“No one will be able to find this place.”
They were inside an isolated island in Canada, within the Scorpion Saint’s holy ground. A hospital had been built there, and Hugo had hospitalized his wife and subordinate there.
“It took a while to build a hospital that can hold almost five thousand people. I’m sorry.”
Hugo shook his head from side to side when he heard Hailey’s words. After he had asked this favor of her, she had built a hospital in a fortnight. She had been incredibly fast.
Moreover, doctors around the world had given up on treating these patients to appease the Libra Saint, the first-ranked Zodiac Saint.
Since the hospitals had turned away the patients in vegetative states, their guardians had to give up on them. However, Hugo was able to accommodate the victims with Hailey’s help.
“I won’t forget your kindness in the tower, the incident with the toad, and your help right now.”
While he felt thankful, Hugo also felt worried. “If the others find out that you helped me, they won’t forgive you.”
He had already made enemies with the other ten Zodiac Saints.
However, Hailey said as if it wasn’t a big deal, “You don’t have to think of me as your benefactor. I’m helping you because this is beneficial to the Scorpio temple too.”
“I…Is that so? I’m glad if that’s true.”
“Also, I don’t deserve your thanks.”
“What? What did you just say right now?”
Hailey secretly clenched her fists. Instead of answering him, she bit her lips. She had spoken with the intent to absolve him of any debt to her, but there was another intent behind those words.
‘I wasn’t able to protect Lee Gun.’
Hugo was Lee Gun’s best friend, whom Lee Gun treasured. She didn’t want harm to fall on Hugo too.
This was why she had saved Hugo inside the tower and lent him her skill when he fought against the toad. This time, she would keep his family safe.
Of course, this didn’t mean she wasn’t facing significant opposition.
- Zodiac Saint-nim! I can’t believe you made a hospital of this size for people unrelated to us…!
- That’s right! Why are you willing to suffer such losses to help the Archer Saint?
The Zodiac of the Scorpio temple was disgruntled too. For some other reason, Scorpio seemed to hate the Archer Saint.
However, Hailey didn’t pay any attention to them.
- If you can’t accept my decision, you do not need to stay by my side. I won’t stop you.
- Ah! Zodiac Saint-nim! We didn’t mean it like that!
However, they weren’t what was on her mind.
“Hugo. These people might never wake up. Are you sure you’re ok with that?”
Instead of answering, Hugo laughed. Answering such a question wasn’t worth it.
Hailey nodded. “I see. But Giselle might notice that we are performing life-prolonging treatment on them.”
“Don't worry. I have a plan in mind.” Hugo wouldn’t let the others do as they pleased. His eyes flashed.
* * *
“Mom…! Hyung…!”
On the day of the funeral, Yooha and Sungjae were dressed in funeral black. They couldn’t hold back their tears. Chun Jiwoo and Lee Jaewon were supposed to be cremated on this day.
Of course, although it was a funeral, fake corpses would be burned. In fact, the Constructs of the Sagittarius temple were inside the coffins, and they were angry.
[Hugo! You bastard! I’ll make you pay for this! Ah! Hot! Hot!!]
Anyway, this was how Hugo deceived the world.
A bigger reason why he hid the truth was his children. Waiting for an indeterminate amount of time would only bring pain. It was enough for only him to suffer through the long period of pain.
Someone among the Zodiac Saints managed to realize the corpses were fake. It was Sophie. She could discern this truth through her eyes, which could see power in energy form.
- If you tell Giselle about this, I’ll have no choice but to kill you and her.
Hugo grabbed Sophie by her throat and growled violently.
Sophie cried when she received the death threat from Hugo.
Anyway, the other Zodiac Saints were unable to act rashly because everyone was sympathetic toward Hugo, who had lost his wife.
Everything was going as per Hugo’s plan up to this point. However, one incident didn’t make any sense to him.
“What? Jiwoo’s research data was returned? Do you mean the data stolen by the Capricorn Saint?”
Hugo was shocked by the news. He was unable to close his mouth.
“That’s odd. There is no way he would give back such a thing.”
“Maybe he returned it considering the current circumstances.”
“No. There is no way he would do such a thing.”
There had been no decisive proof that the Capricorn Saint had stolen his wife’s research. Someone shameless like him wouldn’t voluntarily give up the research data under such circumstances.
His wife’s research had reached a stage where prototypes had been produced, so it wouldn’t have been hard for the Capricorn Saint to steal her research.
However, the Zodiac Saint in question was currently a bloody mess on the floor.
“That damn Virgo Saint!”
Kevin had appeared out of nowhere with his soldiers and plundered Sergeyevich.
Sergeyevich gnashed his teeth. He was dumbfounded by the reason behind the attack.
- I received information that you covet my territory? You are merely the manufacturing Saint, yet you dare?
- W…What? What are you talking about? We aren’t stupid. Why the hell would we try to attack you? It’s a false rumor! It’s a lie!
- It doesn't matter if it is a false rumor or a lie. Once it entered my ears, it became the truth.
- What?!!! Ahhk!! You crazy bastard!
Kevin was a one-of-a-kind person, but for a different reason than Lee Gun. He razed the main holy ground of the Capricorn temple to the ground.
And he was known as one of the fighting-type Zodiac Saints for a reason. Kevin brought devastation to the entire Capricorn temple. He also didn’t forget to take the spoils of war.
“I want you guys to take all his items and data. I want you guys to take everything.”
“Yes!!”
This was how he was able to acquire Chun Jiwoo’s research data. He then tossed the research data to his subordinate. “These are useless to me. Throw them away.”
“W…what? You want me to throw them away?”
“Yes. Give them to the Sagittarius temple.”
“What? Why the Sagittarius temple?”
“Why else? It’s the garbage incineration plant.”
“Ah… I…I guess it’s an incineration plant. Yes, it’s a solar-powered incineration plant.”
Anyway, this was how Chun Jiwoo’s important research data was returned to the Sagittarius temple.
Due to this incident, the Capricorn temple lost the opportunity to gain wealth and fame from producing the support items.
Thankfully for him, the Capricorn Saint was able to hold on to the missile research among Chun Jiwoo’s research data. In the future, he would use this research to float missiles over each planet like satellites.
It was the missile that Sophie would get hit with in the future.
Anyway, Hugo thought everything would be fine. It was supposed to be fine.
* * *
“Yooha!”
Two weeks after the funeral, Hugo was faced with an entirely different problem. It had to do with Yooha.
“Zodiac Saint-nim! You’re in danger! Please get out of the way!”
Yooha suddenly started to attack Hugo and the disciples of the Sagittarius temple. The culprit was her arm, which Giselle had tampered with.
Kwahng!
The out-of-control arm was causing a great amount of trouble for the Archer Saint and his disciples
“Damn it! She is a kid who hasn’t even awakened, so why is she so strong…!”
“Zodiac Saint-nim!”
Hugo ground his teeth.
Yooha was powerful enough that a Zodiac Saint was having trouble with her. Moreover, the Zodiacs avoided the evil gods.
Malice and corrupt energy started emanating from Yooha’s arm. Her arm was full of murderous energy that only knew how to destroy.
The evil god had already taken control of Yooha’s mind, and it was running amok.
[Ha ha ha! It’s small, but it has a pretty good body. I can operate inside this! I’ll kill all the Zodiacs and the humans!]
“Zodiac Saint-nim! Ahhhk!”
The power of the evil god injured Hugo and his disciples. At that moment, Giselle appeared at the scene.
“What a mess, Hugo! The people you loved became ashes. Now your daughter is like this.”
“…!!!”
It seemed Giselle still suffered the after-effects of Yooha damaging her face. Her face was covered with bandages.
However, she had come here even in that state for a reason. “I am here to take that child into the Libra temple.”
“What?!”
“If left alone, she’ll become a god of destruction. We’ll make it so that she'll be able to control that power.”
“…!!”
Hugo gnashed his teeth when he realized Giselle’s goal.
Giselle’s eyes flashed.
‘Do you think I’ll let go of a child with that much talent?’
Originally, she had planned on using the child since the child was Hugo’s weakness. She had planned on tormenting Hugo using the child. No human could withstand being invaded by an evil god.
So she would offer him a pain-reducing skill, and Hugo would work under her in return.
‘However, the story changes since she possesses a body that didn’t reject the evil god.’
Awakening the child and then using her would be much more beneficial for Giselle. Yooha could be a great opponent for Carly, whom Giselle was pouring a lot of effort into raising. No, that child might become a nutrient for Carly.
Giselle smirked as she watched Hugo gnash his teeth. “Don’t worry. I won’t let her die. We won’t let a kid with so much talent die. If she becomes a disciple of the Libra temple, she’ll become one of my people. Of course, I’ll treasure her.”
Hugo violently grabbed Giselle by her neck.
Giselle merely let out a chuckle. “Ah. I’ll tell you this because you’re my comrade. If you plan on asking for help from the other Zodiac Saints, you should give up on it. When it comes to the problem of the evil god, none of the other Zodiacs will help you.”
“…!”
Evil gods were an existence that all the gods avoided. This time, not even Hailey would be able to help him.
To catch the rampaging evil god, Giselle smiled as she looked at the tormented Yooha. “I’ll be taking that child. If she’s left alone, she’ll die. The rampaging evil god will take her life energy. The sooner I take her, the better.”
Hugo ground his teeth. The Libra Saint had a unique skill called Equivalent Exchange. It would be able to suppress the evil god. It was a solution that only the Libra Saint possessed.
‘However, I know how Yooha will be treated if she enters the Libra temple!’
She would be a disciple in name only. The Libra Saint would use her like a slave for the rest of her life. Despite knowing this, he had no way of saving Yooha.
‘There has to be another way aside from the Libra Saint…!’
[Binding Chains]
Kwahng!!
“?!”
At that moment, golden chains fell from the sky. They caught the rampaging Yooha.
Kwah-jeek!!
This development saved the Archer disciples from Yooha’s attack.
Hugo and Giselle were shocked.
“That bastard…!”
“Why is that cat here?!”
The one to appear was none other than the Leo Saint Stevens.
Hugo was puzzled by his appearance.
Stevens furrowed his brows as he looked at Hugo. He remembered the last words Hugo had spoken to him.
- Hmmph. What? You’re doing this for the hope of humanity? Don’t try to justify your actions, coward!
It seemed Hugo’s words had evoked some unknown emotion within Stevens.
Giselle smirked. “I don’t know why you are here, but that kid is a disciple of the Libra temple. Hurry up and loosen those chains…”
“The Leo temple will be taking his daughter.”
“W-What?!”
“Do you think my temple would stand by when a talent of her caliber exists?”
He also knew Hugo’s daughter would have a rough time if she was allowed to go to the Libra temple.
On the other hand, Giselle looked dumbfounded. “What nonsense are you talking about right now? That’s an evil god! A calamitous power that all the Zodiacs avoid! In fact, they hate it!”
Giselle was a monarch. So she wasn’t repulsed by the power of the evil god. But the Zodiacs were an entirely different story.
‘It’s a power that the gods hate!’
The mere presence of Yooha was destroying the holy ground of the Sagittarius temple. The other Zodiacs would either banish her from the earth or order the Zodiac Saints to kill her.
However, Stevens snorted. “Did you already forget the distinct features of the Leo temple?”
“!”
“If the Gemini temple has domain over the fairies, the Leo temple can tame beasts and use their power as our own. A beast of that caliber would be considered the highest-rank beast in the Leo temple. There is no way we’ll let such a talent slip by.”
“Even if you take her, what do you think you can do for her? Only the Libra temple can control that….”
“Do you have dementia? I said the Leo temple is a temple that ‘trains’ beasts.”
“…!”
“Our rearing technique will allow us to train that thing.”
“…!!”
Giselle’s face scrunched up.
When Stevens saw her expression, he smirked.
‘If I bring Hugo’s daughter to my side, that woman won’t be able to do anything funny to her.’
Leo was the god of beasts and was known to have the worst personality among the Zodiacs. It had a bad temper, and it couldn’t be reasoned with. This was why the other Zodiacs avoided the awful Leo.
However, this was the first time Leo had heard about this plan.
[Hey! Stevens! What are you doing right now? That’s an evil god! Have you lost your mind? How dare you bring her in without my permission!! Hey!]
If the girl was brought home, Leo threatened to eat Stevens and the girl. It hissed as its hackle rose.
Leo hated the idea of bringing in Yooha, but Stevens ignored his Zodiac.
Hugo seemed to have read Stevens’s intent. He didn’t say anything as he glared at the Leo Saint. Currently, he had only two options to save Yooha: send her to either the Libra temple or the Leo temple.
He hated both their guts, but he had to choose one of them…
Hugo bit his lips hard enough to draw blood.
Stevens laughed when Hugo didn’t attack him. “Anyway, that’s why I’ll be taking this little girl.”
When Stevens picked up Yooha, Giselle became apoplectic. “Cat bastard! The others are standing by and doing nothing, so why are you being like this? Are you trying to help the Archer Saint? Do you want an all-out war with the Libra temple?”
“Buzz off! Why would I let you do something that’ll benefit you? I’ll use the Archer Saint’s daughter to acquire power, then smash you to pieces.”
Giselle became angry. “Hugo! Are you going to do nothing? Your daughter is being taken away…”
Hugo ignored her. In fact, he attacked her.
Giselle became angry. “Damn bastards!!!”
Later, Hugo attacked the holy ground of the Leo temple by himself and beat Stevens to a pulp.
