“Save us, Saintess!”

“Hey! Breathe!”

“Anyone there!”

“Saintess!”

The second zone inside Drachma.

Sophie, who was inside the stadium, was flustered. The stadium was tilted and full of people moaning. The smell of blood and oil was everywhere. And then there was the pungent smell of burning smell. It was a site of pandemonium.

Sophie trembled. Her reaction was understandable. As the castle tilted, the injured people crowded toward one side, and there were too many of them.

“Help me! Saintess!”

The injured numbered in the hundreds— No, it was in the thousands.

Looking at them was like watching pigs being gathered in one location to be buried alive. Bloodied people were getting tangled up as they cried out. It was a horrific sight.

Inside this pandemonium, the Ten Stars and the generals quickly moved into action.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and drag him out!”

“Take out the potion!”

“Bring out the healing-type Construct!”

The disciples moved quickly.

[The Aquarius temple’s First Chalice skill has been borrowed.]

[First Chalice (S)]

– Self-healing is activated to the max.

[One highest-rank potion has been used.]

[Five high-rank potions have been used.]

[The price has been paid to the Zodiac. The Construct has been summoned.]

The voice coming from the badges rang all around the stadium. However, the skill wasn’t working that well, so plaintive wails of pain could still be heard everywhere.

When their attempts at healing failed, they looked for only one hero.

“Saintess!”

“Please heal us!”

However, Sophie shook when she heard their yells.

‘It is impossible!’

Too many people were injured, and their wounds were too deep. However, the disciples desperately clung to Sophie.

“Please! We’ll give you money for healing us!”

“No... That is...”

The healing fee wasn’t the problem. As the Zodiac Saint of the healing type temple, Sophie couldn’t feel their life energy. She could tell by sensing the energy circulating them. They were close to death; they were barely clinging to life. Healing would be useless for most of them.

At that moment...

“Uh! Someone is healing over there!”

“It is Chun Sungjae!”

“!”

Chun Sungjae flew to various locations as he used his skill.

[See Uncle’s Miracle (F)]

– Your stamina is consumed as Super Regeneration is working on a single subject.

This was a healing skill that he had developed when he had awakened as the Zodiac Saint of Life.

Normally, Super Regeneration acted as a self-healing skill. The only reason Sungjae was able to heal others was the evolution of this skill.

People cheered when they saw his regeneration skill.

“My god! My wounds are disappearing...!”

“The Serpent Bearer’s temple is amazing!”

A light appeared from the necrotic finger as new cells and tissues instantly appeared.

This scene left Sophie trembling.

‘Is that Lee Gun’s Super Regeneration...!’

It was a powerful healing ability that could threaten her power as the Saintess. This was enough for her to raise her guard.

‘I heard he became the Zodiac Saint of Life...’

The crowd became abuzz when they saw Super Regeneration for themselves.

“Isn’t this amazing? Isn’t it better than what the Aquarius Saint does?”

Sophie flinched.

The people were surprised, but Chun Sungjae just clicked his tongue. The skill was powerful, but when compared to his uncle, he would be found wanting.

Well, it also had to do with the fact that his healing skills were lower in level compared to his attack skills.

‘As expected, there are too many people to heal one by one.’

Doing that wasn’t impossible, but it would take too long. The casualties would mount. Moreover, it wasn’t as if he could move these people to the hospital.

‘Aside from the teleport zone, exiting Drachma is impossible.’

This meant the injured couldn’t be moved from this place. Therefore, the young Zodiac Saint tried to think hard about a solution.

Sophie was about to tell him that it was useless.

‘Even the Aquarius cannot save this many people.’

Flash!

“!!”

However, a light surged up from the ground at that moment, surprising everyone.

“What the hell is this light?”

It was an incredible light; it looked like an aurora had emanated from the floor!

Chun Sungjae smiled when he saw the familiar light.

‘It is uncle!’

It was as he expected. An engraving of two serpents appeared on the enormous floor of the Drachma!

Kwahng!

A powerful energy covered the entirety of the flying castle.

Kwah-jee-jeek!

The Constructs that were summoned by this power almost fainted.

[Wait a moment. This feels like holy ground designation!]

[What? This place is the communal area for the 12 Zodiacs!]

[The Zodiacs won’t forgive him!]

However, something even more surprising happened.

“Wow! My wounds!”

“Ahhk! What the hell? My bones knit themselves back together!”

“Wait a moment! Ahhhhk! My leg is growing back! Ahhhk! What the hell!!!”

Pandemonium descended within Drachma again, but for an entirely different reason.

It wasn’t just one or two people, but thousands. The body of everyone within Drachma was regenerating.

This was different from Sophie’s healing, and it also differed from what Chun Sungjae had done.

The stadium, which had been filled with moans and wails of pain, suddenly became full of cheers.

“I’m healed!”

“I’m saved!”

The grief-stricken cries changed into joy-filled cries.

“Whose power was it?”

“Do you need to ask?”

They immediately looked at Sophie.

“It must be the Saintess!”

“Saintess!”

Sophie flinched at their gazes. She shook. Suddenly, she had a sense of déjà vu. The situation made her wonder when something like that had happened, but she soon realized it.

It had been when the Zodiac Saints had exited the Devil’s tower. At that time, the reporters had acted the same way. They had attributed Lee Gun’s achievements to them, the twelve Zodiac Saints. At the time, the Zodiac Saints hadn’t made a fuss, as they had gone along with it.

“Saintess! Thank you very much!”

The frightened Sophie knew this couldn’t happen, so she yelled, “N-No! It wasn’t me!!!”

At Sophie’s strong denial, everyone laughed.

“No way...”

“You are being too modest.”

“No. it really wasn’t me!”

“Saintess huzza...!”

[How impudent!]

“!!”

A powerful light descended above Sophie’s head. The crowd quickly realized who this light belonged to.

‘The Aquarius!’

To be precise, it wasn’t the Aquarius, who Lee Gun had killed. It was Iaso, who Lee Gun had made the new Zodiac.

At the same time, she was the one who ordered around Sophie under Lee Gun’s orders.

The crowd immediately got on their knees when a holy god made her appearance. Zodiacs were great beings they didn’t dare look at.

“God, thank you very—”

[How dare you speak such irresponsible words! This great power belongs to the Serpent Bearer! It belongs to Lee Gun!]

This revelation shocked the crowd.

“Serpent Bearer? Lee Gun?”

“Is that really true?”

Sophie nodded, looking like she wanted to cry.

The sounds of dumbfounded exclamations reverberated in the surroundings.

“See! I told you guys! If it’s a green light, it’s Lee Gun!”

“I know, but I never expected him to be better than the healing-type temple...!”

“Uh? Does that mean the Saintess lied again?”

Sophie almost screamed. “No. I said it wasn’t me this time...!”

“Wow! The fact that you stole credit for Red Eye wasn’t enough? You tried to steal Lee Gun-nim’s achievement again...!”

Labeled as the boy who cried wolf, Sophie felt aggrieved.

‘I said it wasn’t me this time!’

Of course, she could say nothing since she had wronged Lee Gun in the past.

At the same time, the Ten Stars who followed their respective Zodiac Saints were shocked. The Aquarius disciples felt their pride hurt.

However, another surprising thing happened then.

“The central control room contacted us!”

“The damaged suspension mechanism of the castle has regenerated!”

“!!”

* * *

[Holy ground’s special attribute has been activated.]

[Super Regeneration (S) has leveled up to Super Regeneration (SS).]

[Super Regeneration (S)]

– For 180 seconds, magical energy is consumed, and all damaged bodies will be super regenerated to a healthy state.

– Regenerate one Living Being or Inanimate Object

– Caution. It is not usable if Divine Status dips below 30%

▶

[Super Regeneration (SS)]

– There is no Time Restriction as Magical energy and Contribution is consumed. All damaged bodies will be super regenerated to a healthy state.

– Regenerate Living Beings, Inorganic Objects, and Space within the appointed domain.

– Caution. It is not usable if Divine Status dips below 30.

[Super Regeneration (SS) has been activated.]

[The flying castle has recovered.]

[The suspension mechanism has recovered.]

[An unknown high-rank god from the pantheon has become interested in the Serpent Bearer’s ability.]

Lee Gun’s eyes turned round at the notification.

‘Unknown high-rank god?’

He didn’t think it was a Zodiac.

At that moment, the plummeting flying castle suddenly decreased its speed. Then, it started to right itself.

Doo-oong!

The people became surprised after the castle was no longer tilted.

“We stopped...!”

Stevens looked at Lee Gun as if he was seeing a monster.

However, Lee Gun didn’t pay attention to him, all because of the notifications.

[Drachma has been designated as the Serpent Bearer’s holy ground.]

[If you designate it with a name, it will fully become the holy ground of the Serpent Bearer.]

[What name would you like to designate it?]

“Floaty....”

Lee Gun was about to completely designate it as his holy ground when...

Boom!!

An enormous sound rang out, as if the sky was falling. This made everyone, including Lee Gun, sway on their feet.

“Koohk...!”

Lee Gun furrowed his brows when he saw the light falling from the sky.

[The Zodiacs are angry.]

Drachma was a communal area, so it was easier for the Zodiacs to view this place. Moreover, this place was a neutral location jointly created by the Zodiacs. It was a strict place where even the Zodiacs weren’t allowed to use their powers.

[The declaration to make the communal area your own is a provocation and an act of war.]

[They say the Serpent Bearer has ignored the pact of the Zodiacs.]

[The Virgo says it isn’t just the twelve 12 Zodiacs. Drachma is involved in an important pact for the divine world.]

Lee Gun furrowed his brows at those words. He didn’t know the exact details, but this castle was the land of the gods. It was related to the pantheon. However...

“If you don’t like it, why don’t you rescue the people in here?”

The Zodiacs flinched at those words.

[The Zodiacs understand the Serpent Bearer’s intentions.]

[They will help from now on. Since the humans within the castle are alive now, they ask you to retract the holy ground designation.]

Lee Gun’s expression said that they were talking nonsense. “I don’t want to. This is neutral land. I’m the thirteenth, and I never made that pack. It’s first come, first served.”

Those words caused the Drachma to shake violently. It was a castle where the twelve Zodiacs had made a joint pact. Their power surged forth from within.

[Warning! The power of the Zodiacs is threatening the Serpent Bearer.]

[The Capricorn is angry. It says it didn’t build this castle to hand it over to you.]

Lee Gun smirked when he saw the Zodiacs’ attacks coming from the sky. Attacks like this didn’t matter. His affiliate Zodiacs would block it. But...

[The Sagittarius sends an attack toward the Serpent Bearer.]

“!!”

One of the attacks flying toward him was a fire pillar.

[The Sagittarius says the Serpent Bearer is in the wrong this time.]

[Despite being an affiliate, he says this cannot happen.]

Lee Gun got angry. “Hey, you better shut up, or I’m not going to fix what is dead.”

The fire pillar, which had been flying toward him, stopped.

[The Sagittarius praises the great Serpent Bearer, saying the Drachma is yours.]

The fire pillar started attacking the other Zodiacs.

Kwahng! Kwahng!

Pandemonium broke out around Drachma. Fire pillars, water pillars, ice pillars, and other pillars flew in the sky. The power of the gods violently clashed against each other.

The Virgo neither helped Lee Gun nor attacked the other Zodiacs.

[The Zodiacs are angry. They ask if the Sagittarius has lost its mind.]

[The Sagittarius says, “You guys are the crazy ones.”]

[The Sagittarius is angry, saying how dare they touch the personal vehicle of the Serpent Bearer.]

[The pissed-off Zodiacs have also declared war on the Sagittarius temple.]

[The Pisces threatens the Sagittarius, saying it will destroy everything the Sagittarius is in charge of.]

[The Sagittarius reacts in anger]

[The Sagittarius dares it to do so. He says the only ones fighting are his Zodiac Saint and the Zodiac Saint’s children.]

Lee Gun wondered if Hugo had been asked about the decision, but the declaration of war had been made.

[Drachma has been designated as the holy ground of the Serpent Bearer. The process is complete.]

[Floaty!]

Drachma’s designation as a holy ground succeeded thanks to the Sagittarius.

Lee Gun laughed as if he didn’t like the design of the Drachma, which the Capricorn had created. “I’ll completely break this castle down and remake it.”

Lee Gun had snatched away Drachma by designating it as his holy ground. The Zodiacs were about to express their great anger when...

Koo-goo-goong!

“!”

The floating castle suddenly started to plummet. The disciples screamed from the shock.

“Ahhhk!”

Lee Gun quickly looked below the castle. A black strand was pulling the island-shaped Drachma toward the ocean.

At this point, it seemed the monarch would physically make them into fish food.

The floating castle plummeted at a crazy speed.

Koo-goo-goong!

In a flash, they went past the clouds of the troposphere, and the black ocean came into view.

[Warning! Abyss is aiming for its prey.]

[The servants of Abyss are gathering.]

Lee Gun laughed as he lifted Heaven’s Punishment. It seemed the matter would be over quickest if he got rid of the main instigator.

‘I prefer this.’

It was as if the two Divine statuses reacted to his thoughts.

[“Death” is excited, saying it should be used for such work.]

[“Death” says it wants to make them into sashimi.]

[“Life” says that’ll be too annoying. It suggests boiling the ocean itself.]

[“Life” says being boiled alive is the best type of pain]

They were around four thousand meters from the ocean!

Stevens emitted a golden light as he summoned his golden armor. “Shit! We are falling into the ocean! Get ready!”

“Yes. We will immediately rent the Pisces’s skill— What the hell!”

“What’s wrong?”

Goat looked at his badge, which was shaped like a wristwatch, and his face turned pale. “The Pisces declined to rent the Ocean Walk skill!”

“What!”

“Aside from those belonging to certain temples, it doesn’t care if we fall into the ocean!”

Lee Gun laughed in derision. It seemed this was how they were going to do this. So, he activated his skill.