After Lee Gun had taken down Pisces, the world descended into a state of shock. It was a big surprise that came after the press conference where Stevens had revealed Lee Gun had killed Red Eye.
[Gods have betrayed humans.]
[“Human fear was used for faith.”]
[The Zodiacs were the ones that tried to kill humanity’s hero Lee Gun.]
A suspicion was going around that Zodiacs had brought the unknown civilization to the earth. Another said the Zodiacs had tried to get rid of Lee Gun within the Devil’s Tower because they would be put in a bind if Lee Gun spearheaded the eradication of the monsters.
Then there were the stories about the Zodiacs stealing the Seats of power from the original owner. It was the root of everything.
Moreover, there had been a class of awakened beings in the past called the Secretaries. It was said that they were killed because they knew the secrets of the Zodiacs.
Numerous stories came out.
While the people of the world were shocked by the truth, the process in which these stories were revealed shocked them more. It was to be expected.
– What! Say it again! What did you say?
– K-Kuh-huhk! W-We were worried that Lee Gun-nim would drive out the unknown civilization…!
– Your voice is too small! Again!
– T-The Zodiacs conspired to kill Lee Gun-nim using the Cancer Saint… Kyaa! I’m sorry! Please don’t put me in the blast furnace!
Yes. Lee Gun was going out of his way to take the lead in this press conference. The reason he gave was that the humans within the press conference could be taken hostages if he let the Zodiacs conduct it.
This was why Aries and the younger Pisces were brought out on TV as slaves. Lee Gun had seized Aries by the throat and tied Pisces up over the blast furnace. Both of them were giving a confession in that state.
The older Pisces had already been put inside the blast furnace a long time ago.
Zodiacs were beings that could be met only through the bodies of the Zodiac Saints. Since people were seeing the Zodiacs for the first time, everyone was glued to the broadcast.
Of course, the only reason these Zodiacs showed themselves was the collar around their necks.
[Divine Status Controller (EX)]
-Control 100% Divine Status
These were items modeled after his ring, which normally sealed his power.
– Again!
– W-We needed the faith of humans…! H-How many times do I have to repeat this?
– The one from before was broadcasted to Asia. This version will be broadcasted to remote areas of Africa.
– A-Are people able to listen to it there?!
The people of the world became shocked by the bizarre press conference.
Hugo was the same as he watched his TV. “That crazy bastard… He said he’ll clean up the mess, so what the hell is this?”
Hugo looked dumbfounded as he watched the recorded video. If he knew Lee Gun would do this, he would have done it himself.
On the other hand, the one who orchestrated this whole situation looked aggrieved. “Boohoo. People are saying I look more like the villain. Isn’t that too much?”
“….”
Anyone who saw such a sight would have the same thought.
“Thankfully, you have your accomplishments. You should take heart. However, you should keep in mind that you can be viewed as the final boss in a blink of an eye.”
“Boohoo, Taeksoo. I feel so aggrieved.”
“Hey. Stop acting like you’re crying. Who the hell would fall for that terrible acting?”
A dumbfounded Stevens immediately looked at Hugo. Stevens questioningly looked at him, since Hugo was the one who had fallen for it. Hugo had even throttled the reporters by their necks.
Hugo flinched as he yelled, “Damn it! It was the Berserk skill. My body reacted weirdly!”
“Really?”
Hugo ground his teeth as he looked at Lee Gun.
‘I keep developing weird skills because of this bastard.’
Of course, the benefit was that his attack had increased by a vast amount.
It did not take long for the world to react swiftly.
– If that is the truth, wouldn’t we have to rethink the Temple system??
– No. We have to keep that operating system running! We are still fighting against the unknown civilization!
– That’s right. It doesn’t matter what caused this, but the monsters are attacking humans. It doesn’t matter if it is slow or swift. We’ll eventually be conquered.
– Can’t the Zodiac Saints take care of the temples like they’ve been doing?
– What are you talking about? The Zodiac Saints used deception, using Lee Gun-nim!
– We should let Lee Gun take care of—
– Lee Gun? Have you lost your mind?!
– Why would you say that I’ve lost my mind? At the end of the day, Lee Gun is a hero who puts the needs of humanity first! He has never harmed a civilian before!
– He has before, right? He skipped bills in restaurants, and he has damaged properties…
Lee Gun’s eyes turned angry. “Wow. Did you hear what they said? Do they not realize how much I’ve worked for free? Can’t they overlook something so minor?”
“Why would they overlook it? Anyway, I want you to never do a press conference from here on out. Next time, I’ll—”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s you or him. You’ll be fortunate enough if you don’t go overboard because of the Berserk skill.” Stevens interrupted Hugo.
Hugo glared at Stevens. “Whatever. Why are you here?”
It was a fair question, since this place was the main holy ground of the Virgo temple. Lee Gun and Hugo were there because the press conference was being held not too far away.
There was no way Kevin would let the Leo Saint enter this place.
“Do you really have nothing to do as the Leo Saint? Is that all you do? Follow Lee Gun around?”
Stevens angrily replied, “What are you talking about? I’m a customer. Lee Gun said he’ll make me a weapon, so I’m staying here!”
Hugo looked at Stevens in exasperation. He knew Stevens was blind when it came to an EX-rank weapon, but he must know that Lee Gun wouldn’t really make him a weapon.
“Idiot. You’ve suffered enough by his hands, yet you still don’t know Gun…”
At that moment…
“Right. I gathered all the data, so you just have to wait a bit. It’ll take me three days to make it.”
“Really?!” Stevens looked ecstatic.
Hugo looked at Lee Gun as if the latter had lost his mind. “Gun, did you just say you’ll make him a weapon?!”
“Yes. A promise is a promise.”
Hugo’s mouth fell open.
‘Did he eat something toxic?’
What had gotten into Lee Gun? Why was he making Stevens a weapon?
On the other hand, Lee Gun didn’t pay attention to Hugo. He was focused on his own shadow. His Constructs, who he had sent out for reconnaissance, had returned.
[Master, we searched the Pisces’s holy ground, yet we couldn’t find it.]
Lee Gun furrowed his brows. He emanated an odd sense of killing intent.
Stevens flinched, and Hugo asked, “What’s wrong, Gun?”
“I told the Constructs to search the holy ground. I’m looking for something.”
“What are you looking for?”
“Yeonwoo.”
“!!”
A hand suddenly appeared from the shadow. It was none other than the pendant necklace. Hugo became surprised when he saw the item. It was the item Pisces had used on TV to provoke Lee Gun.
‘It’s the one containing the soul of Ms. Yeonwoo.’
Hugo had wondered why his friend searched Pisces’s body. It seemed he was looking for that item.
The Construct spoke.
[We couldn’t find any more items within the holy ground containing the same energy. We believe that is all there is left.]
“What is it talking about?”
Lee Gun answered Hugo as he looked at the pendant, “It’s nothing. It seems Yeonwoo’s soul was broken up into pieces.”
“What?!”
Lee Gun couldn’t tell from the distance, but he had realized it when he recovered this item from Pisces.
“Only 10% of her soul is in here.”
“What?!”
Their eyes turned round, since they didn’t know such a thing was possible. Of course, Pisces was a cautious Zodiac.
This was why Lee Gun had thought Pisces had used transformation magic to bring a fake when she tried to make a deal with him. He thought the real one would be hidden with her holy ground.
‘It doesn’t exist within the holy ground.’
Ten percent was like a drop in the bucket. Not even her personality would be present in that, yet it was Yeonwoo.
Lee Gun looked at it as if it was something precious.
“The other 90% is probably with Time.”
“!”
Yeonwoo’s soul had originally been in the possession of Time. Pisces had acquired it to provoke Lee Gun. He was sure Time had broken off a piece of the soul to hand over to Pisces. The reason was simple.
‘Time is obsessed with the power of the Serpent Bearer.’
Moreover, Yeonwoo had been the previous Zodiac of the Serpent Bearer temple. The monarch was probably interested in the power of the Serpent Bearer rather than Yeonwoo.
‘I have no idea why.’
Hugo looked at him as if he was dumbfounded. “Wait a moment. That makes it weirder. The skill that can divide the soul is monopolized by the Cancer temple.”
“However, the Cancer temple no longer has a Zodiac, so that skill can’t be used, right?”
When a Zodiac went away, all the skills under its relevant temple became unsuitable. In fact, there was “Not available” next to the list of rental skills from the Cancer temple.
‘The holy item I made from the data I acquired comes up unusable.’
It was the reason Lee Gun had told Carly and Yooha to go steal the Seat of power from the Cancer temple. He needed the Seat of power for the merger, which would allow him to transfer those skills to the Serpent Bearer temple.
‘However, Gun only transferred skills from the Taurus temple and Gemini temple so far.’
Lee Gun had urgently needed defensive skills, and he had merged the Gemini temple for Sungjae, a magician. The rest hadn’t been transferred yet.
This was especially true for Cancer, who had the attribute capable of killing a god. The skills were very powerful, but caution was needed in transferring them.
“Does that mean Time can use Cancer’s skill?”
How?
It didn’t take long for their question to be answered.
[Hailey-nim said Time is a time traveler that can move between the past and future.]
“!?”
Everyone was shocked by that voice.
“Sungjae?!”
“What the hell? Where are you talking from?” It was rare for Lee Gun to be surprised too.
He hadn’t felt Sungjae’s presence at all.
However, Lee Gun glared when he realized where the voice was coming from. “I told you not to misuse it.”
Lee Gun grabbed the slime on his shoulder. A scream immediately came from the slime. There was no mistaking it. Sungjae had used the Possession holy item to possess the slime. However, that wasn’t the surprising part.
[Idiot! Why did you talk? You were discovered!]
“?!!”
Another voice came from the slime.
“Yooha?!!”
Her dad, Stevens, and Lee Gun became surprised.
Both the Chun siblings had possessed the slime.
Lee Gun’s eyebrows twitched as he mushed the slime’s face. “You little rascals. I told you not to use it to peep on others. Where are you guys right now?”
[Ggoo-ehhhhk!! We are inside the Virgo Saint’s vault!]
“What? Why are you in his vault?”
[We had something we wanted to steal…!]
Hugo massaged his forehead. He had no idea what his children were trying to accomplish.
“So? What do you mean by Time being a time traveler?”
[Ah! Time can move to the past. I was wondering if he used the power of Cancer from the past.]
Lee Gun, Stevens, and Hugo furrowed their brows. Was returning to the past really possible, considering its abilities?
“I can see why they say it’s impossible to kill him.”
Hugo started to let out a cold sweat.
‘In the future, Time had been present in the destruction of Sagittarius and the Sagittarius temple.’
Hugo had to quickly leave the Serpent Bearer temple. He had to return to the Sagittarius temple. He couldn’t let Goat handle this by himself.
“Koohk!”
“Gun?!”
Lee Gun clutched at his heart as if he was in pain.
“Gun! What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
At that moment, Lee Gun looked to be in great pain.
Koo-goong!!!
Suddenly, a black light surged out of Lee Gun’s body.
[All of your EXP has been applied.]
[The stage of Death has increased.]
[Death is evolving to stage 4.]
[Warning! This is the stage right before the final stage.]
[Your time to choose is not far away.]
