Chapter 41

Chapter 41

[Translator – Peptobismol]

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.”Thee source of this content no/v/(el)bi((n))

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.

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.

[Translator – Peptobismol]