Chapter 430 - Karmic Debt (4)

[You have used Time’s “Fast Forward.”]

A light exploded forth.

Since Lee Gun had used the power of Time, the power of Maintain used by Mahabharata’s Great Spirit faltered.

[Time is suppressing Maintain.]

[Maintain has been broken, and the memories have been recovered.]

Sagittarius recalled his past. He used to be Galan, Aslan’s older half-brother, and he was born as the eldest son of the chief of the Creators. Yet he was never accepted into the tribe. He now recalled why.

- I hate you, son. If only you had the ability of a Creator, she wouldn’t have left me.

- What? Are you saying I caused all of this?

- Yes! With this, I am a full-fledged member of the Creators!

Galan had been popular, and he enjoyed a great reputation. He had everything except one thing; he didn’t have the Creation ability, so the Creators treated him as an outsider.

However, he just hadn’t manifested his ability. When he realized he possessed the Transfer ability, he had been elated.

Like his father and younger brother, he would be able to join their tribe. However, he was back to square one when he found out that his ability was “Steal.” No, he was treated more like an outsider compared to before.

Moreover, they always made comments that his genius younger brother had a good ability. Galan hadn’t been sure if they were trying to console him or make fun of him by doing so.

However, some thought highly of Galan’s ability.

- I heard you are a very talented Creator.

They were the Great Spirits.

- Your ability is peerless. It’s something no one else can do.

As the word “Steal” implied, Galan could steal Ability, Attack, Thoughts, and Divine status. He could even take out and transfer a fetus.

It didn’t matter what his target was. He could take out whatever his target possessed and move it from point A to point B.

However, his father and the Creators called the ability useless and something that should’ve never existed.

The Great Spirits thought differently.

- I want to buy an item containing your ability.

Beings who stood at the zenith of the Divine world were paying close attention to him. Galan thought his name would become known, and his road to success would be opened.

Of course, he would also be well compensated. The Great Spirits had offered an exorbitant amount of price for a Divine item containing the Steal ability. However, he chose not to sell it in the end.

- I haven’t made any items. I am a novice who can’t even call myself a craftsman.

Galan knew his ability could be used dangerously. He might hate his father, but he also understood why his father had forbidden him from using that ability.

That was why he dismantled all the items that he had made. He had made them because he wanted to be accepted by the Creators.

In the end, he chose to walk the path of a war god.

- You must never use your ability again, Galan!

He had chosen to use it once more for the last time. He had used it to save Life. However, his father was displeased with him.

- I... I just...

He had taken out a disease to save Life. That was all he did. He had thought his father would be happy when he learned of his actions.

- Get out. Never mention that you are part of our tribe. Never mention that you are my son.

In the end, Galan didn’t even look back as he left.

As he was wallowing in his rage and sadness, Galan coincidentally ran across Ennead’s Great Spirit, Valhalla’s Great Spirit, and Olympus’s Great Spirit at the time.

- Do you hate your father?

A light appeared at the fingertips of the Great Spirits, and irrational anger surged inside Galan.

In the end, he cooperated with beings who hated his tribe. He helped them kill his parents and the Creators.

After wiping out the tribe, Galan saved a single survivor in Aslan. Assuming Aslan was too young to remember what had happened, he placed him on the throne of the Serpent Bearer temple. Galan used his younger brother as a front to act like Creators.

In the end, he and the other Zodiacs were murdered by their own Constructs in the same way.

That had been Galan’s life.

Having regained his memories, Sagittarius screamed.

Flash!

When Sagittarius let out a familiar energy, the Constructs were surprised.

[That’s the energy of a Creator...!]

Lee Gun smirked as if he had sprung a trap. For some unknown reason, the Great Spirits were wary of Sagittarius. To be precise, it wasn’t Sagittarius. They were wary of his original personality of Galan.

Of course, Sagittarius had started to regain the memories of Galan only recently. This was why the Great Spirits hadn’t been able to recognize him earlier. Otherwise, they would have taken care of him much earlier.

It wasn’t still a certainty, but what if Sagittarius was involved in the Karmic Debt transfer? The fact that they had spared him would now be a boon for the other side.

The eyes of Babylon’s Great Spirit flashed.

[That bastard...!]

This situation was the worst for them.

Babylon’s Great Spirit instantly closed the distance and lashed out with an attack.

The disciples’ eyes turned round. The Great Spirit was moving differently from before!

From the outside, he looked injured, but his movement was markedly different from that of the other Great Spirits.

“What the hell? Why is he unaffected?!”

It was as if he was the only one who hadn’t been attacked by the monarchs.

However, that question lasted only a moment as the eyes of Babylon’s Great Spirit flashed. The ability of the powerful water god threatened the gods and disciples.

When Lee Gun heard the screams, his eyes flashed. This was his land, and the Great Spirit dared run wild here?

[Fuck off!]

Kwahng!

Lee Gun’s power clashed against the power of Babylon’s Great Spirit.

The ground was destroyed as the extremely strong power of the Fetters of the Underworld caught Babylon’s Great Spirit.

Although Babylon’s Great Spirit was powerful, this place was Lee Gun’s home field.

[Faith toward the Serpent Bearer temple is rising.]

[Your power is being amplified by the power of Faith.]

[Increased toughness. Increased endurance.]

Lee Gun never showed his back to an enemy, and he was a symbol to the humans. This generated power for him.

Babylon’s Great Spirit looked on in contempt as he brought up the ocean waters.

[You are a mere rookie god who hasn’t even developed any internal force!]

It was enough water to submerge entire humanity.

However, all the water suddenly disappeared as if it had been an illusion. The water had been moved to a different location, and only one being could pull this off...

[Bastards... You guys fixed and used the items that I made and dismantled.]

[!]

Babylon’s Great Spirit flinched.

Sagittarius had moved the water to somewhere else and had immediately figured out what the Great Spirits had done.

[You used my item to steal the Karmic Debt and move it to a different place.]

Karmic Debt Transfer

Yes, Galan had made items containing the Steal ability, and the Great Spirits had made great use of them.

While the Great Spirits weren’t able to possess the sixth ability of the Primordial god, Galan’s ability had been used as a useful replacement. This was why they had plotted to steal his dismantled items.

The Great Spirits furrowed their brows as if they had a headache.

[You are merely a “substitute.” How dare you act high and mighty...]

They tried to get rid of Sagittarius, but the sound of something being destroyed rang at that moment.

Clank!

[?!]

Then, something shiny fell from the Great Spirits’ bodies. It was the dust created by broken items.

The Great Spirits were stunned when they realized what had happened.

[Sagittarius! How dare you...!]

Babylon’s Great Spirit glared at Sagittarius.

Lee Gun laughed as if it served them right. “Idiots. Did you think the person who made these items wouldn’t be able to destroy them”

[...!!]

Since he was a craftsman as well, Lee Gun knew what had happened. He laughed buoyantly.

Sagittarius had remotely destroyed the Karmic Debt Transfer items, which contained Galan’s ability.

One’s Divine power was contained within one’s creations. This was why their manufacturer could use their Divine power in reverse to destroy these items.

This was why the Great Spirits had been guarded regarding Galan, the owner of the ability.

[This probably takes care of the Karmic debt.]

Lee Gun smirked when he heard Sagittarius’s words. Then something surprising happened.

Flash!

[!]

He hadn’t let it be shown, but he had been suffering because of the Karmic debt.

Color started returning to Lee Gun’s face. That wasn’t all.

[The Karmic debt will return to where it belongs.]

[Kuh-huhk!!]

The Karmic debt that had been dumped on Lee Gun returned to its original owners, the Great Spirits.

Kwahng!!

This Karmic debt was the consequence of combining the earth with the Divine world and the brainwashing done to steal Faith from Lee Gun.

When the Karmic debt went back, Olympus’s, Babylon’s, and Valhalla’s Great Spirits shrieked.

[Olympus’ Great Spirit is in pain from the Karmic debt. He incurred the debt when using In to brainwash humans.]

[Babylon’s Great Spirit is in pain from the Karmic debt. He incurred the debt when he used Chun to combine the earth and the Divine world.]

[Mahabharata’s Great Spirit is in pain from the Karmic debt. He used Maintain to help them.]

[Pain is headed toward Valhalla’s Great Spirit.]

They vomited blood as if they felt tormented.

While they each received their share of Karmic debt now, Lee Gun had previously taken on all their Karmic debt combined. This surprised them.

‘How was he able to endure this?’

Moreover, he was even able to use his ability in such a state.

‘No way...!’

In the end, the one to succumb to the Karmic debt was Olympus’s Great Spirit. He had suffered the most damage from the monarchs.

[Olympus’s Great Spirit ceases to exist. He can no longer endure the Karmic debt and pain.]

[Master!]

[Koo-oohk...!]

At this rate, they wouldn’t be able to use their power. It would be tough to maintain their consciousness!

Mahabharata’s Great Spirit lost consciousness because he couldn’t endure the pain. His body had already turned into that of a monster.

Everyone fell over except one.

Lee Gun looked at Babylon’s Great Spirit. For some reason, the Great Spirit was laughing despite being invaded by the Karmic debt.

[Do you think this will end by transferring the Karmic debt over to us?]

“!”

[Idiot. You dug your own grave.]

They were the ones on the losing side, so what was this?

Lee Gun wondered why the Great Spirit was speaking such nonsense, but he soon furrowed his brow.

[Eye of the Magical Beast was activated.]

He discovered something on Babylon’s Great Spirit. It was a letter engraved on his arm.

Lee Gun read what he saw to Mimir. Mimir flinched when he heard that language.

[Master...! That letter is...!]

Mimir’s face froze as if this was a grave matter.

Babylon’s Great Spirit smiled.

[That’s right. I made a contract with a monarch.]

“...!”

[My body will be healed even if the Karmic debt returns to me.]

The letter engraved on the arm of Babylon’s Great Spirit was proof of a soul contract made with a monarch. It was an absolute contract where the party that broke the contract would die.

It was unclear, but the Great Spirit seemed to have secretly made a contract with a monarch behind the backs of the other Great Spirits.

This contract allowed him to shrug off any damage to his body. It was why he had been fine earlier even after being attacked by the monarchs. He also didn’t look pressed even after his Karmic debt was returned.

Everyone became vigilant.

[If he’s telling the truth, we are at a disadvantage.!]

[By the look of its shape, there is a high probability it’s a first-gen...]

Everyone was shocked by Mimir’s words

[First-generation? There is no way a Great Spirit would make a contract with Wind!]

‘He hates the Great Spirits more than anyone.’

They were mortal enemies. The Great Spirits had taken Eternal Change and Flame as slaves.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

[That symbol... He made a contract with Eternal Change...!]

“!”

They were shocked for an entirely different reason. Of course, it wasn’t as if they were unable to understand why he made a contract with Eternal Change. Eternal Change could swap out the body when he got injured, and he also could use the Cluders as troops.

‘It’ll allow him to be able to move ahead of the other Great Spirits.’

It seemed Babylon’s Great Spirit had become taken with this idea when he had seen Lee Gun use Abyss.

The Great Spirits of Ennead, Valhalla, and Mahabharata hadn’t gone through the process of inheritance, and the snake god had stolen the power of Cycle.

Babylon’s Great Spirit had realized that if he wanted to obtain all the power of a Primordial god, he needed the help of a third party. He had done it a short while before Hugo had severed his relationship with Lee Gun.

Moreover, Eternal Change was known to be more fickle compared to Wind, but something was off about this.

[Why would Eternal Change make a contract with you...]

[Why else? Eternal Change couldn’t attack the snake god since the Creators placed restrictions on him. He wasn’t able to be free.]

“!”

The cursed restriction placed on Eternal Change was “Suppress the power and instinct to slaughter” and “Absolute Obedience of Orders from Creators.”

The entire Creator tribe had placed the restriction on him. If even one of them was alive, the restriction wouldn’t be released.

[He said that it was causing him a lot of trouble. Instead of joining hands with me, he wanted me to release him from the restriction. So I solved it using the Rule Book.]

Eternal Change wasn’t from his generation, but in the distant past, he had been captured by the Great Spirits.

This was why Babylon’s Great Spirit knew better than anyone what Eternal Change wanted.

The gods and Zodiac Saints were shocked. The Chun siblings tilted their heads in puzzlement since they didn’t know Eternal Change was Hugo. The others started to swear.

[As expected, we can’t trust a Cluder!]

[He may have reincarnated as a human, but his instincts as a Cluder remain.]

[We should have killed him....]

Lee Gun was furrowing his brows when...

“That was the stipulation in the contract? You said you’ll release him from the restriction?”

“!”

Unexpectedly, Aslan burst out laughing.

Babylon’s Great Spirit raised his eyebrows in ill humor.

[What’s so funny?]

“Oh, Great Spirit of Babylon. You are a Great Spirit, yet you were swindled.”

[What?]

Aslan let out a sharp laugh, as if he was implying the Great Spirit should have been more careful in checking the contract.

“I had already released the restriction on Eternal Change when I was young. I did it before he rampaged through the Divine world. He knows this.”

[...!!]

It meant Eternal Change had no reason to make such a contract. He had been free for a very long time.

“If Eternal Change doesn’t need it, why would he make a contract with you?”

The Great Spirit’s expression was a sight to behold. He suddenly got an ominous feeling.

Aslan pointed at the arm of Babylon’s Great Spirit. “Are you sure that the contract made with Eternal Change states it’ll protect your body?”

[...!]

Lee Gun had been holding the Great Spirit in place, and his eyes turned round.

At that moment, a light started emanating from the contract letter engraved into the Great Spirit’s arm. He screamed in pain.

[Eternal Change’s contract has been activated.]

[The body of Babylon’s Great Spirit is being destroyed.]

[The Divine status of Babylon’s Great Spirit is being destroyed.]

[The “Change” ability of Eternal Change has remade the body of the Great Spirit.]

[Babylon’s Great Spirit has lost all sense of self. He has turned into a creature of the Cluders.]

This was the real contract. As if it were clay, the Great Spirit’s body changed into that of a monster.