Chapter 601

“Sniff…!”

Hera and the elves were on their knees, shedding tears.

A dense forest so thick the sky could not be seen, and green grass brushing against their knees.

Between the bushes, Dark Elf and human children were running around, playing together.

Though they were of different races, the children mingled without any sense of difference.

“Kyahaha!”

“If I catch you, you’re done for!”

Beads of sweat like pearls formed on the children’s faces as they ran.

Their faces were flushed red, and heavy breaths escaped them, yet they did not stop running.

The sight of the children playing made Hera and the elves feel ashamed.

The place they were now in was the Primordial Forest.

With Serian’s permission, Zeon had brought them here.

Upon hearing that their kin had arrived, Serian had also rushed over through the portal.

From the moment they saw the Primordial Forest, they wept endlessly.

They had never felt such emotions even when they were in El Harun.

Back then, they had taken the forest given to them for granted. Only after it had all been buried and lost beneath lava did they realize it.

How precious and valuable a gift it had been.

As they left El Harun and crossed the desert, they had cried countless times.

In despair that they would never again see a green forest in their lives, they could only shed tears.

And yet, here they were, seeing a lush forest again.

More than anything, what moved their hearts was how children of different races treated each other without prejudice.

Seeing Dark Elf and human children—who seemed like they could never mix—running and playing together made them feel ashamed.

It reminded them of their past in El Harun, where they had ostracized and exploited humans.

And they had continued such behavior for over a hundred years.

Zeon and Riala silently watched Hera and the elves cry.

Riala, too, felt complicated emotions that were hard to put into words as she looked at the Primordial Forest.

“To think this forest was born from a single child’s devotion. May I meet that child? I wish to express my reverence.”

Riala sincerely wished to meet Har.

Zeon granted her wish.

“Har!”

At his quiet call, Har slowly walked out from the bushes.

“Zeon oppa!”

“This person wishes to thank you. Greet her. This is Lady Riala, from El Harun.”

“Hello, Lady Riala!”

Har bowed her head in greeting.

At that moment, Riala bent one knee and lowered her upper body.

“O one of great will. I express my reverence for your devotion and effort.”

It was the highest form of respect Riala, as a human, could offer.

And she was not the only one.

Hera and the elves, who had been sobbing, were now all kneeling on one knee with their heads bowed.

“We offer our gratitude for your great devotion.”

“Thank you, great child!”

As not only Riala but even the elves showed such deep respect, Har became flustered.

In the end, she looked at Zeon with eyes asking for help.

Zeon nodded and spoke to Riala and the others.

“That’s enough. Har is feeling burdened.”

At his words, Riala and the others rose.

“We did not intend to burden you, child.”

“We were simply so grateful that we acted without thinking. So please, do not feel pressured.”

Riala and Hera spoke with gentle smiles.

At that, Har nodded, her face reddening.

She still felt overwhelmed by visitors from the outside.

At that moment, someone appeared from the bushes.

“So, we have honored guests.”

It was Floa.

At the appearance of the Dark Elf, tension appeared on Riala and Hera’s faces.

Instinctively, they realized that Floa was an important figure in this forest.

Floa spoke with a calm expression.

“There’s no need to be so tense. I have no intention of being hostile toward you.”

In the past, Floa would not have welcomed the visit of humans and elves.

Dark Elves were beings rejected by both humans and elves. But after living here, her once icy heart had softened, and she had gained tolerance.

“I will guide you inside the forest. Please follow me.”

“Thank you.”

“We are grateful for your kindness.”

The two women and the elves followed Floa deeper into the forest.

The deeper they went, the greater Riala and Hera’s astonishment became.

The trees were far larger and more densely grown than they had imagined from the entrance alone. Perhaps because of that, the air felt far fresher than expected.

“To think such a place existed in the desert.”

“To think there was a forest like this beyond El Harun. We truly were frogs in a well. Hoo…”

Hera let out a sigh.

She regretted her past of clinging to and settling for El Harun without making any effort to restore the forest.

The elves who had followed her felt similar emotions.

While a mere child had revived a forest like this, what had they been doing? The thought filled them with self-reproach.

Floa understood the hearts of those elves.

It was a feeling she herself had experienced.

She guided them to a large wooden table in the center of the forest.

On the table were foods prepared in advance by the forest’s residents.

“This is…?”

“These are dishes made from things grown in this forest. Let’s eat together and speak openly.”

Floa offered seats to Riala, Hera, Serian, and the others.

---

After introducing Riala, Hera, and the others to Floa, Zeon returned to the Steel Fortress.

Jin Geumho was waiting for him there.

“How was the atmosphere?”

“It wasn’t bad.”

“That’s a relief.”

Jin Geumho nodded at Zeon’s answer.

In an instant, their numbers had increased by tens of thousands.

Moreover, all of them were capable of combat.

It meant their military strength had surged enormously. But nothing in this world came without effort.

The world was not so simple.

They were people who had lived in different regions, cultures, and ideologies.

For them to fully become residents of Neo Seoul, the Steel Fortress, and the Primordial Forest, they would have to go through much turmoil.

“Now that they’ve gathered in one place, I suppose the first step has been successfully taken.”

“Yes. Whether they fight or clash among themselves now is up to them.”

No matter the outcome, Zeon had no intention of intervening.

He had already done his part by setting the stage.

Now it was time to focus on the pressing issues.

“How is the situation at the Steel Fortress?”

“I’ll show you. Follow me.”

Jin Geumho headed outside the Steel Fortress.

As they went down by elevator, they could see numerous weapons and traps being installed along the slope of the sandstone mountain.

All of them were items produced in Neo Seoul.

Every weapon developed to protect Neo Seoul had been mobilized.

That was how much Neo Seoul was committing itself to defending the Steel Fortress.

“It’s incredible.”

“We’re planning to install barriers as well, not just weapons.”

“Isn’t that too much?”

“I have no intention of giving up the Steel Fortress, the mana stone mine, or the Primordial Forest. To protect these places, I’m prepared to make any sacrifice.”

For over a hundred years, humanity’s domain had been limited to Neo Seoul alone.

There were small survivor villages and fairly large colonies, but their influence was negligible.

The Primordial Forest held the possibility of Earth regaining its former greenery, and the Steel Fortress was a crucial bridgehead for advancing into new lands.

What mattered was that through these, Neo Seoul’s influence could expand explosively.

Such precious places could not be taken by others.

That was why Jin Geumho had deployed Neo Seoul’s weapons and elite Awakened in full force to defend this place.

The Steel Fortress was truly becoming a fortress of steel, just as its name suggested.

Even so, Jin Geumho could not relax.

“Hundreds of thousands of prisoners have escaped from the prison called El Harun. It’s as if hundreds of thousands of scavengers have been released into the world. The world will grow that much more chaotic.”

“Ordinary colonies or survivor villages will be swept away in an instant.”

They were people who had created a place called El Harun to survive among themselves, completely blocking outside access.

Now, they had suddenly lost their home and been released into the world.

To survive, they would not hesitate to commit any cruelty.

“The desert will be stained with blood.”

“There will be changes in the habitats of the monsters as well.”

“A chain migration will begin.”

“Yes. No matter how powerful a large monster is, it cannot withstand hundreds of thousands of people.”

All those hundreds of thousands released into the world possessed exceptional abilities.

The Giant Dwarves and Giants were powerful from birth, and other races possessed strong magical abilities.

Unlike humans, who had to Awaken to use their power, their starting point was entirely different.

When such powerful beings moved in the hundreds of thousands, it was inevitable that the ecosystem of monsters would be affected.

If S-rank or large monsters moved to avoid the other races, lower-ranked monsters would also have no choice but to relocate to survive.

As monsters migrated in chains, the ecosystem itself would change drastically.

And once that happened, all previously gathered data would become useless.

They would have to start again from zero.

It had already happened several times, but leaving it unattended would only lead to greater disaster.

For Neo Seoul, it was a significant loss in many ways.

“When do you think they will appear here?”

“No matter how fast, it will take at least three to four months.”

“Because of their numbers?”

“Moving hundreds of thousands at once is no easy task.”

“There will be quite a few deserters as well.”

“Yes. In El Harun, Del Roa’s orders were absolute, but without the World Tree, it’s uncertain how much authority he still holds.”

When the World Tree had been intact, Del Roa’s authority had been absolute.

Leaving the World Tree was unthinkable for them, so they had no choice but to follow his orders, even if they were unreasonable.

But now that El Harun’s World Tree had been destroyed, it was unclear how much control he still had.

Jin Geumho nodded.

“I see. There could be fractures.”

His eyes gleamed coldly.

Recently, Jin Geumho had only shown a favorable side to people.

Since resuming external activities, he had always appeared relaxed and smiling.

But one must not be fooled by his outward appearance.

He was the man who rebuilt Neo Seoul atop ruins.

Anyone who knew even a little of how much blood had been shed and how many lives had been ruined in the process could never call him a good man.

Back then, Jin Geumho had been truly terrifying.

Anyone who opposed him was ruthlessly purged, and any existence that hindered Neo Seoul was eliminated without mercy.

Using the Numbers and countless Awakened, he crushed all who stood in Neo Seoul’s way.

The rulers of each district still did not dare defy him because they remembered what he had been like.

The memory of those times still held them tightly.

Such was the overwhelming impression he had left behind.

And now, that same Jin Geumho had come here, prepared for what could become a battlefield.

It was clear he had no intention of ending things halfway.

Jin Geumho asked Zeon,

“Will you continue staying at the Steel Fortress?”

“There’s still plenty of time, so I plan to rest at home.”

“Well, you’ve worked the hardest so far.”

It was Zeon who had traveled between Neo Seoul, the Steel Fortress, the Primordial Forest, and the mana stone mine, installing portals.

He had made the greatest contribution by connecting all major areas through portals.

There was no one who did not recognize that achievement.

“Leave things here to us and get some proper rest. No one will bother you for a while.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll see you later.”

After saying goodbye to Jin Geumho, Zeon left the Steel Fortress with Brielle and the others.

As they passed through the portal, a familiar yet unfamiliar sight appeared before them.

It was the slum square.

A place that had been empty not long ago was now filled with numerous buildings, and many Awakened were waiting to use the portal.

At the drastically changed appearance of the slum, Brielle widened her eyes.

“Wow!”

At her exclamation, Zeon said,

“Welcome back to Neo Seoul.”