Chapter 474: Chapter 474

People began gathering one by one inside the newly completed Lair.

As he had told Zeon, Levin opened an office for the Fixers.

The resident members were Levin, Aaron, and Dominic.

The rest were kids from the slums who would be operating outside.

“Is this really our hideout? Damn, this is awesome.”

“Finally, our own place. Wahahaha!”

Aaron and Dominic looked around the office with dazzled expressions.

Even though the place had nothing more than a few desks and chairs, the boys looked like they could die from happiness.

They were children born and raised in the slums.

They had never once in their lives owned a space that was truly theirs, so the Fixer Office held a very special meaning for them.

Aaron ran his hand over a desk and murmured,

“I’ll bury my bones here. This place is killer.”

“I’m sleeping here tonight.”

Dominic was already planning to set up a bed in the corner of the room.

Levin understood exactly how they felt.

He was lucky enough to live with Zeon, but Aaron and Dominic had been drifters since childhood. Even the small rooms they’d managed to get after awakening were so tiny they could barely lie down inside.

For them, this open, spacious office must have felt like paradise itself.

Levin gave the two a word of advice.

“You can eat and sleep here all you want, but for god’s sake, keep it clean. And stay sharp on security.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll guard the place day and night.”

“This is basically our home now. Anyone dumb enough to break in, we’ll tear them apart.”

Aaron and Dominic’s eyes burned with determination, as if they already saw enemies in front of them.

Levin let out a faint chuckle at their enthusiasm.

‘Guess I don’t have to worry about this place.’

Thanks to Teserina, the barrier had been reinforced even further.

Not just for the two of them, every awakened one in the underground city was now a little safer.

“That lady… what was she? Strengthening a barrier like that so easily. She’s gotta be a dragon, right?”

Levin muttered as Teserina’s face crossed his mind.

That barrier had taken dozens of awakened mages to construct.

It was complicated, full of diverse formulas.

Touching it carelessly would more likely destroy it than strengthen it.

But Teserina had instantly grasped its structure and fortified it.

It was something beyond Levin’s understanding, at least beyond anyone he knew.

“Zeon always surrounds himself with insane people. Where does he even find someone like her?”

Just then, Zeon’s voice came from outside.

“We’re heading underground. You coming?”

“I’m coming with you!”

Levin left Aaron and Dominic behind and stepped outside.

“You said the passage to the underground was built inside, right?”

“Yes, hyung. I’ll show you.”

Levin led Zeon and Teserina to the deepest part of the first floor.

There stood a special iron gate forged from a mix of metal and beast byproducts.

It was the entrance to the underground city.

Levin placed his hand on the panel beside it and said,

“This door uses both fingerprint and mana-pattern recognition. If you’re not registered, it won’t open.”

“How many are registered?”

“Right now, just you, me, the two idiots upstairs, Zetoya, Lemura, and about twenty of the underground awakeners.”

“The fewer who know, the better. For now, I only registered the core members. I’ll add a few more later if needed.”

Levin was meticulous. Zeon had nothing to add.

The massive door opened with a deep mechanical rumble.

A passageway hidden behind it revealed itself.

Zeon looked into it, slightly surprised.

It was wide enough for a car to pass through.

“The awakeners from the underground city dug it out together. We used a sand hardener to reinforce the walls. We can’t carry everything on our backs forever.”

“Impressive. You did this in such a short time?”

“It’s the result of everyone working together. For them, a tunnel to the surface means everything.”

Thanks to the awakeners’ hard work, they no longer had to enter through the foul-smelling sewers.

Of course, deeper inside they’d still connect to the main drainage tunnels, but at least the entrance was wide, clean, and welcoming.

Teserina looked around the passage and asked,

“So people actually live in the sewers connected to this?”

“There are houses being built around Sinchon’s outskirts. Can’t they live there?”

“They’ve lived down here for over a hundred years. Their bodies are completely adapted to the underground. Unless they’re awakened, they can’t survive up top.”

“So they’ll have to live forever?”

“Now that there’s a safe route to the surface, we’ll help them adapt slowly.”

“I hope they manage.”

The two chatted quietly as they walked through the tunnel.

Before long, guards appeared ahead of them, awakeners from the underground city.

“Huh! Lord Zeon! Levin!”

They immediately recognized the two.

Zeon greeted them with a nod.

“It’s an honor to see you again, Lord Zeon!”

They bowed deeply. The source of this content ɪs Nove1Fire.net

Their eyes held unmistakable reverence.

To the residents of the underground city, Zeon wasn’t just another awakener, he was the hero who had brought them salvation.

There was hardly anyone down here who didn’t revere his name.

Especially the earliest settlers, among them, Zeon was spoken of like a saint.

None of them questioned Teserina’s identity.

Being with Zeon was reason enough to let her pass.

As they entered the underground city, Zetoya and Lemura came running toward them, having already received word.

“Why’s it been so long since your last visit?”

Zetoya had grown noticeably more composed, while Lemura still acted like a child, pouting.

Zeon patted Lemura’s head and looked around.

The city had grown since his last visit.

There were more houses now, and proper streets had formed.

People bustled about, and on one side, expansion work was underway.

Zeon murmured, impressed.

“The population’s grown again, huh.”

“You’re telling me. While you were gone, it’s at least doubled.”

“Are there enough homes?”

“As you can see, we’re hitting our limits. That’s why we’re expanding.”

Rumors that the underground city was a safe, livable place had spread, drawing in those who’d been scattered through other tunnels.

Now it was reaching capacity, forcing them to expand at their own risk.

Fortunately, Neo Seoul’s nearby bedrock was solid enough to make such work possible.

“You’ve worked hard.”

“It’s tough, but everyone’s full of hope.”

“Yes! Now that there’s a tunnel to the surface. Even if they never make it themselves, they believe their children might one day live under the sun. That hope keeps them going.”

Every parent wanted their child to live not in darkness and stench, but under real sunlight.

So no one had to force them, they volunteered. And progress was swift.

Then Lemura tugged on Zeon’s sleeve.

Her eyes were fixed on Teserina.

“Her name is Teserina. She’s someone… we can trust.”

“My name’s Teserina. And you are?”

Teserina looked straight at her.

“Nice to meet you, Lemura.”

“Nice to meet you too, Lady Teserina!”

“Just Teserina is fine.”

“Okay, Sister Teserina.”

Teserina gently patted her head.

Normally, Lemura would have pulled away, but this time she didn’t.

Teserina’s touch felt strangely warm.

Lemura kept staring up at her glowing silver hair and eyes, her cheeks flushed.

Zetoya whispered to Levin,

“Where did such a beautiful woman even come from?”

“Think she’s… special to Zeon?”

“Who knows? But her magic, man, it’s unbelievable.”

“Pfft. She’s probably S-rank.”

Zetoya’s eyes widened.

Ever since awakening, he understood what that meant.

An S-rank awakener was practically a god in human form.

The higher the rank, the harder it was to climb another level.

Going from D to C was nothing compared to the impossible leap from B to A.

Even Zetoya had only advanced thanks to Zeon and Levin’s help. Most awakened never rose even one rank in their lifetime.

So Teserina’s presence alone was awe-inspiring.

Levin smirked faintly.

Once, he might have stared in awe like that too.

After all, S-ranks were worshipped as living gods.

But he knew someone even greater.

The man beside her, Zeon.

Compared to Zeon, even an S-rank was nothing.

If he wanted, Zeon could have ruled the entire slum.

Ten million lives, all under his control.

But he never once gave in to greed.

Levin knew better than anyone how hard it was for the powerful to suppress their desires.

Zeon did it effortlessly. That’s why Levin admired him so deeply.

That’s why he built this Fixer Office, to stay free from power and ambition.

With his abilities, he could easily have founded a guild or a raid corps and attracted countless followers.

But leading a crowd risked corrupting his heart.

So he chose a path far from authority, being a fixer.

Even if few requests came in, as long as he could pay his friends and keep them fed, he’d be content.

‘Beyond that, I’ll live only for Zeon hyung. To me, he’s as close to a god as anyone could be.’

Being able to walk beside Zeon, that was the greatest blessing of his life.

Then Teserina spoke up.

“The supplies stacked in that building, those are all coming down here, right?”

“For all these people, it didn’t seem like much.”

“The storage space is limited. Can’t help it.”

“Then how about I give them a little gift to celebrate?”

Zeon looked at her, puzzled.

Teserina said casually,

“How about a subspace warehouse? Not too big, about enough to fit that whole building.”

At that moment, Levin’s thoughts flipped.

‘You know what? Maybe living for her wouldn’t be so bad either.’

Yep, nothing beats a rich, generous older sister.