hunt a human like that? The Mayor must be completely insane."
He had heard many stories about Deiodeun, but this was the first time seeing him in person.
Jang Yongbeom was an A-rank Awakened in name.
He feared no other Awakened in Neo Seoul.
He might be a bit intimidated by an S-rank Awakened, but it wasn't to the point where he couldn't work up the courage to fight.
If he prepared to throw his life away, he could somehow manage to put up a fight.
But against Deiodeun, who was massacring Awakened from afar, he couldn't even dare to consider fighting.
Even from this far away, goosebumps prickled up his forearms.
This was the first time he had felt this way.
Jijel spoke.
"Captain, at this rate we'll become the Slaughterer's prey too. Let's get out of here quickly."
Her face was full of urgency.
The distance from Deiodeun was two kilometers.
It was far if one considered it far, but to an Awakened like Deiodeun, it meant nothing.
If he willed it, he would appear here in the blink of an eye.
Jang Yongbeom spoke.
"We're returning to Neo Seoul. And we'll never accept another request related to the Mayor."
"Understood."
"Let's hurry."
Eideun hastily turned the steering wheel.
The buggy sped away from where Deiodeun was. But Jang Yongbeom couldn't take his eyes off the battlefield.
His gaze suddenly turned toward a figure in a robe standing behind Deiodeun.
They were too far away, and the hood attached to the robe was pulled down so low that their face couldn't be seen.
'Who is it? If they're traveling with Deiodeun, they're definitely not an ordinary human.'