[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
Chapter 227
Thanks to a good night’s sleep in a comfortable bed, Zeon and his party were full of energy from the start of the morning.
Brielle and Eloy, freshly washed, had skin so radiant it seemed to glow.
“I finally feel alive again.”
“Humans should really live in civilized places.”
“Oh, listen to the little one! Acting all high and mighty for someone who isn’t even human...”T/his chapter is updat/ed by nov(ê(l)biin.c/o/m
“And what about you?”
“Who said I was talking about you?”
“Ha! Coming from a half-elf...”
“A High Elf who was once addicted to drugs...”
Levin watched indifferently as the two women bickered again, even this early in the morning.
It wasn’t an unusual sight for him, something he’d grown used to over time.
Levin approached Zeon.
“What should we do about breakfast?”
“We’re eating, of course.”
“Know of any good places?”
“There’s one I’ve already found.”
“Already?”
“Yeah, I ran into someone I know.”
The person Zeon was referring to was Will.
Along with some information, Will had also recommended a place to eat, said to be the best spot in the Mana Stone Mines.
“Then let’s go together.”
At that moment, Jang Yong-beom’s voice called out.
His party also seemed full of energy after a good night’s rest.
Since there was no reason to refuse, Zeon nodded.
“Sure.”
“Hope it’s good. Most restaurants around the Mana Stone Mines are pretty terrible.”
“Don’t get your hopes up too high.”
“Heh heh! Alright.”
Zeon, Jang Yong-beom, and their parties headed to the restaurant that Will had recommended.
As was the case with most establishments in the Mana Stone Mines, the place was quite shabby. With only a few seats available, it quickly became packed once Zeon’s and Jang Yong-beom’s groups entered.
The restaurant owner served them a dish that was somewhere between a soup with lots of meat and a stew, its exact identity unclear.
“It smells pretty good.”
“Wow!”
The eight of them eagerly started digging in, not waiting for anyone to make the first move.
The combination of cultured meat and rice, paired with a broth made using the owner’s secret recipe, was outstanding.
Before they knew it, their bowls were empty.
With satisfied expressions, Eloy and Brielle put down their spoons.
“This is really amazing.”
“I feel so at peace now.”
Though the two often argued, they were in perfect agreement this time.
The others felt the same.
The only exception was Mountain, who, not content with just one serving, ordered several more bowls.
Giselle scolded him as she watched.
“Ugh! You pig. Can all of that really fit in your stomach?”
“Hehe! Yes.”
“Go on, eat all you want. Big sis here will cover it.”
“Thanks!”
Mountain laughed with an innocent expression, completely oblivious to Giselle’s sarcasm. She clicked her tongue in response.
After all, a quarrel only works if the other person gets the joke.
With someone as simple-minded as Mountain, arguing was pointless.
Levin, patting his full belly, commented.
“This place is a hidden gem. Who would’ve thought there’d be a restaurant this good in the Mana Stone Mines?”
“It’s better than I expected.”
Zeon agreed with Levin’s opinion.
After a restful night in a proper bed and a delicious meal, there was nothing more they could want.
Aside from Mountain, the other seven people sat back in their chairs, enjoying the pleasant, relaxed feeling.
It was a rare moment of peace, one they wished could last longer. But the distant sounds of people chattering brought them back to reality.
“Whoa!”
“I’ve never seen anything that big.”
“This is insane!”
Though the shouts lacked any specific details, they were enough to pique the curiosity of Zeon and Jang Yong-beom’s parties.
Jang Yong-beom scrunched up his nose.
Zeon turned his gaze toward the main gate of the Mana Stone Mines in the distance.
The towering walls stood several dozen meters high, with a massive iron gate over ten meters tall.
For ordinary people, it was an insurmountable obstacle. But for an Awakened like Zeon, it wasn’t impossible to scale. Even so, he knew that crossing that wall without permission would mean being expelled from Neo Seoul’s system.
Once expelled from Neo Seoul’s system, there was no coming back. Awakened knew all too well how harsh that could be.
Zeon had no intention of giving up the comfort of the system.
“Looks like we’ll have to treat this as a forced vacation and relax for two days.”
“What should we do in the meantime?”
“Whatever it is, it’s better than rolling around in the sand pits of the desert.”
Levin, Eloy, and Brielle accepted the situation.
It was just two more days.
With the accommodations and food being decent, there was nothing to complain about.
Zeon addressed the group.
“You heard that, right? We just need to stay here for two more days, so don’t cause any trouble and behave.”
“Is this free time?”
“It’s not like I’ve ever forced you to do anything. Just enjoy yourselves.”
“Yes, sir!”
Levin answered with a bright smile.
Jang Yong-beom also instructed his party members to rest for the next two days.
Once everyone dispersed, Zeon remained, gazing at the top-grade Mana Stone.
Even though it was top-grade, he didn’t feel any particular desire for it. He’d seen Mana Stones far more valuable than this one.
Mana Stones extracted from S-rank beasts or boss-level monsters contained even stronger mana.
However, those were difficult to refine, making them unsuitable for energy production like this one.
Just then, a group of Awakened stationed at the Mana Stone Mines rushed over.
They began loading the massive Mana Stone onto a truck while issuing orders.
“Move it to the warehouse immediately.”
“If we lose this, we’re all dead. Guard the warehouse thoroughly.”
Their voices were tense.
It was just a short trip from the mine to the warehouse, yet they were on high alert.
People kept their distance, knowing that getting involved could lead to more than just a beating.
Zeon decided it was time to leave as well.
‘Here we go again. I can’t tell if trouble follows me or if I’m the one attracting it.’
For some reason, wherever Zeon went, major incidents always seemed to occur.
This time was no different.
He was merely passing through on his way back to Neo Seoul, but now this top-grade Mana Stone had been discovered.
It was the first time in a hundred years.
It almost felt like fate was playing tricks on him.
The massive Mana Stone was loaded onto a truck and headed toward the warehouse, and the gathered miners began to disperse.
Zeon no longer felt any reason to stay there and turned to leave.
“Hey! You bastard!”
At that moment, someone grabbed Zeon’s shoulder roughly and shouted.
When Zeon turned around, he found a rough-looking man glaring at him.
The man’s arms, exposed by rolled-up sleeves, were covered in scars, indicating a life filled with hardship.
The man tightened his grip on Zeon’s shoulder and spoke.
“You’re that bastard, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“Shit! It’s really you. The one who ran away.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The bastard who escaped after I threw him into the Mana Stone Mines eight years ago. You son of a bitch! Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused me?”
Only then did Zeon remember who the man was.
“Park... Man-ho?”
“Am I your friend, you bastard?”
Smack!
Park Man-ho struck Zeon on the back of the head with a hand as large as a pot lid.
The force was enough to shatter the skull of an ordinary person.
Zeon’s hair became tousled from the unexpected blow to the back of his head.
It had been a long time since anyone had hit Zeon.
It would’ve been natural for him to be upset, but instead, Zeon was smiling.
Through his messy hair, a flash of white teeth could be seen.
“I’d completely forgotten about you, but here we are meeting again. It’s nice to see you.”
Park Man-ho.
He was the one who had forcibly thrown Zeon into the 972th tunnel when he first arrived at the Mana Stone Mines eight years ago.
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]