Chapter 146 - Shut Up & Listen to Me (3)

[The Gemini has a grudge against you.]

[It has placed a curse on you.]

This had taken place a couple of weeks ago after Lee Gun had fought Heiji. Having lost its Zodiac Saint, the Gemini had tried to kill Lee Gun. However, it never came in-person to kill Lee Gun.

Of course, Hugo had assumed the Gemini wasn’t coming because its temple was in a state of crisis. However, Lee Gun thought differently.

‘The Cancer’s Core.’

Yes! That was the item he had acquired after defeating Jean-Louis’s clone at Sophie’s press conference. It was the reason the Zodiacs hadn’t approached Lee Gun, and their reactions confirmed it.

[The Sagittarius is apoplectic.]

[The Sagittarius is angered by the Cancer’s Core and the Lee Gun Statue installed at the entrance to the Archer’s holy ground.]

[It requests that you immediately dismantle them.]

[The Sagittarius doesn’t even like looking at the Cancer’s Core.]

[Moreover, the Sagittarius hates that you are connected to the item. It is starting to express its anger.]

The Gemini and Hugo’s Zodiac were the same. They both hated the Cancer’s Core.

This was why Lee Gun had purposefully put it in his belongings. He wanted to prevent the approach of the Gemini, who held a grudge against him.

In other words, he was carrying around rotten meat. In fact, the meat was letting out such a rotten stench that even Hugo became angry.

“What the hell? Why do you have that?” Hugo had cussed out the Cancer temple. “You might not know this, but both the Cancer and the Cancer Saint are evil.”

Hugo personally hated Jean-Louis, but the Cancer temple was a temple one shouldn’t get close to.

“Cancer is a Zodiac that can kill other gods.”

“!”

Among the sacred twelve Zodiacs, the Cancer was the darkest star. It was apt to say the darkness swallowed the light of the other gods.

“Anyway, there is a reason the Cancer is persona non grata to the other Zodiacs.” Hugo furrowed his brows as he looked at the Cancer’s Core. “Also, I’ve seen that core before.”

“You’ve seen it before?”

“Yes. It might have been an internal conflict, but a low-rank disciple once ran away with a part of the Zodiac’s core. I was hired to track him down... It was horrible.”

Lee Gun didn’t even need to ask what was horrible.

“As soon as he ate the core, his body started to produce a poisonous foam. That foam killed a Construct. The mere low-rank disciple also died horribly.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Anyway, the Cancer is a Zodiac that can kill other gods. The core of that Zodiac is a poison that can kill other Zodiacs.”

“That’s interesting. It looks like a piece of square cereal.”

Hugo blanched at those words. “You shouldn’t conflate things that can and cannot be eaten.”

“Of course.”

“You really shouldn’t eat it. I know you ingested the blood of monsters and various poisons in the past to experiment with their effectiveness. But this won’t send you to the brink of death. It will really kill you.”

“I get it.”

Back to the present.

[You crazy bastard!]

A change occurred in Lee Gun’s body after he ate the Cancer’s Core.

Kwah-jee-jeek!

The first thing to change was the color of the light around his body. His body had been emanating a holy light because of Death’s Instinct. This light turned black, and Lee Gun’s skin started turning brown.

The Cancer’s Core had gone down his esophagus and started destroying everything within his body.

[Warning! A God-killing poison is destroying the Serpent Bearer’s body.]

[The Cancer’s power is spreading throughout your body.]

Lee Gun felt as if hot water was spreading through his muscles. Wherever the hot water passed, it destroyed the vessels, muscles, and organs. That wasn’t all. He felt as if new vessels were created in those locations.

[The star of darkness has settled into your body.]

[It is the power of destruction. It is powerful enough to kill even the gods.]

Therefore, he almost bent over as he flew toward the Owner of the Beasts. The pain might have been diminished if it was used against a human, but the pain Lee Gun felt was unimaginable right now.

[Warning! It is a critical wound to the Zodiac.]

[The dreadful darkness has destroyed and ripped apart everything clean.]

Thankfully, the benefit of going through this torture was large.

[The Cancer’s attribute has been activated.]

Black foam emerged on top of Lee Gun’s skin.

The golden lion let out a violent roar.

[Shit! You crazy bastard! Do you have a death wish?]

The ground reverberated alongside the incredible roar. The Owner of the Beasts had been overflowing with confidence until a moment ago, but it started to retreat now.

The being seemed to be surprised. This was to be expected since the Cancer’s attribute was the power to taint a star with darkness.

Basically, this power could kill a Zodiac. Of course, the Zodiacs possessed power comparable to each other, so this might not completely kill a Zodiac. However, it would deal a fatal blow.

The amount of contribution and tributes needed to recover from such a wound would be beyond imagination.

In the end, the Owner of the Beasts revealed its vicious teeth.

[You crazy bastard!! If you want to die, die by yourself!]

At this point, it would have preferred Lee Gun had used the Gluttony skill. That was the skill he had used against the Libra.

It would be painful, but the serpent had small fangs and a small throat. Since there was a large difference in their divine status, there wouldn’t have been much of a problem. In other words, a small serpent couldn’t swallow a lion.

Of course, Lee Gun probably realized this, so he chose this unreasonable route!

[This is enough, you little snake!]

Accompanying the roar, golden lightning surged into the sky. The golden lightning descended on top of Lee Gun’s head.

Too-gwahng!

The lightning seared away Lee Gun’s skin, but he seemed unfazed. There was no fear. His cold snake eyes were filled with malice as they flashed red.

Kwahng!!

As a deafening sound rang out, Lee Gun’s body pierced through the lion’s mouth.

[Kuh-huhk!]

His body slam was like a beam of light! It finally lifted the Leo into the air. The lion fell backward, and heaven and earth reverberated once again.

Boom!

Normally, the beast’s body wouldn’t budge when attacked by weapons the other Zodiacs used. However, this instance was different.

[The Cancer’s attribute is erasing the divine light.]

The foam appearing out of Lee Gun’s body was turning the inside of the lion’s mouth black. Lee Gun didn’t miss this opportunity as he swung his ax.

Too-gwahng!

The lion’s canine, which had become dyed black, broke off due to this. The Leo’s Construct screamed when it saw this.

[Master!]

The griffon quickly flapped its wings to surge into the air, but its actions were useless.

Lee Gun grinned as he held the canine, then he put strength into his legs once again.

Boom!

He pierced through the roof of the lion to reach outside. Moreover, it seemed the tooth wasn’t the end of what he wanted.

After surging into the air, Lee Gun savagely raised his ax. Then, a beam of light pierced through the lion’s back.

Kwahng!

It was Lee Gun. Lee Gun had flown in like a light ray and planted the ax behind the Leo’s neck. Then he peeled off the leather on its back.

The Leo screamed.

[The Owner of the Beasts has received a significant amount of damage.]

[The other Owners are shocked.]

[The Serpent Bearer’s divine status has risen after inflicting damage to a powerful god.]

[You have gained a massive amount of EXP.]

[Your level has increased.]

[You have succeeded in angering a god. You have satisfied the condition. The next level-up restriction on Act Forbidden by the Gods(F) has been released.]

In front of this spectacle, Stevens and the other disciples couldn’t close their mouths. Lee Gun quickly called out to the Leo Saint as he put away the tooth and the back leather. “Hey! You armless cat! I’m done! Hurry up and send it back!”

Stevens was baffled. The fact that Lee Gun had made such a mess of a Zodiac was baffling, but what the hell did he just say?

“You messed up someone else’s Zodiac, yet you...”

“Send it! We don’t need that monster cat anymore!”

Stevens was baffled, but he immediately took a knee. Since body parts had been taken from it, the Owner of the Beasts was moving around violently. Currently, only a thirty percent of the Leo had descended. Transmitting a large amount of data would take a long amount of time. The energy of a being like the Zodiac couldn’t fully descend to earth in a short period.

Therefore, the Zodiac’s body descended first, and the rest of its power was drawn from the divine world.

That was why Lee Gun had quickly finished his business before the Leo could descend all the way.

Anyway, the Leo temple’s tributes would all be wasted if their Zodiac caused more trouble. This would also cause more damage to the surrounding area, so Stevens used his skill.

“Beast God Rites” was a special skill that all Zodiac Saints possessed. In simple terms, it was a skill that appeased an enraged Zodiac. It brought back peace.

“Oh, Owner of the Beasts! Please head back for a short time!”

A golden light surged up from the body of the Leo when Stevens shouted. The descent was canceled.

[Ten seconds until the descent is canceled.]

The body of the lion started to turn hazy. The Owner of the Beasts got furious. The light in its eyes flashed violently.

[Do you think I’ll just go back like this? Ten seconds is enough for me to turn you into a pulp!]

Kwahng!!

The lion’s paw violently crashed down toward Lee Gun.

“Koohk!”

Fortunately, Lee Gun dodged by jumping away. He clicked his tongue as he landed. “Bastard.”

His body was having a tough time holding up because of the Cancer’s Core. So he didn’t want to move more than needed, but he seemed to have no choice.

[You are dead!]

Lee Gun ground his teeth as he used his skill. He didn’t want to use it because it had a long cooldown time.

[Gluttony]

Lee Gun’s eyes flashed, and the serpent made out of light tried to swallow the lion. The lion screamed, but the difference in their divine status seemed to be too large.

Kwahng!

The lion resisted as it swung its paw.

Annoyed, Lee Gun tried to swing his Heaven’s Punishment. But then...

“Please go back!!”

[The descent of the Leo has been forcefully canceled.]

As those words rang, the lion’s paw passed through Lee Gun’s head. It was like watching a ghost. The half-translucent Zodiac ground its teeth.

[You bastard! Come to the divine world right now!! I’ll kill you!]

Lee Gun mockingly replied, “Why would I go there when you said you’ll kill me? Are you an idiot?”

[You bastard! Stevens!]

Finally, the Owner of the Beasts struggled mightily as it disappeared. Peace returned to the Leo Saint’s holy ground.

But Stevens just sighed as he sank to the ground. “Shit!”

He had forcefully sent back his Zodiac. He’d receive the brunt of his Zodiac’s anger, and just the thought of it was dreadful.

However, the more frightening part was Lee Gun. ‘That crazy bastard’

Lee Gun had gone against a Zodiac. Was he still sane?

Stevens met his Zodiac regularly, yet his legs still shook in its presence. This was embarrassing, but he was still afraid. Anyone would react like him in front of a Zodiac.

‘How can he even think about fighting it?’

Moreover, Lee Gun had boldly taken the body parts of a Zodiac as spoils of war.

That was why Stevens sat on the ground. “What the hell are you— Kuhk!!”

Lee Gun expressed his annoyance after kicking Stevens again. “You should’ve sent it back faster, asshole. I had to use my skill when I didn’t need to.”

“?!!”

“It’s already a skill with a high rate of failure...” However, his annoyance only lasted a moment. He heard a notification.

[The skill was successful.]

[You have gained a massive amount of EXP.]

[Your level has increased.]

[The consumed lion’s front paw will be recreated.]

“What the hell? It was successful.” Lee Gun laughed at the unexpected news.

Gluttony Skill was an SSS-rank Divine skill. However, the success rate depended on the difference in divine status.

In Giselle’s case, it might have had to do with the fact that she was within a human body. Lee Gun had been able to fight her for the most part.

The lion was different. It had always been a powerful Zodiac, and the difference in their divine status was large. This was why Lee Gun had thought it wouldn’t work.

‘I guess I was lucky.’

At that moment...

‘Koohk.’

Lee Gun furrowed his brows when he felt pain in his body. The problem was the Cancer’s Core that he had consumed.

Chun Yooha ran to him in surprise. “Uncle! Are you ok?”

Lee Gun clutched at his heart as if he were in pain. Then, a darkness that couldn’t be compared to the Cancer’s energy emerged, and he heard the voice.

[God of Calamity! You have learned about the path to the temple of darkness.]