novelraw Chapter 578
Chapter 578
Chapter 578
Just as Jin Geumho had done, Seong Hoyeon sat at the entrance of the Steel Fortress and looked out at the desert landscape.
A smile lingered on his cold face.
“Good! Very good!”
“What is so good about this barren place?”
The one speaking bluntly beside him was Urtian.
“Everything is good.”
“You’re insane. What about this desolate place could you possibly like?”
“There are walls that can protect us from monsters, space that can accommodate countless people, and enough drinking water for them. No colony has ever had such an environment. Those colonies all collapsed before long. Compared to them, this place is practically heaven.”
“Hmph! What would someone who’s only lived safely in Neo Seoul know?”
“Did you think Neo Seoul was safe from the beginning? Did you think it started as such a massive city? It was the same as this place. On a small piece of land where monsters could not approach, countless people sacrificed themselves to build walls and raise buildings. Don’t look down on the sacrifices people made to create the Neo Seoul of today, Urtian.”
“I’m… sorry. That’s not what I meant.”
“It’s fine! Everyone thinks that way anyway.”
“I said something unnecessary. May I sit beside you?”
“As much as you like.”
Seong Hoyeon patted the spot beside him with his palm.
Urtian did not refuse and sat down next to him.
“You said you are the leader of the Numbers?”
“I’m ashamed to say that I am.”
“In your view, does this Steel Fortress have potential for development?”
“I heard the people of El Harun have decided to migrate here as well. If that’s the case, hasn’t it already been proven?”
“Is that so?”
“Don’t be anxious. This place really is remarkable. It’s the first place this perfect since Neo Seoul. Through this place, Neo Seoul will be able to expand humanity’s territory even further.”
“Are my children included in humanity’s territory? As you can see, they are Halfs.”
Urtian’s gaze turned toward his children playing on one side.
The children born between him and Deborah were Half Elves.
Seong Hoyeon realized what his concern was.
“When I say humanity, I mean all beings that are not monsters. All beings that walk on two legs and are capable of thought. Of course your children will not be persecuted. If we had only thought about humans, elves and dwarves could not have lived in Neo Seoul. They would have been expelled long ago.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s how it is. But if you’re still uneasy, I’ll become your children’s godfather.”
“Are you promising that?”
“I swear it on my honor and the honor of the Numbers, Urtian.”
“Then I too promise to cooperate with Neo Seoul as much as possible.”
“We will become good partners.”
The two men gripped each other’s hands firmly.
＊＊＊
An agreement was formed between the Steel Fortress and Neo Seoul.
The core of the agreement was that Neo Seoul would transfer technology to help develop the Steel Fortress, and the Steel Fortress would serve as a bridgehead for Neo Seoul’s advance into the desert.
Once the agreement was concluded, Jin Geumho smiled and spoke to Zeon.
“Things will become busy now.”
“When do you plan to reveal the portal to the outside?”
“As soon as you transfer the administrator authority to this side.”
“You’ll manage it directly from City Hall, correct?”
“Of course. Only those who formally apply through City Hall will be able to travel to and from the Steel Fortress through the portal. Scavengers and criminals will absolutely not be allowed to use it.”
“That’s enough for me.”
Zeon nodded.
It was a promise made not by anyone else, but by Jin Geumho.
If it was him, he would certainly keep his word.
If the portal were ever misused, Zeon could reclaim the authority at any time.
“I’ll transfer the administrator authority as soon as we return to Neo Seoul.”
“Thank you! And while we’re at it, I would like you to install one more portal.”
“Where?”
“The Magic Stone mine. I’d like you to install a portal at the fortress of the newly developed open-pit Magic Stone mine. It will drastically reduce the time needed to transport Magic Stones.”
“Understood. Let’s do that.”
Zeon answered without the slightest hesitation.
Even if Jin Geumho had not asked, he had also been planning to install a portal at the Magic Stone mine.
“Where are you planning to install the main portal?”
“It seems you already have somewhere in mind.”
“I would like to install it in the slum square.”
“Outside the city walls?”
“I want to give the slum residents an opportunity as well.”
“Hm.”
At Zeon’s words, Jin Geumho showed a thoughtful expression.
Normally, a major facility like a portal should be installed safely inside Neo Seoul.
But if that happened, the people in the slums would never be able to use the portal.
They were people who could not be accommodated inside Neo Seoul due to lack of capacity.
The gap between them and Neo Seoul’s citizens was already large. If they could not even use the portal, that gap would never close.
After a moment, he made his decision.
“Very well! We will install it in the slum square. However, we will build ironclad defensive facilities there and City Hall will manage it directly.”
“That sounds good.”
Zeon readily agreed.
“Then let us return to Neo Seoul. If we want to relocate and install the portal, we must move quickly.”
“Alright.”
“Ah! On the way back to Neo Seoul, we decided to bring a few people from the Steel Fortress with us.”
The women, including Deborah, had strongly requested to visit Neo Seoul.
They wanted to see with their own eyes the majesty of the world’s greatest city.
Naturally, Jin Geumho accepted their request.
Once the portal officially opened, countless people would use it anyway. There was nothing wrong with showing them Neo Seoul in advance.
“You made the right decision.”
“Then let us return.”
“Yes!”
Zeon returned to the Mayor’s office through the portal together with Jin Geumho and the others.
“Wow!”
“This is insane!”
Deborah and the others exclaimed as soon as they entered the office.
Their eyes were captivated by the magnificent view of Neo Seoul visible outside the window.
For people who had spent their lives looking only at the dry desert, the skyscrapers of Neo Seoul were a completely new world.
Seo Taeran called over a staff member from the secretary’s office and gave an order.
“Please guide these people around Neo Seoul.”
“Understood.”
The staff member answered without a word of complaint.
As Zeon retrieved the Teleportation Gem, he said,
“Let’s go.”
“Are we starting immediately?”
“Why delay? Let’s install it right away.”
“Give me one hour.”
“Why?”
“Can we be the only ones to witness such a remarkable moment? If we’re going to install it, it would be better to do it loudly and with everyone’s attention.”
Zeon immediately understood what Jin Geumho was thinking.
“You plan to start with something spectacular.”
“Even if we hide it, it will eventually be revealed. In that case, it’s better to begin brilliantly under everyone’s attention.”
“Do as you wish. I’ll return home first and prepare.”
“Then let’s meet at the square in an hour.”
“Yes.”
Zeon immediately left City Hall and headed toward Tesserina’s lair.
After he explained everything that had happened during the night, Tesserina brightened and spoke.
“You’re installing it in the slums? Then I’m all for it.”
“The problem is giving administrator authority to one person. It’s far too much power for a single individual to manage.”
“I’ll solve that.”
“How?”
“We give the administrator authority not to a person, but to an item. Then City Hall can manage it.”
“That’s possible?”
“You seem to forget who I am sometimes. I’m a Dragon, the origin of magic. Something like that is easy.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Wait a moment. I happen to have something good.”
Tesserina took several items out of her subspace and began making something.
A moment later, what she completed was a large panel.
When Zeon looked at it with a puzzled expression, Tesserina smiled.
“You just synchronize the Teleportation Gem with this panel. The authority is given to this panel instead of a human. The portal can be managed through this panel, so there’s no need to concentrate power in one person.”
“And the authority given to the panel can be reclaimed anytime?”
“Of course. So, should we synchronize it now? I need your permission.”
“Synchronize it.”
“Okay!”
Tesserina immediately began working.
Her work finished in an instant.
Handing him the panel and the Teleportation Gem, she said,
“You can use it right away.”
“Good work.”
“Can I come watch too?”
“Of course.”
“Hehe!”
At Zeon’s permission, Tesserina smiled and followed him out.
The two headed straight toward the square.
At the square, Jin Geumho and numerous Awakened were already gathered.
Not only the Awakened of City Hall but also the leadership and Awakened from each district had come.
Among them were the rulers of the districts.
“What is this supposed to be?”
“What kind of nonsense are they planning now?”
“They already took so much manpower to kill Behemoth. What are they trying to take now with this circus?”
The rulers who had attended after the sudden notice did not bother hiding their displeasure.
If they were truly dissatisfied, they could have simply refused to attend.
Yet the reason they had forced themselves to come was a kind of sense of crisis.
Given Jin Geumho’s personality, when he carried out something this loudly, there was always something big involved.
If they did not attend such an event, they did not know what disadvantages they might face later.
Serian, the ruler of the Northern District, suddenly turned her gaze toward Tesserina standing beside Zeon.
The moment she saw Tesserina, goosebumps ran along her arm.
“This can’t be…”
“What’s wrong?”
Borin beside her looked at Serian with a puzzled expression.
But Serian did not have the composure to answer.
As an elf who had lived for a long time, she was sensitive to the aura of dragons.
It would have been stranger if she had failed to recognize the aura of a dragon—the apex of the Kurayan ecosystem.
That was why she could not take her eyes off Tesserina.
Perhaps sensing Serian’s gaze, Tesserina turned her head and looked at her.
Toward the frozen Serian, Tesserina playfully raised a finger to her lips as if to signal silence.
Serian immediately understood her meaning and remained silent.
‘My goodness… Is even a dragon now working with him?’
She had thought she knew enough about Zeon.
But she realized just how great of a misconception that had been.
At that moment, Jin Geumho stepped forward and spoke.
“Thank you all for gathering here despite the sudden summons. You must all be curious. Why I have gathered everyone here like this.”
“I hope you didn’t gather us here for something trivial.”
Xiaolun replied with a dissatisfied expression, but the smile on Jin Geumho’s lips did not disappear.
“I guarantee that today you will be very glad you came here. The rest of you as well.”
At Jin Geumho’s confident answer, the rulers wondered what exactly he was relying on to act this way.
Fortunately, Jin Geumho was not someone who liked to drag things out.
“You must all be curious, so I will show you the reason we gathered here today immediately. Zeon!”
“Yes!”
The prepared Zeon walked to Jin Geumho’s side.
Jin Geumho spoke to him.
“This spot should be good.”
“Understood.”
Zeon placed the Teleportation Gem on the spot Jin Geumho indicated.
“What is that?”
“Is it some kind of jewel?”
“Why is he putting that on the ground?”
People who did not know the purpose of the Teleportation Gem began murmuring.
Zeon handed the panel to Jin Geumho.
“It would probably be better if the Mayor activates the portal himself.”
“How do I use this?”
“You just inject mana and enter the password. The password is…”
Zeon spoke quietly so others could not hear.
The smile on Jin Geumho’s lips deepened.
“I see!”
Tap tap tap!
Jin Geumho entered the password at once.
At that moment, a portal formed from the Teleportation Gem.
“What… is that?”
“A portal?”
Neo Seoul erupted into chaos.