Chapter 199 - What Did You Just Say? (2)
What? Who did they turn over?
Kevin and Giselle thought they had heard wrong for a moment. It was nonsensical.
Giselle, who had been laughing at the prospect of Lee Gun dying, couldn’t hold it back anymore. She asked a question in return.
[Who did say you turned over right now?]
The half-monster, half-beast sighed as if he found her lacking.
[It seems Zodiacs aren’t that big of a deal. Your ears are failing now that you are imprisoned.]
The half-monster, half-beast smirked. It was ridiculing her and saying that the human side was inferior to the monarchs.
It then approached the prison, its expression full of superiority, as if it was looking down at humans.
[Or are you surprised because we did something you guys couldn’t?]
[N-No. That’s not it.]
[Oh, god of the lowly humans. If you didn’t hear me, I will repeat myself. We did what you couldn’t. We turned Lee Gun’s comrade, the Archer Saint…]
“Pffft!!!”
[!]
In a rarity, Kevin almost burst out laughing. The half-monster, half-beast turned its gaze toward the sudden sound of laughter.
“I see… Yes. You guys are so cunning. You did well getting him.” Kevin quickly turned his head, and his body shook.
The monster wondered if it had heard wrong as it spoke once again.
[Yes. The Archer Saint is our loyal—]
“Pffft!!!”
[????]
The monster furrowed its brows as it once again looked at Kevin.
Kevin had his head turned away, so his expression couldn’t be seen. The Virgo Constructs clicked their tongue as they watched Kevin with his head turned.
Kevin was biting his lips; he was about to die from laughter. He was having a hard time breathing, yet he was doing his best not to tip off the monster, holding on for dear life. Of course, he wouldn’t normally laugh about such a topic, but…
‘Of all the ones to turn, it was the Archer Saint…!’
It was so funny that Kevin felt like dying.
Giselle gave up on speaking. She had no idea why the topic of the Archer Saint being turned was being discussed.
‘What? Hugo will kill Lee Gun? He’ll betray Lee Gun?’
There was a fat chance that he would betray Lee Gun! Hugo was someone that Giselle had been unable to turn until the end. He had been the only one. Of course, this didn’t mean she was able to bring in everyone she wanted to, but Hugo was on a different level.
‘Fuck off! I’d rather eat a poisoned cheeseburger than join you guys.’
She had tried denigrating Lee Gun and tried to play both sides against each other, but that had failed. That was why she had thought about killing Hugo after Lee Gun passed away. She had left him around only because he had been useful in many ways.
However, that wasn’t important right now. She had no idea what method they had used to select Hugo.
[That is… a trap— Koohk!!]
Giselle was about to give a warning, but Kevin immediately extended his hand. White ice froze Giselle, covering up her mouth.
Their enemies were barking up the wrong tree on their own. Kevin wouldn’t allow Giselle to mess this up.
“Oh, Zodiac. The Archer Saint said he’d take care of Lee Gun. Why are you talking so much?” Kevin smirked as he glared at Giselle.
His eyes held a rage. Kevin had been oblivious as Jean-Louis and this woman had manipulated him in the Devil’s Tower. Naturally, he was angry.
If it hadn’t been for Lee Gun’s order, he wanted to come here with the full might of the Virgo temple. However, this woman was Lee Gun’s prey, and Kevin had to prioritize Lee Gun’s order.
The Libra had some excellent Constructs that would be helpful to the Serpent Bearer.
“You can continue to rot in there. I’m just here to take your subordinates.”
That bastard! Giselle narrowed her eyes as the power of ice covered her mouth.
‘This isn’t just the power of the Virgo.’
A green light infused within the silver light. It was none other than Lee Gun’s power!
[You are receiving the blessing of the Serpent Bearer.]
[Temple EXP is being offered to the Serpent Bearer.]
The power of the Serpent Bearer was suppressing the power of the Libra.
This situation amused the half-monster, half-beast.
[Although you fell to become the Zodiac of humans, you once possessed the body of a monarch. I can’t believe you’re being eaten like this. I pity you!]
Feeling gleeful, the monster continued to mock her.
[Well, you were a low-rank monarch. You did eat a Zodiac Saint and a Zodiac, but how much stronger could you get realistically? At the end of the day, you cannot even come close to my master. It is understandable.]
The monster’s goat eyes then glanced at Kevin.
The eyes of Kevin, who had his hand extended, turned round. It was to be expected.
‘What? She’s a monarch?’
The half-monster, half-beast seemed oblivious as it let out a cold laugh.
[On the other hand, I cannot understand you, who wants to steal the Constructs from this place.]
An enormous killing intent washed over Kevin. The Virgo Constructs quickly stepped forward.
[Kevin!]
Flash!
A barrier appeared before them.
In truth, the Virgo’s goddesses were secretly stealing away the Libra Constructs while Kevin had distracted the monster and Giselle.
There were Libra Constructs like the lamp fairy imprisoned in this place. Items were also locked away here. The goddesses had already found those items.
The Virgo Constructs just had to run away while Kevin acted as the bait, but they refused to do so!
[Hurry up and take that to Baby snake-nim!]
Their opponent was a general rank!
Until now, only Lee Gun had been able to kill the general-ranks. They were that strong. However, the Virgo Constructs wouldn’t let their Zodiac Saint face the music by himself.
[Kuhk!]
[Huh-uhk!]
The Virgo goddesses screamed as they clutched at their necks. The half-monster, half-beast let out an easygoing laugh as it extended its hand.
[Harvest Permitted by Abundance]
Something appeared out of their mouths, their souls. Feelings, abilities, and everything that one could cultivate could be taken by the Monarch of Abundance using the “Harvest” power.
The half-monster, half-beast had received this ability from its monarch, and it was trying to harvest the souls extracted from the Constructs.
However, Kevin immediately used a Zodiac Saint exclusive technique.
[Cancel Summon]
He then returned the items that the goddesses had given him earlier back to them.
[Kevin!]
“You guys give it to Lee Gun!”
The Constructs then disappeared. Kevin had sent them back to his holy ground. Of course, his holy ground was now Lee Gun’s holy ground.
When the Virgo goddesses disappeared, the barrier went away.
The half-monster, half-beast smirked.
[If you had run with the items, you would have kept your life]
Kevin raised his blade.
The half-monster, half-beast used the borrowed power from its monarch.
[Wound grown by Abundance]
Light flashed as Kevin screamed. A human always had a large or small wound at any given moment. The wound varied from a small toothache to the inflammation of the organs. It could be a small scratch or even a hangnail.
When Kevin had infiltrated the Libra’s holy ground, he had suffered a small abrasion on his side. And right now, the power of abundance grew the wound to something big.
Kwah-jee-jeek!
The small inflammation and scratch suddenly grew larger as it tried to rip away Kevin’s body.
“Koohk!”
It was an incredible amount of pain.
The Abundance couldn’t stand seeing anything small.
[Pain Grown by Abundance]
This time, his pain grew through abundance! The already massive amount of pain intensified even more.
The half-monster, half-beast looked to be enjoying this. Laughter erupted out of the black magical energy.
[Pain value: 100%!]
[Pain value: 150%!]
[Pain value: 200%!]
The magical energy changed into the form of a bird as they continued to laugh. The general’s power of the wound and pain hit Giselle, too.
[Ahhhhk!]
She was already full of wounds that Lee Gun and the Time monarch had inflicted on her. This pain was beyond imagination.
The half-monster, half-beast laughed when it heard the scream.
[Look. Isn’t the power of Monarch-nim amazing? The Archer Saint was converted using this. It’s child’s play to grow the feelings possessed by humans.]
‘…!’
Kevin, who had suffered under the power of abundance, ground his teeth. It was unknown what would happen if Hugo faced such a problem. However, that wasn’t important currently.
[Not that!]
As Giselle screamed, the half-monster, half-beast activated the magic circle that had been drawn on the ground. A strange image appeared on the magic circle!
The half-monster, half-beast smirked.
[I’ll take the Libra’s royal Constructs with thanks.]
The royal Constructs were the highest-ranked Constructs!
Once Giselle amassed enough energy, she planned on summoning them, so she had hidden the object, the bronze statue.
And now, the highest-rank Constructs of the Libra were about to fall into the hands of the monster. But suddenly…
Flash!
“!”
Kevin’s belt flashed as it grew in size. Then, a bundle of light swallowed the bronze statue.
“!!!”
The one to take action was the slime. After swallowing the bronze statue, the slime tried to run away.
In response, the half-monster, half-beast unleashed its killing intent.
[How dare you?]
When the monster tried to move, Kevin swallowed his pain as he used light magic for the slime.
[Frost Light (S)]
Flash!
The skill blinded the half-monster, half-beast for a moment, and the monster screamed. Using this opportunity, the slime exited the prison.
This angered the half-monster, half-beast, and it was about to use its tracking spell. It would kill Kevin, then catch the slime! However…
Hweek!
Accompanying an explosion, the magic suddenly disappeared.
A figure appeared within the smoke, shocking Giselle the most.
[Carly!]
She had been trying to divert the attention of the disciples outside on the holy ground.
Above all else, Giselle looked overjoyed to see Carly.
[You came to save me, my daughter.]
Giselle looked at her with worry, as if to ask where Carly had been. However…
Duhp-suhk!
[…!!]
Carly stepped back after she ripped away Giselle’s necklace. She then picked up Kevin, who was a bloody mess.
This shocked Giselle.
[Daughter!?]
Carly nonchalantly responded to Giselle’s shout. “I’m not your daughter.”
[W-What?!]
“I’d better get going now.” Carly quickly ran away after taking the Libra’s royal Constructs and treasures.
[Carly!]
An angry voice rang out.
[Bastards!]
The general, who had been temporarily blinded, shouted. After having the precious royal Constructs stolen, the general called its subordinate.
[There is a change of plan. Tell him to get rid of him now. Before they can join up with Lee Gun, I’ll be there with Monarch-nim.]
* * *
Around that time…
“What? You want to swap out the Zodiac?” Hugo’s eyebrows rose. The one speaking to him right now was none other than the Secretary. Hugo had received an unexpected offer. “You want to bring down the Serpent Bearer?”
“Yes. This will be mutually beneficial. Ah. Do you prefer being the subordinate under Lee Gun?”
Hugo became angry. “Are you kidding me? Death isn’t enough for what he has done.”
The Secretary laughed as if she had expected this. There was a reason she could speak to Hugo with such confidence.
‘As expected, he wore it.’
The reason was the necktie pin on Hugo’s necktie.
Earlier in the day, the Secretary had placed Chun Jiwoo’s name on the pin and sent it as a present to Hugo.
The Secretary had used Information Distortion to make it look like Chun Jiwoo had written Hugo a letter. The present that accompanied the letter was an item that cultivated hate.
It secretly held the power of the Monarch of Abundance.
The cockroach within the Secretary’s pocket could see it with its eyes.
[Hatred toward Lee Gun: 50%]
[Hatred toward Lee Gun: 50% → 70%]
[Hatred toward Lee Gun: 50% → 100%]
It made sure the ability of its monarch had been activated. At this point, anyone would be willing to murder Lee Gun under this power.
Suddenly, the cockroach received a message from its general.
‘The royal Constructs were stolen. If it’s the Archer Saint, he’ll be able to kill Carly and the Virgo from a long distance.’
This was why it had to quickly bring in Hugo as an ally.
The Secretary smirked. “Our goal is the same. I’ll help you bring down Lee Gun.”
At that moment…
“Hey, what are you guys doing over here?”
“!”
When she heard the familiar voice behind her back, the Secretary laughed as if she couldn’t believe her luck. The one to show up was none other than Lee Gun!
‘This is my chance.’
The Secretary whispered to Hugo, “That’s the face of the enemy you have to kill. He’s the enemy who stole everything from you. That’s why you'll kill him.”
As if those words had turned on a switch, Hugo laughed. “He’s the enemy.”
Hugo got up with a meaningful smile on his lips.
