Chapter 424 - That's a bit... (2)

Lee Gun was flabbergasted.

‘How come I have only wackos around me?’

After beating down Stevens, he became serious. Of all the people to fall for, why did Stevens have to fall for the goddess of fate, who had taken on his appearance?

Lee Gun’s eyebrows rose. “The only normal person is me.”

Kevin, who had brought Stevens, was dumbfounded. What? He was a normal person? “Where is your conscience?”

“What?”

“Because of your antics, normal people avoid you.”

Lee Gun looked at Kevin, dumbfounded. “Among the Zodiac Saints, you were the most abnormal one.”

“What do you mean? I’m the most normal one!”

“No, I’m the most normal one!”

The Constructs were sweating as they listened to the conversation.

[Both of them aren’t normal in any way!]

Oblivious to all of this, Stevens stood back up, bleeding from his head. “Oh! I fell for you at first sight. Please marry me...!”

Stevens once again tried to approach the goddess of fate. It looked like he would pick the stars out of the sky if she asked for it.

Lee Gun once again picked up his ax.

Virgo, who had accompanied Kevin, burst out laughing.

[Marry... He wants to marry her...!]

Kevin left behind Virgo, who was dying from mirth, and approached Stevens. It seemed Kevin took pity on Stevens since it was a misunderstanding. Or maybe he found it embarrassing that a fellow Zodiac Saint was acting this way.

“Hey, cat. Do you even know who she is?” Kevin wanted to know if Stevens was acting this way despite knowing the identity of the goddess.

It was unclear if Stevens understood what was being asked, but his eyes flashed seriously. “Race doesn’t matter!! I don’t care if she is a god!”

“No. Look closely at her face.”

“What about her face? Her face is more beautiful than the stars in the sky!”

“That’s the female version of Lee Gun.”

“...?”

“It happened because of the Archer Saint’s skill... Anyway, she’s the female version of Lee Gun, idiot!”

Steven looked back and forth between Lee Gun and the goddess of fate. Then he screamed. At first glance, he hadn’t realized it, but once he compared them, they did look similar. “Ahhk! No way!! How? Why? Do you have a younger sister by any chance?”

Lee Gun grabbed the back of his neck as if he was having a headache. He then ordered the goddess of fate, “It’s fine. Just kill him. This will be faster if we grind him up and use him as an ingredient.”

[I will do as ordered.]

The goddess of fate summoned her weapon. The weapon’s handle was as long as a spear, and its ax blade almost looked like a disc. This was a weapon Lee Gun had gifted to her.

The goddess immediately rushed Stevens as if she wanted to get rid of him.

Since Hugo’s “Idolization Skill” was placed on her, she looked exactly like Lee Gun when she swung her ax.

Stevens screamed. The ruthless ax violently flew toward him. It drew an arc as if it wanted to decapitate Stevens.

However, Stevens was having a mental breakdown for an entirely different reason.

‘What the hell?’

Something was off. The way she was using the weapon was similar to Lee Gun’s moves. She attacked in an annoyingly risky manner, yet there was no opening that could be exploited. It was the annoying attack movement of Lee Gun, yet...

‘What is this? Normally, Lee Gun looks like an asshole to me.’

“But why? Why does she look so cute and pretty— Ahhhk!!”

In the end, Stevens was defeated by the goddess of fate. He didn’t even put up a fight; he was powerless in front of his opponent’s beautiful attacks.

After being defeated, Stevens pounded the ground as if he was upset. “Koo-oohk. That isn’t Lee Gun!”

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

“Yes. She’s not me.”

“That is... Lee Gun’s daughter!!!”

Instead of giving a reply, Lee Gun swung Fetters of the Underworld.

Bbah-gahk!!!

“You finally let go of your sanity.”

“Koo-oohk... No, I was wrong... It is your daughter...son...your wife... No...”

“It seems you are denying reality...”

Kevin pitifully looked at the bleeding Stevens.

However, Lee Gun had benefited from this current situation.

[Leo Saint’s Faith toward the Serpent Bearer has increased.]

[Your Divine power is being refilled.]

[Current Divine Power: 65%]

Lee Gun’s eyebrows rose. He ordered the goddess of fate to do something.

The goddess of fate went to the fallen Stevens. She patted his back, and something surprising happened.

[Faith is rising.]

[Divine power is refilling.]

[Current Divine power: 70%]

[Current Divine power: 80%]

...

[Current Divine power: 100%]

“That is good enough. Kill him.”

The goddess of fate didn’t hesitate as she swung her ax.

Poo-hahk

Lee Gun dusted off his hands as he turned around. He had been lacking a vast quantity of Divine power, and this was a boon that allowed him to fully refill it.

Flash! Flash!

“!”

It was right on time as the sound of teleports rang in various locations.

The Zodiac Saints who had been dragged to the Divine world and the deputies of the Zodiac Saints protecting the earth appeared. They appeared alongside the main combatants of each temple.

“Lee Gun-nim!”

“Is it true that you are gathering the officers from all the temples?”

They all belonged to the thirteen Zodiac temples, and they ranged from the A rank to the SS rank, numbering in the hundreds.

The ones who had guided them were Chun Sungjae and Chun Yooha. All the six humans who had been dragged away to the Divine world were present here.

Soon, the S-rank generals lowered their heads as they walked on eggshells.

“We did as you asked. The others are on standby in each region.”

“The whole world is waiting for your orders, Lee Gun-nim.”

Lee Gun’s eyes flashed. “As your owner, I command you to come out.”

“!”

As if it was a response to the voice of a Great Spirit, the symbol of the Serpent Bearer temple appeared at various locations on the floor.

The ones to emerge were the six pillar rank gods who he had rescued from prison.

Koo-goo-goong!

The mouths of the disciples fell open when they felt the enormous power and pressure.

“Z...Zodiacs?!”

The disciples were shocked by the enormous power.

The twelve Zodiacs whom they served, as well as the monsters they had encountered on the earth, couldn’t be compared to these six gods.

The more surprising part was that they had lowered their heads toward Lee Gun.

‘What did Lee Gun-nim do during his time away...!’

Lee Gun ignored the disciples as he said, “I want to fill the empty seats of the twelve Zodiacs. It’ll allow you guys to use the power of the disciples on the earth.”

[That shouldn’t be too difficult—]

“Ah. I’m not saying you guys should become the twelve Zodiacs.”

[Excuse me?]

“I selected them to be the Zodiacs. I want you guys to support them.”

[...???]

“??!”

The SS-ranks pointed out by Lee Gun screamed.

“You want us to do the work of Zodiacs?!”

They were the six humans who had been mistaken as Zodiacs thanks to Lee Gun’s designation. They had been wrongfully dragged away to the Divine world.

Carly, Lee Jaewon, and Goat looked at Lee Gun, dumbfounded.

“Lee Gun-nim! This is way too sudden!”

“Lee Gun-nim!”

“It’s fine. I no longer trust gods.”

“!”

“Earth doesn’t need gods. That’s why you should do the work of the Zodiacs as well as the Zodiac Saints. Moreover, you guys developed Divine statuses, so you are qualified.”

“But...!!”

“Since you guys are low-rank gods, you will be lacking in Divine power... That is why I summoned them. They will provide magical energy for you.”

The summoned Zodiacs realized what Lee Gun was saying. Their faces turned pale as they froze.

[M...master. That means...]

[You are asking us to become magical batteries for each temple...!]

“Yes. You guys can be underl— batteries. The temples will be managed mostly by them, so just follow their orders.”

The gods had thought they would be able to become part of the twelve Zodiacs. They despaired.

It was understandable since Lee Gun had summoned the highest-ranked gods amongst the pillar-rank gods. Yet, he had asked them to become mere batteries for magical energy....!

Carly had already been fulfilling the dual role for the Libra temple. However, Goat and Lee Jaewon looked conflicted as they had to take on the role of Zodiac and Zodiac Saint for the Taurus temple and Cancer temple, respectively.

They were part of the Sagittarius temple, and this wasn’t the Serpent Bearer temple, either. They used to be enemy temples...!

“Will the new Zodiac Saints stand for this...?”

“I don't care if they approve it or not. If they don’t cooperate, you guys can kill them all.”

“...!”

It might sound excessive, but they agreed with Lee Gun’s opinion. They could no longer trust the gods.

‘They think of humans as slaves of a colony.’

“Anyway, the Great Spirits and the other gods have hidden inside the earth. They want to NTR our disciples. That’s why you guys should spread out and search for them.”

Lee Gun furrowed his brow.

The gods, who lost their source of power, planned to steal residents of the earth for themselves. However, it would not be easy.

‘There is no way they'll be able to raise their Faith.’

The twelve Zodiacs of the earth had taken twenty years to cultivate their system. So there was only one way the outsider gods could steal Faith from the residents here.

‘They could do it either through fear or brainwashing.’

The existing Zodiacs had used the monsters to instill fear in humans. The Great Spirits and their gods wouldn’t act too differently.

Basically, something on par with the monsters would make an appearance. This was why Lee Gun had placed trustworthy people in the role of Zodiacs and Zodiac Saints.

It was also why he had quickly gathered the disciples here.

‘If the faith of humanity heads toward them instead of me, it’ll be the end of us.’

Faith represented the power of a god.

Lee Gun’s enemies were weakened right now because they couldn’t receive Faith. If people’s Faith toward him fell, Lee Gun wouldn’t be able to use his power as well.

“Take this to heart. If we mess up, the earth will be taken from us.”

“Understood.”

They lowered their heads, but they soon tilted their heads in puzzlement.

“By the way...”

“What?”

“Why is Hugo-nim not present in such a situation?”

“!”

The existing Zodiac Saints as well as the SS-ranks were present here. The officers who were the greatest awakened beings on the earth were all here.

That was why Hugo’s disappearance was odd.

The question caused a great stir amongst the people, and Virgo glanced at her subordinates. The Virgo Constructs, who had chased after Hugo, looked anxious.

[W...We tried to stop him, but in the end, he went to the monarchs.]

[He went to the first-generation monarch Wind....]

[Also....]

They glanced at Lee Gun.

Lee Gun’s eyebrows rose. “Speak.”

[He... he said he’s the enemy of humanity... He said you should do whatever you want...]

[He didn’t merely end his relationship with Baby snake-nim. He ended it with humanity too...]

Shocked, everyone looked at Lee Gun.

“What the hell!”

“Why would Dad say that?!”

“Why would Hugo-nim do that!!”

These words caused a commotion, and the Zodiac Saints couldn’t keep their mouths shut. On the other hand, the Zodiacs, the Constructs, and Kevin merely clicked their tongues.

[As expected, he revealed his true self.]

“I knew this would happen....”

Kevin looked like he had a headache as he spoke to Lee Gun. “I told you so. He can't be trusted. You should have gotten rid of him before his true nature came out.”

Yooha and Sungjae were frozen. They looked at Kevin for an explanation.

Soon, Kevin whispered to them, “He’s a monarch and a slaughterer. When Aslan survived, he was unable to free himself from the restrictions placed on him by the Creators. When he did free himself, he went on a rampage where he killed the gods.”

Kevin had been swept up in that fight as well, and he had been slaughtered by Eternal Change.

“Eternal Change will bring his comrades to feast on us. Preys are in abundance in this place. Also...”

He whispered to Lee Gun, “He’ll use his siblings to try to kill you. He can’t kill you himself since the restriction remains. He’ll truly gain his freedom once he ends the line of Creators once and for all.”

Lee Gun had no expression on his face. He scoffed as if he wasn’t worried about Hugo. He hadn’t laughed even once when Hugo’s name was mentioned. “It’s fine. If they invade, I’ll kill them all.”

Koo-goo-goong!

At that moment, an earthquake suddenly erupted.

[The Goddess of Fate has used the Rule Book.]

[The Rule Book is being used under the orders of Valhalla’s Great Spirit.]

[The great power of the Rule Book is starting to change the laws of the universe]

Everyone screamed. The ground split as the earth surged upward. Light erupted into the sky. It was like a cataclysmic event.

[The goddess has used the Rule Book to change a universal rule.]

[The Divine world and the colony earth are being combined.]

[All gods will be summoned to the earth.]

It seemed the hidden Great Spirit had used the Rule Book.

The situation surprised the Zodiacs.

“The Divine world and the earth...!”

“They were combined...!”

Landmarks and buildings that could be seen in only the Divine world appeared in heaven and earth.

This was clearly the doing of the Great Spirits, which surprised the Zodiacs.

[How will they handle this much Karmic debt...!]

[Even the Great Spirits would become evil gods with this...!]

It didn’t end there.

Kwahng!!!

An unfamiliar shadow appeared in front of them. The Great Spirit of Kunlun laughed as if he found this unexpected.

Another Great Spirit had appeared before them.

[The one who was asleep has appeared]

Lee Gun feigned laughter when he saw the Great Spirit’s face. “Junwoo?”

Yes, a familiar face had appeared.

Everyone looked at Lee Gun in surprise, but Lee Gun took out his weapon in anger.

“Lee Gun-nim?”

“It’s fine. You guys chase after the goddess of fate. Destroy the Rule Book first.”

“What about you, Lee Gun-nim?”

“I’ll take care of those bastards.”

Lee Gun took off the rings, which were sealing his power.