Chapter 41
Demian’s lips trembled.
He looked at Jeon and Deiodeun with an expression of disbelief.
It had taken the two of them a mere ten minutes or so to take down all of Elharun’s warriors.
Jeon had at least struggled against Hammerson, but Deiodeun had killed every last one of Elharun’s warriors one by one, cruelly, without expending any effort.
His handiwork had been so brutal that the Dwarf warriors and Elf Rangers he faced had fled in terror.
But none of them could escape Deiodeun’s hands.
Deiodeun killed them cruelly, one by one, as if crushing ants.
Elf Rangers and Dwarf warriors writhed in agony and tremendous fear as they died, and Deiodeun smiled as if admiring his own handiwork.
That sight of Deiodeun instilled tremendous terror in Demian as well.
Only then did he realize just what terrifying beings he and his father had provoked.
“Father!”
Demian looked at his father’s body cradled in his arms.
On Belropeu’s face, now drained of life, still lingered the fear and confused expression he had felt just before death.
“That’s why I said not to take their request! What the hell is this? Damn it!”
Demian bit his lip hard.
Thick teardrops had already formed in his eyes.
Not only Belropeu, but all of Caravan’s Awakeners were dead or grievously wounded.
Caravan, which had been in charge of the Kamchatka Colony’s finances, had collapsed.
The fall of Caravan meant the fall of the Kamchatka Colony.
“Ha!”
Demian let out a sigh and wiped his tears.
His heart ached as if being torn apart, but now was not the time to grieve.
He didn’t even have the right to grieve.
Since this disaster had occurred because of them, he had to take responsibility somehow.
He carefully laid his father’s body down and walked toward Deiodeun.
Deiodeun looked at Demian with an expression of interest.
Demian fell to his knees before Deiodeun and spoke.
“I’m sorry. I have committed a crime worthy of death.”
“Then you must die.”
“Still, please forgive me just this once.”
“Forgive? You little cripple speak carelessly. Just because you ask for forgiveness, do I have to grant it?”
“I am not so shameless.”
“Then?”
“I wish to make a deal.”
“A deal?”
“Do you not wish to know Elharun’s location?”
“Do you know it?”
“Not yet.”
“And yet you speak of a deal? Is something wrong with your head?”
“As you know, my ability is Navigator. If I set my mind to it, I can find any path.”
“Ho!”
Only then did Deiodeun show interest.
What a funny kid.
Instead of appealing to emotion, the brat spoke of the benefit to be gained by sparing his life.
It wasn’t easy to be so cold-headed right after losing one’s father.
In a sense, Demian was also a commodity.
“I will definitely find the path to Elharun. So please spare me.”
“How can I trust you? You could be lying.”
“As I’ve already told you, our Caravan is in the Kamchatka Colony. If my words are false, come and kill me at any time.”
Demian raised his head and looked straight at Deiodeun.
His face was stained with tears, but his eyes alone shone clearly.
Deiodeun snickered and said.
“You’d best keep your promise.”
“I will keep it. Then I shall take my leave, assuming I have your permission.”
Demian bowed his head deeply to Deiodeun and rose from his spot.
As he passed by Jeon, he spoke.
“I’m sorry. Brother!”
“…….”
“If there is ever anything you need from me, please come find me anytime.”
Jeon nodded silently.
Deiodeun had already decided to let Demian go.
It was no longer something he could meddle in.
In a way, Demian was a pitiful figure as well.
Because he had been thoroughly used by Elharun and the Gold Dragon Haielthun.
In comparison, he and Deiodeun had suffered no damage at all.
In fact, they hadn’t suffered any losses whatsoever.
On the other hand, Demian had suffered tremendous damage.
He lost his father, and most of his subordinates were dead or injured.
In this state, it was impossible to guarantee whether Caravan could revive.
No matter how much of a Navigator he was, the desert was not forgiving enough for a young boy to survive.
The path Demian would have to walk from now on would be as harsh and arduous as the one Jeon had walked until now.
“Wait!”
Jeon suddenly called out to Demian.
“Why?”
Demian looked at Jeon with a puzzled expression. At that, Jeon pointed at the belongings of the Elf Rangers and Dwarf warriors and spoke.
“I’d like to entrust the handling of these things to you.”
“Huh?”
“They’re the belongings of Elves and Dwarves, right? I think they’d fetch quite a bit of money if sold. Am I wrong?”
“That’s right. Since they’re hard to come by, they can bring in a lot of profit.”
The Dwarves’ mana particle cannon was a precious item combining science and magic.
It hadn’t worked on Deiodeun, but it could deal great damage to other Awakeners and demonic beasts.
The armor the Elves wore and the humans’ weapons could also be sold at high prices.
“But I don’t have the mana stones to pay for these items right now.”
“I’ll collect the mana stones later.”
“Thank you, Brother!”
Demian did not refuse Jeon’s consideration.
Because the situation was too dire for him to put up pride.
Jeon spoke to Deiodeun.
“I’m sorry for deciding on my own without permission.”
“Hmph! Forget it. They’re useless to me, so do as you please.”
Deiodeun didn’t even spare a glance at the items scattered on the ground.
Such things meant nothing to him.
If he had coveted wealth and honor, he would have stayed in Neo Seoul and become a person of power.
What mattered was that Jeon had finally realized and was demonstrating his talent.
He was doing at least his fair share.
At this level, he wouldn’t hold him back at a critical moment.
Deiodeun raised his head and looked at the eastern sky.
He felt that their destination was no longer far.
***
Demian loaded the bodies and items like the mana particle cannon onto the caravan and left the Valley of Death.
He probably didn’t want to remain in this place for even a moment, having lost his father and his family-like subordinates.
Jeon understood how Demian felt.
Because he would have done the same.
On the other hand, Jeon and Deiodeun had no reason to hurry.
The fact that other races had stood in their way meant they had already entered Haielthun’s sphere of influence.
Haielthun’s lair was definitely not far from this place.
From now on, they had to move cautiously.
They had to rest when they could and preserve their stamina.
So the two decided to rest for a day in the Valley of Death.
Jeon looked at the Valley of Death with an expression of wonder.
The Valley of Death, composed entirely of sandstone, boasted a strange beauty.
He thought that if the world hadn’t turned into a desert, many people would have come to see this scenery.
Jeon, who had been gazing at the Valley of Death for a long while, suddenly removed his gauntlet. Because his wrist was itchy.
Jeon’s eyes sparkled as he looked at his wrist.
The third line was glowing.
It was proof that Jeon had become C-rank.
“Am I C-rank?”
It didn’t feel real.
It felt like just yesterday he had awakened as F-rank, yet now he was already C-rank.
If he had still been in Neo Seoul, he would have jumped for joy. But after traveling with Deiodeun for so long, his current achievement didn’t seem so great.
And thinking of the opponent he would have to fight from now on made it seem even more so.
His opponent was a Dragon.
Even with only half the abilities told of in legends and myths, it could overturn the world.
As a weapon, it possessed power surpassing even the nuclear weapons of the past.
The being Deiodeun intended to fight was absurdly strong.
Beyond what Jeon’s imagination could dare to fathom.
To fight such an opponent, Jeon had to become stronger as well.
He couldn’t even guarantee survival at C-rank.
“Whew! I still have a long way to go.”
Jeon sighed without realizing it.
Deiodeun said nothing, even seeing Jeon like that.
It was true that he had followed at first because of Deiodeun’s coercion. But after fighting the Awakener of Neo Seoul, he accompanied him of his own will.
Therefore, everything that happened from now on was also under Jeon’s responsibility.
Worrying and making decisions were entirely Jeon’s domain.
Jeon muttered as he put his gauntlet back on.
“I have to find a way to get stronger.”
Others might say he was strong enough already, but Jeon was not satisfied.
Jeon’s goal was to surpass Deiodeun.
He could control sand well enough now, but he had to do even better.
‘I need a powerful anti-personnel skill. One that can finish someone off in a single blow.’
He had felt it desperately during his confrontation with Hammerson.
That he needed a powerful anti-personnel skill.
Jeon closed his eyes and thought of his skills.
Sand Blaster and Sand Missile could at least be considered anti-personnel skills.
Sand Mixer was closer to an area-of-effect skill and demonstrated great power against demonic beasts.
Sand Soldier was still too low-level to be used as a main skill.
‘What remains is Exion….’
Exion was his trump card.
Its power was extreme, but he couldn’t use it carelessly in front of others.
Because a hidden trump card only demonstrated its power when kept thoroughly secret.
‘Sand has low cohesion. That’s why Sand Blaster and Sand Missile can’t demonstrate their full power. I need a stronger, new skill.’
Jeon pondered how to strengthen their power.
Sand Missile was at least stronger than Sand Blaster. Then it was right to find a way to strengthen Sand Missile.
‘I have to condense Sand Missile further. To do that, I have to change its form first. Trim every unnecessary bit and cut away all the branches.’
Sand Missile was about the size of a child’s forearm.
Its shape was similar as well.
At that moment, an image of an iron ball surfaced in Jeon’s mind.
A round iron ball was a powerful weapon in itself.
He wondered what would happen if he discarded the missile form and refined it into an iron ball shape.
Jeon didn’t let the inspiration that had struck him in an instant slip away and immersed himself in thought.
Swoosh!
The sand around him floated.
Jeon’s concentration made the sand move on its own.
Deiodeun watched Jeon silently.
He had gone through such a process himself.
He had created the skill most suited to his ability by himself.
Though it was hard and arduous, it was thanks to such worries that the current Deiodeun could exist.
There were clear limits to following only the paths others taught.
Most of the Awakeners strutting around Neo Seoul thinking they were impressive had chosen the easy path.
Deiodeun did not acknowledge such people.
At least Jeon was walking a different path from them.
That alone made him worthy of acknowledgment.
Deiodeun suddenly drew Kreion.
Kreion, reflected in the campfire light, radiated an even more intense red glow.
Having absorbed Akaruk’s sword, Kreion was emanating an even more powerful presence.
Thud!
Deiodeun stabbed Kreion into the ground.
“My friend!”
―You seem troubled, my friend!
For a moment, Kreion answered.
It was inaudible to others.
It was a voice only Deiodeun could hear.
Jeon had always thought Deiodeun was talking nonsense by himself, but the truth was different.
Swoosh!
A human figure appeared before Kreion.
It was a man who looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties.
A handsome white man with blond hair, blue eyes, and a towering stature.
Deiodeun looked at the man.
It was not a physical body.
Merely an illusion projecting his appearance from when he was alive.
The one who had been his wife’s kind older brother.
The one who had been his daughter’s good uncle.
The one who had been Deiodeun’s best friend.
And the existence who had lost everything and become the sword’s ego of his own will.
He was Kreion.