Episode 37
Jeon was engulfed in black, fine sand.
He had released Exion.
One of the advantages of releasing Exion externally like this was that its proficiency and versatility increased.
Jeon manipulated Exion, shaping it into various forms.
At times, he made it round like a protective shield, and at other times, he made it ripple like wings.
Jeon, with Exion released externally, looked like the Grim Reaper at a glance.
His gliding, sand-walking gait made him look all the more so.
Deiodeun watched Jeon playing around with Exion but said nothing.
After the battle with Akarukeu, he had grown so taciturn that one might not hear a single word from him in a day.
His eyes sank deeper, and all expression vanished from his face.
To someone seeing him for the first time, his face was so terrifying that just meeting his gaze would make them piss themselves.
Only because Jeon had known Deiodeun for a long time could he remain composed.
The entire time they walked, Jeon tested Exion and pondered how he could increase its versatility.
The battle between Deiodeun and Akarukeu had made Jeon think deeply about many things.
Watching such a high-level battle had greatly broadened Jeon’s horizons.
Throughout the battle, Jeon had felt his heart pounding.
*I want to fight like that too.*
*I want to reach such a high realm.*
That desire stimulated his heart.
Though it had been quite a while since they left the ancient castle, that desire had not faded but had grown even stronger.
That was the reason Jeon continued to test Exion.
To reach a realm similar to Deiodeun’s—no, even higher—he could not afford to rest for even a moment.
Deiodeun’s strength was something gained not in a day or two.
It was the result of struggling for a hundred years.
To catch up to someone like Deiodeun, he had to save even the time for sleeping and resting.
Thanks to such efforts, Jeon’s skills grew by the day.
Jeon, who had been playing with Exion for quite some time, suddenly furrowed his brows.
It was because of an unbelievable sight visible in the distance.
As Jeon withdrew Exion, he asked Deiodeun,
“Is that a mirage only I am seeing right now?”
“It is not a mirage.”
“Then it’s real?”
“If my eyes aren’t broken….”
“Wow! That’s real?”
Jeon opened his eyes wide and looked ahead.
Something enormous was approaching beyond the distant horizon.
A body larger than a three-story house; four thick legs that seemed to be made of several adults combined; a drooping trunk; and terrifying tusks curved like bows.
It resembled a mammoth, the kind he had only heard of in stories.
If there was one difference, it was far more terrifying and gigantic.
It was as if a small mountain were moving.
But behind the mammoth, a massive artificial structure could be seen.
The artificial structure, far larger than the mammoth, was a gigantic warehouse on wheels.
Warehouses were connected in a long line behind the mammoth.
Like a train.
On top of the warehouses, humans the size of tiny dots were moving about busily.
Deiodeun said,
“They are a caravan.”
“A real caravan?”
Jeon blinked his eyes in surprise.
Caravan was originally a term referring to a group of merchants who traveled far away in herds, loading camels or horses with goods and trading specialties in regions with underdeveloped transportation, such as deserts or grasslands.
Even in modern times, caravans existed.
They traveled between colonies, engaging in a type of intermediary trade.
It sounded easy, but it was by no means an easy task.
The world had turned into a desert.
The desert was never kind to humans.
Intensely beating sunlight; sand heated to scorching temperatures.
Moreover, the desert swarmed with all kinds of monsters and scavengers.
Traveling between colonies while enduring all those adverse conditions was never easy.
Some people might say that taking a plane or driving a car would solve the problem simply, but anyone who knew even a little about the desert would realize it was impossible.
Monsters lived in the sky too.
Wyverns, griffons, unicorns, or winged-dragon-type monsters were typical examples.
They could not tolerate other flying objects in the same sky. Ordinary planes could never withstand their attacks.
Above all, the desert sky was filled with fine dust and polluted energy that destroyed airplane engines in an instant.
Cars and all sorts of machinery were the same.
The desert sand was the antithesis of mechanical devices. Short distances could somehow be managed with repairs, but long-distance operation caused them to break down completely.
That was why even in Neo Seoul, cars were used only when raiding nearby dungeons.
Needless to say, interacting with other colonies whose locations were unknown was an impossible dream.
No matter where one looked, the scenery was the same, and there was nothing to serve as a landmark.
Only caravans overcame such adverse conditions and engaged in intermediary trade with various colonies.
How the caravans could navigate accurately toward colonies across the vast desert was a closely guarded secret.
Even in Neo Seoul, efforts to uncover the caravans’ secret had returned in vain.
When Jeon first heard of caravans, he thought people were lying. To him, it was something impossible.
But the moment he saw the caravan procession with his own eyes, he was convinced.
He thought that if it was such a gigantic mammoth, sandworms and other monsters wouldn’t dare attack it carelessly.
It was smaller than Archelon, the ancient turtle the Mot tribe had used that he had seen before, but even so, it was clear that ordinary monsters would be no match for something that size.
Deiodeun said,
“Encountering a caravan in the middle of the desert is by no means a common occurrence.”
“An absolutely uncommon event had to happen to us.”
“It did!”
Deiodeun crossed his arms and watched the approaching caravan procession.
The caravan seemed to have spotted the two of them as well, approaching directly.
Thud! Thud!
The mammoth’s heavy footsteps reverberated through the sand, felt throughout their entire bodies.
The mammoth’s size up close was truly tremendous.
It seemed closer to the size of a five-story house than a three-story house. And the pair of tusks protruding from either side of its trunk was truly immense.
If pierced by those tusks, any monster would likely die instantly.
Pooooh!
The mammoth finally arrived in front of the two and raised its trunk to the sky, bellowing loudly. Then people descended from the massive warehouse the mammoth was pulling.
To block the scorching sun, they wore turbans on their heads and loose clothing on their bodies.
It was the attire called dera’a, traditionally worn by men living in the Sahara Desert region.
There was no better clothing for enduring the desert’s intense heat.
“Travelers wandering the desert. I can hardly believe my eyes.”
The man who seemed to be the caravan’s leader lowered the cloth covering his nose and mouth and let out an exclamation.
He was a man who looked to be in his fifties.
Thick stubble surrounded his nose and mouth, but his sharp gaze exuded an innate dignity.
“My name is Belropeu. What might be the names of the brave adventurers crossing the desert?”
“I am Deiodeun.”
“Ohh! Deiodeun! I can hardly believe my eyes and ears.”
Belropeu opened his eyes wide.
“You know me?”
“How could I not? The man who may be the strongest on Earth. Your name is widely known even in the Kamchatka Colony.”
“Kamchatka Colony? There was a colony in such a place?”
“Haha! It is only natural you would not know. Unlike Neo Seoul, it is an extremely barren and tiny place.”
Belropeu scratched his head and laughed.
The Kamchatka Colony was, as its name suggested, a colony located on the old Kamchatka Peninsula.
The former Kamchatka Peninsula boasted an almost untouched wilderness. Naturally, its population density was extremely low.
Compared to Russian territories like Moscow or Sakhalin, it could be considered virtually uninhabited.
Paradoxically, this was why many people survived when the Sixth Great Extinction occurred.
Because their numbers were so few from the start, they chose to join forces to survive rather than compete with one another.
At first, they banded together at the village level to survive. Then, as Awakened and survivors arrived after hearing rumors, the settlement gradually grew in scale.
The Kamchatka Colony was only one-tenth the size of Neo Seoul.
They could not afford to expand because of the monsters that attacked incessantly.
Jeon asked with a puzzled expression.
“Monsters attack you?”
“Is that so strange? It is only natural that demonic beasts attack. To them, humans are nothing but delicious prey.”
“But Neo Seoul is….”
“Neo Seoul is special. There is only one colony in this world that is so special.”
The walls of Neo Seoul possessed anti-magic power. That was why demonic beasts were reluctant to approach.
There was no other colony on Earth with such walls except Neo Seoul.
Other colonies fought life-and-death battles against demonic beasts every day. Given the circumstances, expanding their scale was not easy.
Instead, the Awakened’s skills developed through war against the demonic beasts.
Especially in Great Demonic Beast Wars, they could all be considered specialists.
Perhaps that was why all those who had followed Belropeu radiated an unusual atmosphere.
More than anything, their physiques were impressive.
To put it mildly, they were all as large as brown bears.
They were not the least bit inferior even when compared to the giant Deiodeun.
Belropeu spoke to Deiodeun.
“Haha! Meeting in the middle of the desert is fate. Why not join us today? We shall treat you as honored guests.”
“Very well.”
“Haha! As expected, you are a bold one!”
At Deiodeun’s approval, Belropeu burst into a hearty laugh.
Jeon looked at Deiodeun with a surprised expression.
He had naturally assumed Deiodeun would refuse.
*He must have a plan, right?*
Though he looked simple and brutish on the outside, Jeon knew well that he was not.
Among all his actions until now, none existed without reason. He formulated deeply calculated plans and acted according to them.
It was something impossible to do without an exceptional mind.
Belropeu guided the two atop the massive warehouse that the mammoth was pulling.
On top of the warehouse, there were awnings and chairs for people to stay.
Inside was loaded with goods purchased from the Kamchatka Colony, and the people lived on top of the warehouse.
Once they climbed up, Belropeu said loudly,
“Haha! Having met a hero of the desert, I cannot sit idle. Bring out the vodka!”
“Vodka? That alcohol still remains?”
“Hehe! It was difficult to obtain in the Kamchatka Colony. It turns out one liquor distributor in old Russia survived. No more is produced, but a little of the alcohol made in the old days remains.”
“Impressive.”
“Impressive indeed! If we take this liquor to Neo Seoul to sell, we could earn a fortune.”
In the modern age, alcohol was something difficult to obtain.
The grains needed to produce alcohol had all disappeared.
Now, even grain was produced in colony factories. Because the quantity was not abundant, they couldn’t even consider making alcohol.
Even if they did make it, it was only in minuscule amounts.
In some ways, liquor was more precious than magic stones.
Moreover, if it was vodka from the old era, it was surely worth whatever price one asked for.
Naturally, Belropeu was confident.
He brought out a bottle of that precious vodka for Deiodeun and Jeon.
A greedy light flickered in Deiodeun’s eyes, who had not had a drink in a long time.
Belropeu looked at Jeon.
“Brother seems a bit young?”
“I do not drink.”
“Then for the brother, I shall give some specially smoked deer jerky. Once you taste it, you will never forget it.”
At Belropeu’s gesture, a boy who looked barely twelve years old approached carrying the jerky.
He was a handsome boy with a rich head of blond hair.
“This is my son, Demian. Demian, give the jerky to the brother.”
“Yes!”
The boy called Demian handed the jerky to Jeon.
Jeon stared at Demian’s face.
Demian seemed burdened by Jeon’s gaze and slightly lowered his head to avert his eyes.
Jeon received the jerky.
“Thank you.”
“Yes! Brother.”
Demian seemed to be quite shy.
He still couldn’t meet Jeon’s eyes.
Then Belropeu raised his glass high and said,
“Now, let us drink and eat together. Do not worry about demonic beasts. My men and the mammoth will prevent them from so much as approaching. Hahaha!”
Clink!
Deiodeun clinked his glass, and Jeon chewed on the jerky.
The deer jerky given by Demian was on a different level from jerky made from demonic beasts.
It quite literally melted softly in the mouth.
It was so delicious that it felt like a dream.