Twenty-four years ago!
[No, you shouldn’t. Do you realize how important this period is? There is no way you should meet up with him.]
Yeonwoo was a couple of days away from awakening.
She was the Serpent Bearer, the thirteenth Zodiac who had been betrayed by the other twelve Zodiacs.
The reason she had been killed was simple. She had tried to turn everything back to the way it was using the power of Cycle. Yeonwoo had tried to revive the original owners of the Seats of power.
That was why she had been falsely labeled as the god of calamity and killed by her fellow Zodiacs.
Her Divine status had broken down, and she had almost faced extinction. She was barely able to reincarnate with the help of Virgo.
Her reincarnation took various forms. Sometimes, she reincarnated as Constructs, beasts, inanimate objects, beings of various races from other dimensions, and other forms. She had even reincarnated as an agent of the Divine world once.
However, her reincarnation didn’t matter. The twelve Zodiacs and her pursuers found her each time, killing her.
Yet, Yeonwoo continued to sharpen the sword of revenge.
While she was gone, those bastards had usurped the seats from the original owners and occupied the seats of the Zodiacs.
She had considered them to be comrades, yet they had lied. As if that wasn’t enough, they falsely accused her of being the god of calamity and put out a death penalty on her.
Then, she had been killed over and over again for a long time.
Yeonwoo suffered endless death as she continued to plan. She never gave up. She tenaciously kept reincarnating again and again to bring the destruction of the twelve Zodiacs. She had reincarnated several hundred times like that.
Then, Yeonwoo reincarnated as a human for the first time and met Lee Gun.
[Are you listening to what I’m saying, thirteenth? You must not meet that human man ever again, especially during this pivotal time!]
An agent of the Divine world had attached itself to the reincarnated Yeonwoo. The agent was a god that Yeonwoo had been friends with during her days as the thirteenth Zodiac. Therefore, it had secretly helped Yeonwoo sharpen her sword of revenge.
Anyway, the agent of the Divine world had a problem with Lee Gun.
[You will awaken as the thirteenth Zodiac in a couple of days. I doubt anything big will happen, but it’s a period where you should be the most cautious…!]
Yeonwoo was a couple of days away from her awakening. Therefore, she had said she was going to help Lee Gun, whom she was living with, with the orphanage they had grown up in.
Since she was about to awaken, she wanted to reduce the variables. She had determined it would be best if she were alone.
However, that day was different.
– Tomorrow is your birthday. I haven’t seen your face in about two weeks. We should have dinner tomorrow. I’m asking for time off tomorrow. I should be able to meet you in the afternoon.
The agent of the Divine world responded strictly when it saw the text from Lee Gun. Yeonwoo heard the voice in her head through telepathy.
[Once you awaken, you’ll have to leave this place. Don’t dwell on someone you will never see again. You should save your power and focus on your awakening.]
However, Yeonwoo became silent. She knew she would never see Lee Gun again, and it had made her hesitate. That was the reason she had gone to meet Lee Gun. It would be her last goodbye.
Yeonwoo had thought nothing would happen in an hour or two. She also wanted even more memories of Lee Gun to cherish even a little.
However, the Zodiacs and the Monarchs had found her on that day. It was the day when Yeonwoo had to make an important choice as she watched Lee Gun die in front of her.
“I’ll pay the price! Transfer my Divine status to this person!”
[What?! Have you lost your mind?]
The agent of the Divine world reared back in shock and objected.
[Do you realize what it means to hand over your Divine status?! You will die as a god. You will never be able to reincarnate!]
“I know.”
[If you’re aware of it, how could you suggest such a thing? After reincarnating several hundred times, you finally have enough power to carry out your revenge. With this awakening, you’ll be able to carry out your revenge!]
“Hurry. Transfer my Divine status to him.”
[Until now, you were short of power by just a bit. This time, it’ll really be possible! Will you throw away everything to save a human, who has a lifespan of a hundred years? You have suffered humiliation for several thousand years. Will you throw away the sword of revenge that you’ve been sharpening all this time?]
“Please…! He is going to die!”
Her hatred toward the Zodiacs knew no bounds. Yeonwoo had thought about taking revenge for her and her master, yet there was no way she could let Lee Gun die. Even she couldn’t revive a dead human.
‘It’s easier to revive a god.’
A powerful god didn’t perish even if they were swept up in a vast flow of power called the Cycle. A weak, small organism like a human would find its existence ripped apart the Cycle would sweep it up. That was why a human’s death was final.
A revival skill existed, but Yeonwoo hadn’t awakened yet. She couldn’t use it, and the skill had a time limit.
[Has to be within 24 hours of death]
She couldn’t awaken in that period, and no one could help them either. This left only one method.
“Please transfer my Divine status to him.”
Yeonwoo had chosen the life of a human over her revenge, which had spanned a very long time. She didn’t have any other reason. She just wanted Lee Gun to live.
Then, she had paid the price and fallen to Tartarus. It was as if she were being punished for choosing the life of a human instead of taking revenge for her temple.
Back to the present…
Koo-googoong!
An incredible light came down from the sky. The light engulfed three people. It was unknown to whom this power belonged.
Anyway, the aftereffect of the light instantly swept away the beings that coveted the Seat of power.
[Ahhk!]
[Kuh-huhk!]
It was an incredible power. At the same time, Hugo’s body was sent flying into the sky. It was the doing of the light engulfing them.
“Koohk!”
His group pierced through the clouds as they ascended endlessly. When they moved past the clouds, they went through a pitch-black space. As they moved past the space of darkness, they flew past the prison floor. In a flash, unknown worlds flashed by them.
They pierced through each floor as they were relentlessly pulled upwards.
Kwahng! Kwahng!
It felt like they were hitting and breaking a glass wall every time they crossed a floor. The collision happened several thousand times.
[It’s a Seat of power!]
[It is the thirteenth Seat of power!]
It felt like more and more enemies were chasing after them as they moved past each floor. Of course, this couldn’t be helped since they had to move past the other floors to escape this place.
‘Shit! What kind of aggro effect is this?’
It really drove home the incredible value of the thirteenth Seat of power.
‘I don’t know who made it, but this is incredible.’
It was like the One Ring, which everyone coveted. If its original owner still existed, it was an item worth killing the owner.
[This is the last floor.]
[The power of the Serpent Bearer can be felt nearby.]
“!”
Hearing the notification, Hugo realized they were finally about to arrive at a place where Lee Gun’s power could reach them.
“Koohk!?”
However, when they were about to pierce through the sky floor, a nameless god grabbed them. It was an enormous giant with no eyes, and its power was incredible.
[It’s the gatekeeper that defends the entrance to the world of torture.]
[It says how dare slaves try to enter the divine world.]
“?!”
If they could cross this place, they would be able to exit the world of torture and reach the Divine world.
Since it was the last barrier, its gatekeeper was the strongest. It was there to prevent slaves and prisoners from escaping Tartarus.
[It’s the gatekeeper that defends the entrance to the world of torture. The gatekeeper has grabbed a slave that is trying to escape.]
Hugo felt aggrieved after being caught by the enormous hand.
‘Shit! I’m not a slave…!’
There was a reason even the gods didn’t want to fall into this world. Their attacks didn’t work.
[It’s a high-rank god. The level difference is too high to fight it.]
Hugo was about to be dragged back into the depths of the world of torture.
Flash!
However, the thirteenth Seat of power, which was in its cube form, emitted a light within Hugo’s pocket. Then, as if it had sensed that there wasn’t enough power, the Seat of power exited the pocket and let out a power that was bigger than before.
Kwahng!!!
[Ahhhk! Hot!]
[Shit! He escaped! The slave is running away!]
Hugo was like a ball as he flew into the sky once again. How long did he fly in such a frantic manner?
“Huh-huhk…!”
It finally stopped. This time, Hugo was in a place that was like an endless space. However, a white floor existed here.
“Kuhk!”
As if the magic was dispelled, the floating Hugo was tossed toward the ground.
“Jeez! Let me down a bit more gently! I’m at an age where you’ll mess up my back!” Hugo’s body was too young to be able to complain about age-related maladies.
[You have escaped the world of torture using the power of the thirteenth Seat of power. You have reached a space that exists between the floors.]
[Currently, you are located between the lowest floor of the Divine world and the world of torture.]
Hugo wasn’t sure what it all meant, but in short, he had escaped from being a slave. That wasn’t all.
“I was wondering whose light it was. It was the chair.”
The Serpent Bearer’s majestic Seat of power lay before him. The throne’s power had engulfed all of them and dragged them here from the lowest floor of the world of torture, while Yeonwoo had seemed to be trying to send only Hugo up here.
‘I guess I can’t complain too much about Yang Wei. Thankfully, Ms. Yeonwoo was brought along with us. I really wanted to bring her along with me.’
Hugo let out a sigh of relief as he looked at the disoriented Yeonwoo get up in the distance.
“Please wait here. I’ll once again call Gun from here…”
When Hugo grabbed the chair to get up, he saw an unfamiliar sight. It seemed the chair was showing him its memories.
– Since our masters are from the Creation tribe, they were able to make the Seats of power.
– Yes. Also, we will be able to become gods if we have the Seats of power of our masters.
– Let’s kill our masters. We’ll steal those seats.
– That’s a good idea.
Hugo was confused by the vision that he was shown when…
“Jeez! Where the hell were you sent to?”
“!”
He heard a familiar voice. “Think about the person that’s looking for you. At the very least, you should’ve gone to a place where I can bring you back.”
“Gun!”
Lee Gun was walking toward them from the distance. “When I tried to go directly to you, I learned it is a place that a Zodiac can’t enter. Why I outta…”
This was the lowest floor that a Zodiac could travel to.
“Anyway, I’m here to take you back. Let’s go.”
Yang Wei’s eyes turned round when he saw Lee Gun
[W-Who is this handsome bro? Do you know him?]
Yang Wei was near Lee Gun, blinking nonstop. It was as if Yang Wei were assessing a rare item. He looked at Lee Gun’s feet, back, and even his rear.
Surprised, Lee Gun looked back at Yang Wei. However, Yang Wei continued to stick close to Lee Gun, looking mesmerized.
[For some reason, I think he’ll be worth a lot of money! Let’s go sell him right now!!]
Yang Wei received a kick.
The angry Lee Gun looked at Hugo. “What happened to him?”
“Ah… There is a bit of a story behind it.”
“Understood. Anyway, I want you to drag him along. We’ll head out of here.”
When Lee Gun was about to turn around, Hugo quickly grabbed him. “Wait a moment! There is one more person that we have to take!”
“What? Who did you seduce while I was gone—”
When Lee Gun turned his head, his eyes turned round. It was a rare reaction. His gaze had landed on Yeonwoo, who was trying to disappear somewhere.
After discovering her, Lee Gun took quick steps toward Yeonwoo.
Yeonwoo flinched as she felt his presence. She didn’t even look at Lee Gun before she tried to disappear. However, Lee Gun was faster than her.
“Yeonwoo.” Lee Gun grabbed her arm and turned her around. “You‘re Yeonwoo, right!”
When she heard Lee Gun’s voice, Yeonwoo looked a bit like she wanted to cry. She tried to turn her head but…
Chwa-roo-roohk!
“!”
Yeonwoo seemed to have known this was going to happen. That was why she had tried to disappear.
Black chains shot up from the white floor.
[How dare a slave run away!]
[Catch her.]
The chains had followed her from the world of torture. They ruthlessly caught Yeonwoo. One could feel their will: they would never let her go.
“Yeonwoo!”
Yeonwoo laughed when she saw Lee Gun. He was completely different from his old self, who was all bones. It seemed she was satisfied with seeing just that.
She respectfully lowered her head. “Oh, master of the Serpent Bearer. I’m merely an imprint that protected the Seat of power. The real me has been gone for a long time.”
“!”
“I’m thankful that I was able to return the Seat of power to its original owner.”
Now that she was a slave, she knew it wouldn’t be good to get involved with a Zodiac. If she couldn’t get involved with him, she’d rather act like a different person. It would sever any lingering attachment to him.
Kwahng!
The rough chains completely encircled Yeonwoo. She laughed as she was dragged away. “Blessings to the new Serpent Bearer—”
Kwah-jeek!
Lee Gun violently grabbed the chains.
