Scorpio, who saw him, did not even flinch.
And at her demeanor, the Scribe grew tense.
‘Yes, she must have been surprised.’
Because the place she had been suddenly summoned to was this kind of place.
‘After all, there are two Saints and even an SS-class.’
But the Scribe believed in Scorpio. And for good reason—Scorpio was strong.
Moreover, she was not someone strong merely in terms of power.
Ten years ago.
It was a time when the hunt for Scribes by the followers of the gods was in full swing.
Despite being their own holy ones, they were deemed dangerous. Under the pretext that they might plot rebellion, they hunted down every holy one with scribe abilities, even eliminating the children in their wombs—that era.
Even he himself had nearly been branded a heretic by the god he served and killed.
‘Find them all! Kill them!’
‘Damn it, those bastards! They cultivated our abilities because they needed them, and now this…!’
‘Shut up! All who can threaten the gods are enemies!’
In the end, after being chased and chased, he collapsed in Scorpio’s forest.
‘Eat this if you don’t want to die.’
The one who hid him was the Scorpio Saint, Heilli.
And though his faith in the holy gods and holy ones had already vanished, he came to trust the person that was her—the Scribe.
Of course, the opposition was severe.
At the time, Scorpio’s followers had mentioned the bounty.
‘Lord Saint, do you know how much the bounty on the Scribe is!’
‘That’s right. If we hand over the Scribe, the money coming in will surpass all imagination…!’
But, well.
*Puhak!*
Heilli slit the throats of the insubordinate subordinates.
‘Fine. The money you love so much. Enjoy it even in death.’
In any case, Heilli hid him.
Even though at that time, if it were discovered that she had hidden a Scribe, her own position would have been compromised.
Anyway, she was a person strong both outwardly and inwardly.
And she was a noble person, unmoved by anything.
In fact, the Scribe who had summoned Heilli smiled a confident smile.
‘As expected, Lady Heilli, there is not a single hint of discomposure.’
The moment she saw Igeon, she was so calm that it felt as if time had completely stopped.
‘Even surrounded by Saint-level beings, such unwavering composure…!’
Truly admirable, thought the Scribe as the corners of his mouth rose.
And the one most flustered by the appearance of this unexpected person was Hyugo.
‘Heilli.’
That was right.
To Hyugo, Scorpio was practically a benefactor.
Was it ten years ago, when he chased the toad that had bitten and taken his wife and subordinates?
Among the Saints who had come to watch, she was the only one who saved him.
But was that all?
‘Oh? If you need it, I’ll lend you my land.’
She was the one who took in the victims of the incident, whom even the hospital had turned away citing government guidelines, into the holy domain.
Thus, she became a benefactor to him, but even so, to his friend she was an enemy.
‘Somehow she seems entangled in Igeon’s death as well.’
Thinking that way, maybe even saving him had some ulterior motive.
‘She is a dangerous godly seat from the start, after all.’
Scorpio is a godly seat of thieves, but on a completely different level from a mere petty thief.
‘In terms of combat power alone, she rivals the battle godly seats.’
No, if you include making traps and handling monsters, perhaps even beyond that. In one-on-one combat, she was top-class.
It’s not for nothing that they say the moment you enter Scorpio’s territory, there is no one who can return alive.
It was only natural to be wary, but…
‘I wish we could just pass by without a fight.’
On the other hand, Goteu, holding a bow, was sweating profusely for a different reason than Hyugo.
That was to be expected.
‘Th-that person clearly likes Lord Igeon….’
So he glanced at Hyugo.
And Hyugo, having grasped the meaning of that gaze, looked at him as if to say, ‘Are you crazy?’
Hyugo had also heard the story from Goteu not long ago.
That Scorpio was in love with Igeon.
So Hyugo glared at him.
‘Are you crazy? I said it’s not true!’
‘But! Jaewon hyeongnim wouldn’t say such a thing without any basis….’
‘Jaewon must be mistaken! You know how much that woman hates men!’
That wasn’t all.
At the time, Igeon’s face was at the peak of hideousness.
Men did the same, but the women, every last one of them, ran away.
Even if they pretended otherwise in front, behind his back they’d ask how one could even date him. Many criticized him as a monster.
But she was a peerless beauty of that caliber.
‘How high her standards must have been!’
In reality, the moment she saw Igeon, she would flee without even looking at his face, didn’t she?
‘Anyway, she was so disgusted she couldn’t even meet his eyes!’
Well, he understood.
He too had been fortunate to have met Igeon when his face was less ruined.
If he had met him at the time when Scorpio first encountered Igeon, he too wouldn’t have been able to meet his eyes.
It was while Hyugo and Goteu were whispering and bickering like that.
“It’s been twenty years, hasn’t it?”
Igeon approached Heilli.
The look in Igeon’s eyes as he saw her was fierce.
“I don’t want to drag this out, so let’s get to the point.”
“!”
“Cooperate quietly before I make you scream.”
At that killing intent, the Scribe listening let out a hollow laugh.
“How absurd. She is not someone who would lower herself to scream for the likes of you….”
“Kyaaak!!!”
…Huh?
In that moment, the Scribe doubted his own ears. Hyugo too was bewildered.
Kyaak?
“Was that scream just now Scorpio?”
Goteu was also flustered.
“Th-there’s no way. She’s far from the type to scream.”
“True, it sounded like she saw a monster….”
But the moment Igeon grabbed Heilli’s shoulder with one hand!
“Kyaaaaak!!!”
“!!!”
At the same time, Heilli hastily clamped a hand over her own mouth.
This time, everyone, including the Scribe, widened their eyes in shock.
‘The Scorpio Saint screamed?’
At the same time, Heilli, who had hurriedly turned her head away, trembled violently.
She had no choice but to.
‘No, why on earth?’
Why is Igeon here?
She looked at the Scribe as if she couldn’t understand.
‘He clearly said that child was an unapproachable monster, and he summoned…’
But at the same time, Heilli realized with a start.
‘So the unapproachable monster was Igeon…!!’
Heilli felt like her heart was going to explode and kill her.
She instantly realized what kind of situation was unfolding.
So she resented the Scribe who had called her.
‘Why did that guy summon me…!! Of all places, right in front of Igeon!’
That was because, whenever Heilli saw Igeon, her mind went completely blank.
When Igeon was before her eyes, she could see nothing but Igeon, and she could hear nothing but Igeon’s voice.
Her train of thought froze entirely.
Anyway, whenever she saw Igeon, she absolutely couldn’t hide her true feelings, which was why she had been running away like that!
‘But so close…!’
Well, whatever, it was fine.
‘Yes, it’s alright.’
Igeon’s appearance had completely changed from twenty years ago.
To this extent, she could brainwash herself into seeing him as someone else as much as possible.
Thus, Heilli, feigning composure, turned her head back.
“Right. Igeon. The news that you were alive….”
But as she turned her head, Heilli nearly screamed again.
And flustered, she averted her gaze again and continued.
“…I heard. That you were alive. I already confirmed it on the news.”
She turned her head so far it was almost breaking her neck.
Perhaps because of that.
Igeon glared fiercely at Heilli. He seemed extremely displeased.
“Hey. When someone’s talking to you, you completely ignore them to their face?”
No, it’s not ignoring…!
Flustered, Heilli looked at Igeon again, but her neck snapped away once more.
At the same time, she screamed inwardly.
‘Oh my god, it’s really Igeon!’
It was certain.
His angry voice, his speaking tone, his intonation, his gaze, even his scent—it was definitely him.
‘What do I do? At this rate, my expression will….’
But right at that moment.
Flash!
From the magic circle where Heilli had been summoned, a pillar of black light shot up.
“!”
At this, Hyugo, the holy ones of the Divine Bow Seat, and Cheon Seongjae immediately went on guard.
A massive killing intent erupted from the black pillar.
Something with incredible power was inside the pillar.
At the same time, an eerie voice burst out from within the pillar.
[My King, why have you come all the way to such a place?]
[Is the enemy such that the King must personally step forward?]
“……!”
Along with the voice, something walked out of the light pillar.
There were four of them.
And a tremendous killing intent could be felt.
[Warning. These beings possess power at the level of a follower god.]
[We must immediately deploy the holy domain and prepare for battle.]
The voice also warned.
Hyugo swallowed hard as he looked at the four that had revealed themselves.
‘Monsters?’
Two of them resembled giant scorpions, and the one or two that spoke looked human but had a horrifying appearance.
Their skin, like hard carapace, was uniformly black, and at their rear they had scorpion tails.
Moreover, their faces were also monstrous, akin to scorpions.
So Hyugo gritted his teeth.
‘They are undoubtedly monsters.’
They weren’t mere follower gods. And they’d said the Virgin Seat had seen scorpions communicating with monsters.
‘So she really was connected to that side after all.’
But whether that was the case or not, they glared at Igeon.
Because they had directly sensed the killing intent emanating from Igeon.
[My King. Who is that man?]
[He is directing extremely dangerous killing intent towards the King.]
At her subordinates’ words, Heilli turned her body toward Igeon and answered.
“…That person is.”
Of course, her gaze was fixed on the ceiling.
But the loyal subjects who had observed Igeon closely bared their fangs.
[Igeon…!]
[So it is indeed that target.]
Creak.
The monsters fiercely raised their tails. At the same time, the holy ones went on alert.
“Lord Igeon!”
[We shall kill him.]
No sooner had the words fallen than the two scorpions lunged at Igeon.
But at that moment.
*Puhak!*
“!”
In an instant, the body of one of the monster scorpions was sliced off.
The loyal subjects were bewildered.
In Heilli’s hand was a black whip like a blade.
[…My King?]
“My hand slipped.”
[…Pardon?]
“That’s what you get for blocking my way, I told you not to.”
At this, the subordinates flinched and immediately withdrew.
The loyal subject also hastily commanded.
[Apologies. In that case…!]
This time, the scorpion monster went around to Heilli’s side and headed for Igeon.
But.
*Puhak!*
This time, what was sliced off was the subordinate’s head!
The loyal subjects were bewildered.
[……?!!]
[My King?!]
“Its breathing annoyed me.”
[What?!]
“That’s why I told you not to make such sounds when passing by!”
[Princess?!]
The loyal followers collectively fell into a mental breakdown.
And at that sight, Cheon Seongjae and Goteu gaped, and Hyugo couldn’t hide his astonishment.
Of course, Igeon looked at her strangely, as if wondering why she was acting like that, but by this point, Hyugo had realized something as well.
They said Scorpio liked Igeon.
‘C-could it really be true?!’
* * *
Meanwhile, around that time.
Thud!
Asia.
The land of iron and blood roared fiercely, crying out to the sky.
Thud! Thud!
And that place was the domain of the unknown civilization.
Moreover, it was a Black Zone that humans could never invade.
Of course, until a few years ago, it had been the site of a human metropolis, but it was already a land of death swallowed by the unknown civilization.
Normally, it was a land where monsters would simply fight and brawl as usual.
But today, an odd tension hung over the black land.
Thud thud thud!
The monsters roared as if waiting for someone, looking up at the sky.
And at that moment, black light poured down from the sky.
Thud!
It was a phenomenon as if predicted for this very time.
It was a pillar of black light.
Boom!
And starting with the first pillar, black lights fell from all directions.
Boom boom boom!
At the same time, someone appeared within the black light.
It was a being like a ghost knight riding a flying horse.
And their presence held a power that had never been discovered on Earth until now.
Red Zone level, Black Zone level.
No, as if mocking even the Black Zone level, a power far surpassing humanity’s worst.
Finally, the monsters of the Black Zone roared loudly toward their lords.
Soon, they sent a signal into the sky.
“Wooooooh!”
It was the announcement of invasion.
That time was 67 hours later.
It was just before Igeon’s penalty ended.
(To be continued in the next episode.)