Chapter 165: Red Zone 67 (5)

The peaceful sea trip, aside from the appearance of an SS-class dungeon, which had not made a noise at all, had come to an end. They docked in a deeper area and used a boat to come across the shore.

As for the submarine, someone would deal with it according to Khal. The roads were relatively intact in these parts; Ayen only noticed it then.

He was not sure. They seemed to be maintained better than the roads they encountered during this trip.

They easily acquired a car too. And a good condition at that.

“Are you curious why it seems well-maintained?” Devion asked. His mood was as usual, just like Ayen’s first impression of him. His expression was the same, too.

It seemed the trip had not only changed something within Ayen, but it had also stabilized their moods, too.

Ayen was about to nod and ask when Devion grinned mischievously, which made him pause. He already had a hunch what the other was about to say.

And sure enough.

“You’ll see later,” Devion spoke in a mysterious tone, which did not really suit him.

If it were Khal, Ayen’s curiosity might have piqued, but Devion always had this vibe where you could not take his words seriously sometimes.

Maybe because of his punchable smirk in that angelic face?

Ayen averted his gaze and looked outside.

“Not really. I’m not curious.”

Devion propped his chin on Ayen’s shoulder. “Really?”

Actually, he was curious. He just did not want Devion to win.

Ayen hummed. Devion let out a chuckle, giving Ayen’s check a quick peck. He did not pester Ayen either. He only hugged Ayen, and he relaxed in his hold.

While Khal was focused on driving, his elbow resting at the rolled-down car window, unusually at peace. There was a ghost of a smile on his lips listening to the conversation behind him.

There was not a time when he thought that this kind of life was boring. Khal knew that it would not last as the chaos remained, but it was all the more reason to cherish such rare moments of peace.

They did not make a detour this time and went to the usual route towards the red zone 67. Ayen had noticed that the more they got closer, the pavements seemed to be becoming more maintained.

And there were not many monsters lingering around, as though constant clearing were done to assure the situation remained that way.

This was not the route they took when he traveled with the other guides before. Although he had no time to observe the surroundings, he spent his time sleeping inside the armored truck.

Ayen’s eyes followed the trail and were surprised that the settlements seemed to have gathered in this area. They should not be an official zone, at least, from Ayen’s perspective.

They were like small towns that were built by the people. The people’s activity also increased. Ayen could not help but observe everything they passed by.

It was strange. It reminded Ayen of that port, where it seemed lively for some reason. They were filled with life, something not usually seen in a normal official zone.

Was there an established green zone somewhere here? However, that should not be the case. After all, this area was already near the forbidden zone’s periphery. Green zones, or zones that handle massive populations, should not be established in this location.

Forbidden Zones were called like that for a reason. Even that yellow zone where they first stayed after leaving the forbidden zone before was miles away from its periphery.

None of them was looking at their car, one thing he also noticed. They seemed to be used to it. Was there immense traffic in this place?

Now, Ayen was truly curious. Yet, he refrained from asking Devion or Khal; he wanted to know what the difference was in this area and what this abnormal situation was by himself.

It was as though most of his worldview was being overtuned the moment that he met the two espers. It also made sense, as most of his encounters were something no normal person could experience.

There was no wall around, but people seemed not to care about that. Their expression also did not have any urgency. Ayen looked at the driver’s seat when Khal stopped the car.

Did they arrive?

“From here, we can only walk,” Devion explained to him. His gaze was waiting for Ayen to ask, but Ayen was firm in his decision not to ask anything.

Devion’s grin widened. The stubborn Ayen was also quite adorable. It made him think about Ayen’s drunken escapade. Should they grab a drink again?

Ayen ignored Devion and got out of the car. He was greeted by a crowd. His eyes swept around and saw cars and vehicles parking in the area. Most cars were parked there and seemed to be truly in the area where everyone was forced to stop.

When he looked around, he had not noticed any security personnel managing the crowd. It was as though most of them already knew how to behave in this area.

How was that possible? It had to be noted that even in green zones, some chaos at the gates was inevitable. This was a world where espers reigned supreme.

Since this place was not enclosed by a wall, some monsters might also sneak inside if they were not careful. Ayen’s curiosity grew at each passing second.

Both espers did not spoil it for him, as they could tell Ayen wanted to discover what was different in this place by himself.

Ayen tried to eavesdrop on some conversation, but he heard nothing about this place. Most of them seemed to be here as newcomers, and those in the know were not talking about it either.

It was as though this place had cemented a mysterious image in Ayen’s eyes.

They too started walking. Ayen held both of their hands. He wanted to observe in peace of mind. It would be disastrous if he were dragged around by the crowd just because he had become distracted.

For Ayen to care too much like this, something was definitely strange at this place. Since he usually lacked any care about the place he was in. Especially if he was merely passing by.

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