Around four years ago, Lee Gun had taken in a cat. She was a black kitten with blue eyes. The black cat had been on the verge of dying, but Lee Gun had brought her back to health.

After saving her, Lee Gun raised the cat and treasured her.

“Does kitty like oppa that much? Do you want to grow up and get married to oppa?”

The cat had been shy. She looked oddly different from a normal cat, but Lee Gun didn’t care.

After a close friend had died, Lee Gun had kept his emotions bottled up even from Yeonwoo and Junwoo. During that one of the roughest points in his life, the cat had been his only source of comfort. It had been precious to him.

However, his precious cat had also disappeared after leaving behind a trail of blood. It was unclear if she was dead or not...

Then his younger brother Junwoo, whom he loved very much, had also died.

“Hyung... Don’t cry... I’m fine. It isn’t your fault.”

“I’m sorry! If only I went to get you earlier...!”

No. I wish you wouldn’t cry.”

Junwoo had been killed by monsters.

In truth, those monsters were Pisces and Gemini, who had transformed themselves.

Of course, there was no way Lee Gun knew this at the time.

Then Yeonwoo, who was all he had at that point, had died as well.

Gun. It’s fine. I’m sure people that you really like will come.” Yeonwoo had left behind those words before dying.

Moreover, Lee Gun couldn’t forget the faces he saw as the building burned around him.

“Let go. Are you deaf? Do you realize how busy the Zodiac Saints are?”

“They said they would come...! They told us not to worry....”

“How dare you believe your lives are worth the same as the Zodiac Saints. All of them said they won’t be coming.”

!”

The temples had received massive amounts of public donations from the civilians, yet the disciples had demonically laughed as they spoke.

“If the Zodiac Saints weren’t coming, why did they tell us to evacuate into the building?”

“If the monsters eat people, the responsibility falls on the Zodiac Saints. If the building collapses, the deaths would be counted as an accident.”

“Anyway, let’s head back. We’ll report that this place is empty. We’ll rejoin the Zodiac Saints. They aren’t in Seoul. They already went to the neighboring country. That country is richer than Korea and is offering a staggering amount of money. Moreover, the monsters there are classified under the Caution group, so they are easier to kill than the ones here.”

Lee Gun couldn’t forget their faces and words. Moreover, he remembered what kinds of news reports had been sent out on the next day after his awakening.

[They were holding back the monsters, so they were late.]

[“The traffic delayed us. We were unable to arrive in Seoul in time.”]

[The Zodiacs Saints have expressed their thanks to the mutant awakened being.]

Lee Gun’s heart had changed as much as his face had.

‘They are trash, who wore the mask of heroes.’

He would kill them. As soon as he saw them, he would kill them all!

Back to the present.

t...t.”

.”

“Teach...er....”

.”

“Teacher!!”

!”

Lee Gun had fallen asleep inside the hot spring. He opened his eyes.

Currently, he was in a city in Jordan. He had arrived here after his business in Saudi Arabia was done, and he furrowed his brow when he saw the young man in front of him.

“Why is that insect still here?”

“Teacher!!”

Yes, the one before him right now was Hugo Otis.

Lee Gun had been sure he had dumped Hugo in Saudi Arabia. Since Hugo kept madly following him, Lee Gun had left him behind in the desert.

‘How is that bastard still alive??’

Lee Gun wanted Hugo dead, so he had thrown Hugo into quicksand.

Despite looking grubby, Hugo had a bright smile on his face as he waved something. It was a torn piece of Lee Gun’s shirt.

“Despite how I look, I’m a Zodiac Saint of tracking! If a scent is left behind on an item, I can chase the item’s owner to the other side of the earth! It doesn’t matter where you go, Teacher! I can find you if I have this!”

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Damn it? Was he some kind of dog? Lee Gun became angry.

On the other hand, Hugo was interested in the bathtub that Lee Gun had entered. “This doesn’t seem like an item provided by this lodging. What is this?”

Lee Gun scrunched up his face. What else could it be?

[Bathtub used to heal skin (D)]

Lee Gun had made this item using the by-products from the monsters that had appeared in Saudi Arabia.

Using the blueprint he had stolen from the Capricorn temple, he was able to create a variety of holy items.

He had a total of nine prototypes. Of course, the first one he had made was Heaven’s Punishment, but he was unable to create any more useful equipment afterward.

‘Their power and durability were too weak. They quickly broke down.’

The only effective items he had made were random items like the bathtub and the furnace. The reason probably was that he didn’t possess a good kiln and good ingredients.

That was why he had been trying to kill the worm monster inside Saudi Arabia. That monster was an ingredient needed to create an S-rank kiln. Well, it didn’t matter in the end.

“Wow! Is this the hot spring water that I dug out? I can feel magical energy from it. Does it have a special function?”

Lee Gun furrowed his brows. It seemed the desert wasn’t enough. He’d have to kill Hugo by tossing him into the ocean.

Hugo brought out something that he had readied as soon as Lee Gun exited the bathtub. “Teacher! Please eat this! I bought some good food on the way. I was worried you would be hungry!”

!” Lee Gun was shocked by the items stacked on top of the table: steaks, wine, bread, cookies, fruits, and all kinds of other tasty foods.

An odd look entered his eyes as he looked at Hugo. “Why would you

“Why else?! If I want to serve you, this is the least I could do, Teacher!”

What the hell? This bastard was a pushover.

Of course, it wasn’t as if Lee Gun didn’t take rewards for the monsters that he killed, but he had spent it all on buying food. So he was poor right now.

In the end, Lee Gun ate everything.

Hugo was shocked because even the food he had bought for himself had been stolen. “Y-You ate it all already? I brought enough for three people so that there would be enough...!”

“It isn’t. I have to eat fifty servings a day at the very least.”

“Are you sure you are human?”

Hugo took a beating until he became a bloody mess.

“Anyway, you can fuck off now if your business with me is done. I have to go out.”

“D-Don’t you need dinner and midnight snacks?!”

“What about cleaning and laundry? What about making reservations for lodging? I’ll do it all. This includes procuring your meal! The expense will be the payment for taking me on as a student!”

“Hmmph. Do you really think I’ll take you in as a student if you do that?”

“You don’t have to accept me! Let me assist you from your side! Please don’t kick me out!”

“!”

When Hugo grabbed his pant leg, Lee Gun was taken aback. He glared at Hugo. Why the hell was this man willing to go so far to learn fighting techniques from him?

“All you guys have to do is kill the easy monsters to make money, right?”

“No! I want to save people! I don’t want anyone left out!”

Lee Gun became silent at those words. At that moment, he recalled a scene from the TV. It was something that he had seen in the past where three superhumans had saved the dying humanity.

[Please do not worry! We will save all of humanity! We will leave no one behind!]

- Wow, Junwoo! Did you see that? Those people are amazing!

For some reason, he recalled the emotion that he had forgotten. “Do as you wish. But I’m not going to teach you anything.”

“Thank you!!!”

“I really won’t teach you anything, but you have to keep feeding me. I want enough to feed fifty people. After two hours, I want a snack.... Ah. My watch is broken.” Lee Gun looked at his wristwatch in annoyance.

Hugo suddenly unclasped his wristwatch and gave it to Lee Gun. “Please use mine!”

Lee Gun didn’t think much about it as he took the watch, but he was shocked.

‘P...Patek Philippe?’

Even he had heard about this extremely expensive luxury watch. The cheapest of these watches were expensive enough to buy a car...

“My grandfather gave it to me when I was in high school. It’s a bit old, but it’ll do the job for you.”

“???”

What kind of grandfather would buy such an item for a high schooler?

Lee Gun did his best to calm himself. “Isn’t this a precious present to you? Are you sure about giving such an item?”

“Ah! It’s fine. I have many similar watches. I’m actually tired of it already.”

Lee Gun kicked Hugo. “Die, you rich bastard!!!”

“Ahhk! I’m not that rich!”

“How are you not? I already didn’t like you! Now, I hate you even more! You should just live as a momma’s boy! Why are you trying to kill monsters?”

“Ahhhk! I can’t! My parents are all dead because of the monsters. Grandfather’s company went bankrupt! The only blood relative I have left is my older sister. We are poor— Ahhhk!!”

“Shut up, you filthy insect!”

Hugo’s image in Lee Gun’s eyes, which had been rising a bit, instantly fell to the same level as that of a bug.

* * *

“What? Level five superhuman?”

Lee Gun furrowed his brows as he munched on the bread.

When Lee Gun expressed his interest in the Zodiac Saints, Hugo squeezed out all the information he had about the Zodiac Saints.

“The one I used as a bat was level five? Strong, my ass! He was pure trash.”

“Ah! The other three are different. The Zodiac Saint of the Scorpio temple is...!”

“Scorpio temple?”

“Yes! She’s a cold-blooded Zodiac Saint who is hard as nails! Her skills are monstrous, and she is incredibly powerful! Also... Despite being so powerful, she is a beautiful woman. Her beauty is almost not from this world. All the male Zodiac Saints have fallen for her. Ah. Not me! I only have eyes for Teacher!”

“Is that so?”

Lee Gun became interested in her since she was that strong.

* * *

Around this time...

“This is where the thirteenth is right now?”

The subject of Lee Gun’s interest had arrived at the city where Lee Gun was. After her subordinates had located him, Hailey wanted to see the thirteenth for herself.

However...

“What a coincidence! I can’t believe we ran across each other here.”

“!”

Hailey turned when she heard the voice coming from the market. She caught sight of the Leo Saint Stevens (23), who was famous for being the superhuman of the north.

Like Stevens, Hailey was an awakened being who had reached the highest level. She was one of the strongest among the Zodiac Saints.

“Did you already have a meal, Hailey?”

“Are you here looking for the thirteenth?”

There was no mirth. Stevens became a bit embarrassed by her cold attitude. “Ah! Thirteenth? I did hear about him. I heard the Taurus Saint called the Saintess, but any work regarding the thirteenth was handed over to the Magician of the East. I have other business here.”

“Other business?”

“I heard something strange is occurring nearby. I thought it might be the doing of the Virgo Saint.”

“Ah!”

The Virgo Saint was an eccentric Zodiac Saint, who had yet to reveal himself. No one knew what he looked like, and no one knew where he was. Moreover, he hadn’t been cooperative with the other Zodiac Saints.

“As per the general information, he’s a high school student from France. From rumors, he’s a genius swordsman

A subordinate of his had caught sight of the Virgo Saint’s face. According to her,

- It was a blonde ghost!

- Moreover, the Virgo Saint tried to kill us!

“I’m pretty sure the Virgo Saint is a girl. That’s why we are looking for a high-school-age blonde girl.”

“You think that person is related to the bizarre incidents occurring here?”

“Yes. Anyone who believes and praises the Zodiacs was attacked here. It matches the Virgo Saint’s modus operandi.”

“What? A Zodiac Saint is attacking the worshippers of the Zodiacs?”

It made no sense, but Stevens waved it away as if it wasn’t important.

He smiled as he glanced at Hailey. “Anyway, it’s fate that we were able to run across each other. Would you like to have lunch with me?”

“Do you not know how to read your watch? It is well past 3 P.M.”

“If not, let’s have some tea...!”

“I don’t like tea.” Hailey was about to turn around as she ignored Stevens.

“Heyyyyyyy! Give it back! That belongs to my teacher!! I bought that whole hog barbeque to give to Teacher!”

“!!”

A strange pair was running toward them. One seemed to be a thief, and the other was chasing after the thief.

However, Stevens and Hailey were surprised when they saw who was chasing after the thief.

“W-What the hell? Why is that idiot here?”

“Hugo?”

Hugo didn't realize that they were nearby. He attacked the thief. “Give it back!”

The thief, who looked like a beggar, didn’t want to let go of the barbeque. He curled around the barbeque and started eating it.

“Hey! No! Don’t eat it! I have to give it to my god!”

The thief flinched when he heard this. As if his attempt at eating the meat was completely forgotten, his eyes flashed as he looked at Hugo. “What the hell? You are a worshiper of the Zodiacs?”

His long blonde hair had been hiding his cold blue eyes.

“Die!!!”

“???!!!”

The thief suddenly took out the skewer from the meat and tried to kill Hugo.

Everyone was surprised by the appearance of the thief, who held up the weapon(?).

“Ah...!!!”

Silver magical energy violently flashed from the thief’s body. Moreover, the stigmata of the Virgo temple could be seen on the back of the hand holding the skewer. This man was none other than Kevin Hazard (18).

“What the hell? That thief is the Virgo Saint?!”

Oblivious to their reactions, Kevin tried to attack Hugo. “The gods and their disciples can all die!!”

At that moment...

“What the hell is that maggot doing? He said he was going to go buy meat.”

Hailey was surprised when she heard a familiar voice.