Chapter 15

Chapter 15

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 15

An old man descended down the stairs.

He was of small stature, barely half the size of Dyoden.

The old man looked up at Dyoden with wistful eyes.

“So, you’re still alive. Dyoden!”

“Looks like you’ve lost more teeth, Pavilsa.”

“You’re abnormal. Still fussing over living past a hundred.”

The old man called Pavilsa grumbled.

He had lost almost all of his teeth and had only a few left. In contrast, Dyoden was still alive and well.

In many ways, they were incomparable.

Dyoden asked Pavilsa.

“What brings you here? This isn’t your territory.”

“Scavengers have been running rampant here.”

“Didn’t you sweep them away last time?”

“Just because you sweep them once doesn’t mean those pests vanish. New ones showed up this time, more vicious than ever. There’s no point in getting involved; it’ll only give us a headache.”

“Hmph! Seems like someone’s scared of scavengers, spinning tales of running away.”

“I’m not you. There’s no need to willingly get tangled in troublesome matters. We call that a wise choice.”

“Just living to talk...”

Dyoden chuckled.

Despite his ridicule, Pavilsa didn’t seem embarrassed by his laughter.

While not as strong as Dyoden, he too had survived the era of destruction for a long time, possessing resilience and experience.

Though most of the world had turned into desert, there were still lands habitable for humans. There were rocky mines akin to jade quarries and small oases.

Despite the harsh environment, humans adapted and continued their lives there.

Not as secure as Neo Seoul and not a gathering place for many, yet they persevered.

Scavengers targeted these survivors, which led Pavilsa to move here.

His gaze turned towards Zeon, standing beside Dyoden.

“Haven’t seen this one before. A subordinate?”

“Just a companion.”

“A companion? A person like you, with someone tagging along? Heaven and Earth will be flipped.”

“Enough nonsense, let’s go inside. There are items to trade.”

“I wouldn’t let just anyone in, but I’m doing it because it’s you.”

“Stop with the theatrics and guide us in.”

“Hmph!”

Pavilsa snorted and ascended the stairs.

Dyoden followed, and lastly, Zeon climbed up.

Before climbing, Zeon glanced at Archelon’s face. Coincidentally, Archelon was looking at him too.

The face was as big as a large house. The size of the pupils was larger than that of Zeon himself.

It was truly a frightening size.

Zeon’s image reflected in its colossal pupils. Yet, Archelon seemed uninterested, swiftly turning its head forward.

‘Taming a monster like this and casually riding it around? Crazy!’

He knew that there were tamers among the Awakened, but the tale of someone taming such a colossal monster was unheard of. Nonetheless, it was still too early to be surprised.

Inside Archelon’s shell an unimaginable sight unfolded.

The interior was hollow and vast, a whole village nestled within.

Although there weren’t many, there were still people roaming the streets.

“What in the world?”

“They’re a tribe.”

“A tribe? A bloodline, you mean?”

“Yeah! They are all descendants of Pavilsa.”

Zeon was more surprised by Dyoden’s words.

In a world where surviving was a challenge, and raising children safely was uncertain.

Leading such a large family was nearly impossible.

Dyoden spoke.

“This is possible because Archelon protects them from external threats.”

“I guess so.”

Zeon nodded.

The desert housed numerous monsters, some as huge as the Sandworms. However, none could compare to Archelon.

Furthermore, Archelon boasted the strongest defense.

The colossal shell on its back was so resilient that no monster’s fang could pierce it.

Hence, most monsters dared not provoke Archelon.

Inside Archelon’s shell, Pavilsa’s descendants flourished.

“They call themselves the Mot tribe, after Pavilsa’s last name.”

“Mot tribe?”

“Yeah! They are mindless idiots who think they are chosen, but in reality, they’re nothing without Archelon.”

Only then did Kailey realize Dyoden was there and hastily greeted him.

“So, you’ve Awakened as an Enchanter; quite a useful skill you’ve acquired.”

“Thank you. You’re still as critical as ever.”

There was a faint fear in Kailey’s eyes as she looked at Dyoden.

She knew well just how powerful the old man before her was.

The memory of Dyoden tearing apart a massive monster in front of her when she was much younger still haunted her as a trauma.

Kailey felt uncomfortable being in the same space as Dyoden any longer.

She hurriedly spoke to Zeon.

“Come with me. I’ll give you the gauntlet.”

“Yes!”

Zeon followed Kailey, his joyful expression not concealed.

He had no idea how envious he was whenever Dyoden used the subspace.

Secretly, he wished he had something like that himself. The fact that he could get it for free made him happier than he realized.

Kailey asked Zeon.

“What’s your relationship with that old monster?”

“Pardon?”

“Dyoden.”

“Oh! We just happened to meet and are traveling together.”

“Just happened to meet him?”

Kailey frowned slightly.

She didn’t quite believe Zeon’s words, but probing further seemed pointless.

Kailey took Zeon to her workshop.

Various items she had crafted hung on the walls of her workspace.

Zeon couldn’t help but marvel; the presence emitted by the items overwhelmed him.

“Wow!”

He inadvertently let out a gasp.

Kailey looked pleased at his reaction.

“I’ve worked on all of these. How is it?”

“Incredible. Are these all artifacts?”

“That’s right! It can be said to be the best, except for the ones excavated from dungeons.”

Sometimes, items excavated from dungeons triggered phenomena due to their excessively potent power.

Artifacts excavated from dungeons were known to possess extraordinarily special abilities.

Kailey’s goal was to create artifacts as significant as those excavated from dungeons.

She picked up the gauntlet hanging on the wall.

The gauntlet covered the back of the hand and the forearm.

“I made this using the exoskeleton of an Ironclad Starfish mixed with adamantium. It’s a dual composite structure, excelling in resilience, protection, and attack power. Besides the subspace function I mentioned earlier, it also has a self-recovery function.”

“Self-recovery? So, it automatically heals?”

“Yes! As long as it’s not completely destroyed, it will regenerate.”

“Oh, wow!”

“Isn’t it impressive? That’s not all. Possibly due to the Ironclad Starfish, the gauntlet has a fire attribute. Currently, it only emits a faint flame, but its power will vary based on what you attach to it.”

She pointed to a rounded part on the back of the gauntlet, designed for attachment.

“An artifact with a fire attribute?”

“Yes! It’s best to attach something powerful. Once attached, it can’t be replaced. Frankly, this gauntlet is almost a product of chance; I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to recreate it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. But is it okay to just give me something like this?”

“Grandfather told me to give it to you.”

“Thank you.”

Kailey handed the gauntlet to Zeon.

He immediately put the gauntlet on his right hand.

Initially it was a little loose, but once it was fully put on, it automatically shrunk to a perfect fit.

Zeon moved his hand around, feeling as if he wore nothing; his wrist and finger movements were free.

A faint heat emanated from the gauntlet.

Kailey asked.

“How is it?”

“It’s great.”

“Heh!”

Kailey crossed her arms, wearing a proud expression.

Just then.

Boom!

Suddenly, the alarm-like wail of Archelon echoed.

From her extensive experience, Kailey knew it was a warning.

She rushed out of the house and looked outside. In the distance, an enormous cloud of dust was rising.

Her complexion turned pale.

“It’s... the Scavengers.”

[Translator – Peptobismol]