Chapter 589

Whooong!

With a brilliant flash of light, the portal spat out three figures.

“Oh? Lord Zeon.”

The one guarding the portal looked startled as he stared at those who had stepped out.

They were Zeon, Levin, and Tesserina.

They had crossed directly from the Primordial Forest to the Steel Fortress using the portal.

In the past, such speed of movement would have been unimaginable.

But the ones who came through the portal weren’t just the three of them. Jin Geum-ho and Seo Tae-ran appeared right after.

Jin Geum-ho shook his head and muttered,

“This is insane. To move here in an instant.”

“You’ll have to get used to it. It’s going to become everyday life now.”

“It’s not like I don’t know that. I’m just admiring it. Tae-ran, sometimes you really lack human warmth. Tsk!”

Jin Geum-ho clicked his tongue at Seo Tae-ran’s matter-of-fact response.

But he didn’t look genuinely offended.

That was how much this spatial movement through portals had shown him a new world.

Things that had once been impossible were now made possible through portals.

It was nothing short of a revolution in logistics and transportation.

They still couldn’t reveal the Primordial Forest to the public, but just confirming that they could move instantly when needed was already a huge gain.

Construction was in full swing at the Steel Fortress.

Buildings of a completely different style from before were being erected near the entrance.

They were being built with construction materials brought from Neo Seoul.

The ones directing the work were also technicians from Neo Seoul.

Guilds and districts had begun constructing buildings in earnest within the Steel Fortress.

The impatient ones had already started scouting the surrounding area.

Even though the portal had only recently been opened, the Steel Fortress was already bustling with people.

“Good.”

Jin Geum-ho nodded.

He genuinely liked this place.

It reminded him of the early days of Neo Seoul.

The vitality here made him feel younger.

It wasn’t just buildings being constructed.

Defensive magic circles and various weapons were being installed around the entrance.

It was being reborn with the might worthy of the name Steel Fortress.

As people flowed in from Neo Seoul, the fortress brimmed with life.

At the same time, many were traveling from the Steel Fortress to Neo Seoul.

Active exchange was taking place between the two.

“If the Primordial Forest is opened later too, it’ll be chaos.”

“It won’t even compare to the Steel Fortress. No one’s ever seen a forest that large.”

Seo Tae-ran nodded.

Her heart was still pounding.

That was how great a shock the Primordial Forest had been to her.

Even though she had only stayed briefly, it felt like her blood had been cleansed.

It was to the point she regretted not being able to stay there long due to her position.

Without Seo Tae-ran, the city administration wouldn’t function properly.

On top of that, she had taken on responsibilities for both the Steel Fortress and the Primordial Forest.

For all three regions to operate smoothly, she had to constantly coordinate without rest.

Even so, she held no complaints.

Because at last, the world she and Jin Geum-ho had dreamed of was beginning to take shape.

A world where humanity stood as the master.

A world where people could freely travel and exchange anywhere.

For now, it was limited to the mana stone mines, the Steel Fortress, and the Primordial Forest, but as research on the Teleport Gem progressed, someday humanity would secure teleportation technology as well.

Research into the Teleport Gem and portals had already begun at City Hall.

At that moment, Zeon spoke.

“We should be going now.”

“You said you’re heading to install a new portal?”

“Yes.”

“Still not planning to tell me where that place is?”

“Yes.”

“It must be quite important. Even more than the Primordial Forest…”

“Yes.”

“I see. I’ll trust that you’ll tell me when the time comes and won’t ask further.”

“Thank you.”

“Go on, then.”

“I’ll see you next time.”

Zeon gave a slight bow and immediately left the Steel Fortress.

Levin and Tesserina followed him without question.

Watching them leave, Jin Geum-ho muttered,

“I’m jealous.”

“Pardon?”

“We can only move through portals, but he can roam the desert freely.”

“I’m a bit jealous of that too.”

Seo Tae-ran agreed.

In this era, Zeon was the only one who could traverse the desert like his own home.

The desert sand wasn’t an obstacle to him, it was his weapon.

At least within the desert, Zeon possessed power akin to a god.

With curiosity, Seo Tae-ran said,

“Where could that place be, that he’s being so secretive about installing a portal?”

“He’ll tell us when the time comes. Until then, let’s focus on our work.”

“You mean Heaven’s Punishment?”

“It’s almost ready, isn’t it?”

“Yes. We’ll be able to send it up into the sky soon.”

Seo Tae-ran looked up at the dusty yellow sky.

---

After putting some distance between themselves and the Steel Fortress, Levin asked,

“We’re heading straight to the World Tree Village, right?”

“We are.”

“Hehe!”

“You that happy?”

“We get to see Briel after so long, don’t we? Of course, I’m not saying I’m not happy to see the other elves too.”

“I know.”

Zeon smirked and nodded.

Though they walked through a desert teeming with monsters, there wasn’t a trace of tension on their faces.

They had traveled the desert so often that it now felt like home.

All three possessed the ability to survive anywhere in the desert.

So the journey posed no burden at all.

Moreover, Zeon was an exceptional guide.

With him, there was no fear of getting lost.

Whoooo,

A yellow sandstorm blew in.

It was so fierce that they couldn’t see even a few meters ahead.

Ordinary people would have stopped and waited for it to pass, but Zeon’s group had no such need.

The sandstorm split to either side, avoiding them entirely.

It was thanks to Zeon’s power.

Tesserina looked impressed as she said,

“Feels like your power is getting stronger. Or is it just me?”

“It’s not just you.”

“It’s stronger than before, right?”

“It is.”

Zeon answered honestly without hiding anything.

After merging with the second Exion, his power had grown significantly.

Before, he had to exert control to move the sand.

Now, he didn’t need to.

The moment he thought it, the sand responded.

Just like now.

He simply thought the sand was in the way, and the sandstorm naturally parted around them.

Thanks to that, he walked comfortably.

“That’s seriously a cheat ability.”

Tesserina shook her head and followed behind him.

As they walked diligently, night soon fell.

“Let’s rest here for today.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“Sounds good.”

Levin and Tesserina replied immediately.

After confirming there were no monsters nearby, Zeon created a shelter underground.

As soon as it was ready, Levin pulled out food from his spatial backpack.

“It’s a lunchbox made by Old Man Klexi.”

“Thanks for the meal.”

“Thank you.”

Zeon and Tesserina expressed their gratitude and began eating.

Klexi’s cooking was still excellent.

Thanks to that, the three enjoyed a satisfying meal.

Setting down her chopsticks, Tesserina said,

“Once we install the Teleport Gem in the World Tree Village, we’ll be able to travel freely, right?”

“I’ll grant you two access, so you can use it anytime.”

“Okay!”

The owner of the Teleportation Gem was Zeon.

He could grant or revoke access at any time.

Since he had no intention of opening the World Tree Village yet, he planned to allow only a very limited number of people to use it.

Naturally, Levin and Tesserina would be included.

As Levin packed up the trash into his spatial backpack, he said,

“Feels like things are finally working properly.”

“Hm?”

“I mean, until now, Neo Seoul was just isolated on its own, like an island.”

“It was.”

“But now it’s connected to the outside. People can travel between Neo Seoul and the Steel Fortress. If I had to compare it to a human body… it’s like a blocked blood vessel has been cleared. I’m not great with words, but… it feels a bit more normal now. Like this is how the world is supposed to be.”

“It’ll get even better. We’ll make it that way.”

“Yes!”

Levin replied with a bright expression.

He had once been nothing more than a slum boy with no dreams or hope.

His family had been killed by a murderer, and though he had awakened by chance, without Zeon he would still be living recklessly in the slums.

Following Zeon, he had gained countless experiences.

Those experiences had broadened his perspective, and given him bigger dreams.

A dream to be of some help to the world.

That was why he ran a problem-solving office.

Because of it, many children from the slums were finding work.

Once the Steel Fortress and the Primordial Forest became fully active, even more children would have opportunities.

That alone greatly helped their survival.

Thinking that he was contributing to creating such a world made him feel good.

It made him feel like someone useful to the world.

He was grateful to Zeon for making him into such a person.

“Hehe.”

That was why he couldn’t stop smiling.

Seeing him, Tesserina let out a small laugh.

“Looks like Levin’s in a good mood.”

“I just feel good.”

“Honestly…”

“Hehe.”

Even awkward relationships grow close over time.

Zeon and Levin had traveled together long enough to become closer than real brothers, and Tesserina treated them without formality, so now they were practically like family.

Leaning against the sand walls, the three chatted quietly before falling asleep.

They woke when sunlight streamed through the ventilation hole they had made.

The strong sunlight stung their eyes awake.

After a simple meal, they stepped outside.

“Ugh, !”

Stretching, Levin suddenly widened his eyes.

“The terrain changed again.”

A massive sand hill that hadn’t been there the night before now towered in front of them.

The sandstorm during the night had formed an entire hill.

Though he had seen it many times following Zeon, he still couldn’t get used to it.

With the landscape changing daily like this, it was no wonder people got lost in the desert.

Tesserina said,

“It’s not like terrain changes are anything new, but I just can’t get used to it.”

“Same here.”

“We’re fine because we’ve got a human navigation system, but others would wander around for ages. It’d be nice if there were some kind of landmark.”

“A landmark?”

“Yeah, like a lighthouse or something. Though it probably wouldn’t last long before getting destroyed.”

Monsters never left artificial structures alone.

If something unnatural appeared, they would destroy it without fail.

That was why creating artificial landmarks in the desert was impossible.

“Should we try making one?”

“What?”

At Zeon’s sudden remark, Tesserina’s eyes widened.

Without a word, Zeon formed an image in his mind.

Srrr…

At that moment, the sand in the area began to move like a living organism.

An enormous amount of sand gathered and rose high into the sky.

Absorbing all the surrounding sand, it grew in size.

He applied the power of extreme heat.

Whooosh!

Under immense heat and pressure, the sand melted and hardened.

What formed was a massive lighthouse.

Using an application of Diamond Spear, Zeon had created a lighthouse in the middle of the desert.