Chapter 417 - Are they useful? (3)

Lee Gun took out the Divine item of Death.

Everyone’s eyes turned round when they saw the item.

“What the hell is that? Is it an item?”

“It can’t be a weapon... Right?”

It was an item made out of black steel, and it looked closer to a manufacturing instrument.

“Isn’t that a tong?”

Yes, his Divine item of Death was unexpectedly shaped like blacksmith tongs. It was a pincer-shaped tool that one used to grab or anchor hot iron. However, it was far from normal looking.

“Why the hell is it so big?”

The handles were twice as long as the legs of an adult male. It was also very thick and looked brutal.

“He can extract a monster’s tooth with that thing!”

No, if he did that, it would be the least of their problems.

The humans who knew Lee Gun’s personality started to sweat, and their gazes headed toward the gods.

Lee Gun ignored them as he infused the tongs with his power.

[Fetters of the Underworld (ex)]

- Manufacturer: Lee Gun

- Divine Item of Death (Tongs)

- Implement of punishment made through the soul of a Creator

- It can be used as a manufacturing tool

Immense power gathered around the tongs. As this power spread, the gods were surprised. It was because the Divine power they had felt was comparable to that of a Great Spirit.

The gods of Valhalla tried to stop Lee Gun from using his Divine item.

‘That brat...’

Did he think that he could catch up to the power of the Great Spirits because he had killed some gods and made a useful Divine item?!

The gods attacked Lee Gun. They weren’t even going to let Lee Gun have the opportunity to use his power.

Hweek!

However, Lee Gun suddenly disappeared from the top of the pillar. He reappeared above the ground!

Puhng!

Puhng puhng puhng!

The gods sent indiscriminate attacks toward him, yet he was unfazed.

Pahng!

Lee Gun landed lightly on the ground and dodged the attacks.

The war gods chased after him, but they couldn’t catch up with him.

“Koohk! As expected of a god with the attribute of the fighting-type god...!”

“He is too fast— Kuh-huhk!!’

The fighting-type gods had reached the zenith amongst the countless war gods! They were the strongest war gods! Most war gods didn’t even stand a chance against them.

“Over there! Chase after him!”

“I got him... Damn it!”

He left the gods in the dust as he dodged their attacks. Then black flames dispersed from his moving body.

After he had changed into his stage six form, black flames spanned his body. Half of his body was covered in black flames. It was an ominous, never-seen-before black.

In the plains, Lee Gun was the only one burning up in flames.

The gods gulped at this sight.

‘His appearance... He is small, but he looks very much like a Great Spirit!’

The Great Spirits had a symbolic form. They appeared in a humanoid form. Depending on their inclination, the color and the shape of their power varied. However, each of them had a different form where they appeared as giants.

The Great Spirit of Ennead, Wheel of Fire, was a giant made of red flames. The Great Spirit of Olympus, Lord of the Sky, was a giant made of blue lightning. Valhalla’s Great Spirit, Lord of Heaven, was a giant made of purple gas. The Great Spirit of Light, Lord of Light, was a giant made of light.

Only the Great Spirits could take such forms!

‘Him!’

The captured Zodiacs were also surprised.

Aside from the eight Great spirits, no gods could take such forms.

The gods felt differently. Although Lee Gun was not as large as the Great Spirits, the god felt a feeling of awe and displeasure.

“Strip that appearance off him!”

However, Lee Gun flew into the sky as if he was mocking them. He activated the Divine item of Death.

Flash!

When Lee Gun tapped the tongs on his palm, an enormous explosion erupted.

Pah-ahng!!!

Enormous spheres of black flame appeared in various locations on the ground.

Kwahng!! Kwahng!

Each explosion had a radius of several hundred kilometers. The explosions engulfed all the gods, and screams rang out.

“Ahhhk!!”

Any god swept up in the explosions instantly perished.

When the black flames dissipated, numerous gems of light fell to the ground. They were all Divine statuses.

This shocked the remaining gods.

“He’s the god of death, and...!”

“Is that an offensive area-of-effect Divine item?”

It was very likely. This Divine item used the Divine status of Death.

Moreover, the advantages that the Zodiacs enjoyed grew larger when they acquired a Divine item.

The Divine item allowed them to drag out more of their abilities. It also allowed them to use their power better, making up for their shortcomings.

Once Lee Gun used the Divine item of Death, the range and power of his attack were beyond imaginable. However, it also meant there was a corresponding big weakness.

The gods of Valhalla were well aware of that. This was why they looked at the gods on the scaffold as if they wanted to attack them.

However, something surprising happened at that moment.

“Kuhk!”

“Huhk!”

“Ahhk!”

The bound gods of the thirteen Zodiacs as well as the oblivious Zodiac Saints were dispersed.

“Kuhk!”

They were hostages. Valhalla’s gods had purposefully spread them around so that Lee Gun couldn’t use his area-of-effect attack.

The gods of Valhalla then yelled at Lee Gun, “If you shoot indiscriminately, they’ll get swept up in the attack too!”

“Throw away your Divine item, or they will be the first to die.”

The gods of Valhalla extended their hands toward the thirteen Zodiacs and the human Zodiac Saints. Divine power infused with murderous intent appeared in their hands.

The thirteen Zodiacs and the Zodiac Saints screamed.

They were cuffed right now because of the Great Spirit’s power. Their defensive abilities were basically that of regular humans.

Lee Gun merely laughed.

[You can attack. I don’t care.]

“L-Lee Gun-nim!”

“This isn’t a joke!”

The gods of Valhalla sent the attacks toward the hostages. At this distance, if Lee Gun used his Divine item, his allies would die.

Lee Gun waved his Divine item of Death as if he were fluttering a fan. Screams erupted from all directions.

Kwahng! Kwahng! Kwahng!

“Kuh...Kuh-huhk!”

“Kyahhhk!!”

The eyes of the thirteen Zodiacs and the Zodiac Saints turned round. It didn’t matter which direction. The gods of Valhalla rose into the air and became meat shields for them.

It was as if the nearby gods were being pulled by a magnetic force. The gods gathered around the thirteen Zodiacs and the Zodiac Saints. That wasn’t all.

“H-Hugo-nim?!!”

Hugo appeared before Lee Jaewon as a meat shield.

The gods’ attacks hit Hugo instead of Lee Jaewon, and he vomited blood.

“Lee Gun... You son of a...!”

“Hugo-nim!!”

Everyone looked at Lee Gun, wanting to know what was going on.

Lee Gun laughed like a fox as he spoke.

[Heaven’s Punishment is a weapon where one has to die for ten thousand to be revived.]

“!”

[Also, Fetters of the Underworld is a weapon where ten thousand have to be killed for one to be saved.]

Lee Gun held up the tongs as he let out a menacing laugh.

[Do you realize what this ability entails now?]

In other words, the name was befitting of what it did. To save one, it ruthlessly turned others into shields and killed them.

In truth, Heaven’s Punishment had killed countless monsters to save the lives of humanity. It was a weapon for slaughter.

However, the Divine item of Death was an implement used for shackling beings. No one could run away from Death. Anyone caught by the item had their bodies and souls shackled.

As proof of this, Lee Gun raised the Fetters of the Underworld, and something surprising happened.

“T...The gods...!”

The gods who had become meat shields moved according to his hand gestures as if something unseen was moving them around.

The Divine item of Death had the attractive force of gravity, a repulsive force, and the power to bind others. It was a tool that could capture its opponent. It had dominion over their death itself.

The gods of Valhalla had been lifted and tossed toward the direction in which Lee Gun had thrown his Divine item.

Kwahng! Kwahng!

“Ooh-ahhk!”

“Kuh-huhk!”

They flew like a cannonball. After colliding with the nearby buildings, they fell to the ground with grave injuries.

The Great Spirit of Valhalla’s eyebrows rose as he observed this.

[How pathetic.]

He slammed his cane on the ground. Enormous black holes formed beneath the scattered thirteen Zodiacs and the Zodiac Saints.

He had created more execution grounds. Just falling into these holes would kill them. Everyone was in free fall as they started falling toward the holes.

“Ahhk!”

“Kyahhk!”

At that moment, Lee Gun’s eyes flashed as he swung Fetters of the Underworld. A powerful attractive force pulled all of them toward Lee Gun.

Kwahng! Kwahng!

“Kuhk!”

“Kuh-huhk!!”

They all flew toward Lee Gun’s side as they slammed into the ground.

Jun, the Divine status of Death, showed up. He used his scythe-like hands to cut and destroy the cube-shaped cuffs.

After getting rid of the cuffs, Jun jumped around in joy. “This is great! It’s a success! Master is mine with this!”

“Hey, who told you to become unruly like this?” Lee Gun tapped Jun’s head with the Divine item of Death.

Soon, Jun sniffled as he destroyed the holes being used as execution grounds. Just this act showed his incredible power.

[You won’t be able to execute anyone with this.]

Valhalla’s Great Spirit scoffed at this.

[They aren’t the only ones who were captured.]

Then, familiar faces appeared in front of Valhalla’s Great Spirit.

“Koo-oohk...! Master!”

“I...I’m sorry!”

They were Eeny, Meeny, and the others. They were Lee Gun’s original Constructs, who were left behind in Scorpio’s holy ground.

They were bloodied and close to death. Some looked to be already dead.

When the Great Spirit of Valhalla had captured the thirteen Zodiacs, it seemed they had also been swept up in this matter. They had put up a fight.

However, Lee Gun laughed as he looked at his Constructs. “I said it before. One can save ten thousand.”

Heaven’s Punishment was instantly summoned. Lee Gun took a big swing with his ax. He used the long shaft like a spear and drew a semicircle with it.

Suh-guhk!

Lee Gun then decapitated a giant, who had been sneaking up on him from the back. Something surprising happened the next moment.

“...!!”

Was it because of the power of Heaven’s Punishment? As soon as the giant god died, the power of Light erupted from the weakened Constructs.

[The power of revival is being applied.]

[The power to increase stamina has been applied.]

[All their Divine Power has been restored.]

This surprised everyone.

On the other hand, Lee Gun looked at Valhalla's Great Spirit with contempt.

[I know you purposefully let me use my abilities.]

“!”

Lee Gun knew why Valhalla’s Great Spirit was standing still.

[I can see what you are trying to do. Don’t even think about trying to collect my abilities with your eye. You can’t take them.]

[!]

Yes, Valhalla’s Great Spirit had allowed Lee Gun to do as he pleased for a reason. He could take any god’s power that fell within his field of vision.

It seemed he had planned to steal the abilities used by Lee Gun. This should be expected of a god who collected all knowledge and abilities.

In the end, Valhalla’s Great Spirit feigned laughter.

[Mimir told you.]

He finally started moving.

[You must think you are something because you were able to rescue the prisoners from Hel.]

When he moved, thousands of Valhalla’s gods followed.

[In front of countless stars, you’re merely like the glow of a firefly.]

At that moment...

[It’s all done, Master.]

Lee Gun heard a voice in his ear. He smirked as if he had been waiting for this. He spoke in a low voice.

[Come out.]

As if it were responding to his voice, the ground started to shake.

Koo-goo-goong!

The gods flinched.

Flash! Flash! Flash!

Gods were being summoned into the vast land as if they were responding to his call. There were thousands of them. It truly was a banquet of light.

“...!!”

The gods were unable to shut their mouths when they saw the familiar faces.

The newcomers weren’t just the gods who had been prisoners in Valhalla. They were all the Constructs of the Serpent Bearer temple who had been imprisoned by the eight great forces. They were the gods recovered by the Constructs who Lee Gun had rescued from Valhalla.

[Master of the Blue Sky is following the new Serpent Bearer.]

[Master of the Scenery is following the new Serpent Bearer.]

...

[Master of the Sword Light is following the new Serpent Bearer.]

Countless gods, including high-rank gods, appeared when Lee Gun called for them. The light they emitted instantly dyed the land. This wasn’t like the glow of fireflies.

Along with this, changes also occurred to Lee Gun’s body.

Flash!

Lee Gun stood at the center of the countless lights, and his power surged forth unlike before; it was the light of a Great Spirit!

Then something surprising happened.

Hwa-roo-roohk!!

The black flames covering half of his body now covered his entire body, and Lee Gun’s body also changed in size.

Flash!

The gods couldn’t believe their eyes.

Lee Gun had transformed into an enormous giant, and he was the same size as Valhalla’s Great Spirit.

“That appearance...!”

“N-No way!”

The gods were speechless. It was the appearance of a Great Spirit!

He was the ninth Great Spirit. The ninth great force had been revived.