Red eyes.
Everyone’s first feeling toward that bastard was different.
For some, it was terror; for others, despair; for yet others, the extinction of humanity.
And for Hugo, those red eyes were a thief.
21 years ago.
They were 24 then, and the porter Lee Jaewon who was with them was 17, maybe.
“Hey, dumbass. It’s been years since we started hunting monsters and you still can’t catch that one properly?”
“…No, I can!”
That was when they’d been called in as mercenaries on African soil.
They’d screwed up and gotten surrounded while hunting a monster, and that was the moment Lee Geon was giving him shit for it.
“Don’t go around saying I taught you combat skills. It’s embarrassing.”
“No! Today was weird! They were acting alone and then suddenly they started grouping up!”
“Oh, you got a little stronger and now you’re mouthing off to your teacher? Forget it. 3,000 push-ups.”
“No!”
“5,000.”
“Dammit!”
Finally, Hugo was huffing and puffing through his 5,000 push-ups.
“Look at this punk making excuses. Pathetic. Right, Jaeyeon?”
“It’s Jaewon….”
“Anyway, don’t grow up to be a sorry-looking adult like him. Juheon.”
“The names are getting less and less related….”
That was when Lee Jaewon, boiling ramyeon on the burner, was sniffling.
The thing appeared without a sound.
Truly, its presence was undetectable.
[Kooooh!]
“Geon-ah!”
In an instant, the ramyeon bowl Lee Geon had been eating flew through the air.
And the thing that appeared in a flash lunged at them.
It was a monstrous thing.
Boom-boom-boom!
The hard plains of Africa shook violently, and the animals that had been roaming free fled in terror.
A giant shadow blanketed the vast lands of Africa.
As if warning that it would devour all of humanity’s lands.
But of course, that was it.
When they looked back, the ramyeon bowl Lee Geon had dropped was gone.
Maybe it had just been born and was hungry. The thing wolfed down Lee Geon’s ramyeon and vanished.
That was the first appearance of the Red Eye.
The moment it first revealed itself before humanity.
And back then, Lee Geon was unusually flustered.
Perhaps his instincts sensed the difference from other monsters.
The face of Lee Geon, which never hardened before any monster, was uncharacteristically stiff.
And though he didn’t know it then, thinking back now, his friend must have felt it in that brief moment.
‘This thing will bring about the extinction of humanity.’
And that intuition was dead-on.
Because from then on, monsters that normally acted alone started moving in groups and brought their armies to human lands.
Anyway, Lee Geon saw the extinction of humanity in that thing, but Hugo was a bit different.
Somehow, he felt like it would snatch away something precious to him.
And in fact, that thought was right.
The Red Eye took his friend.
And 20 years later.
‘Crazy bastard. He’s saying he’s going to catch that thing again?’
Hugo was dumbfounded.
No, the fact that the Red Eye had reappeared was astounding enough, but what?
He’s going to capture it alone?
Finally grabbing the back of his neck, Hugo said he’d at least provide support, but all he got was cursing.
Lee Geon actually chased him away.
‘Stop your pointless shit and go guard your sanctuary. In Korea.’
‘What?’
‘Don’t worry. I’ll go see Yuha.’
‘No, Yuha’s not the only…!’
Hugo was frustrated.
Of course, his daughter was a source of worry, but he had taught her thoroughly.
Even the methods and skills to evacuate in a crisis.
And Yuha was wise and cold-headed, so she had a firm grasp of what she could and couldn’t do.
‘She’s not the type to rashly charge in without knowing her own strength.’
But Lee Geon was the complete opposite.
‘That masochist.’
Lee Geon was the epitome of recklessness. Sure, he had the skill to match, and that recklessness had helped him create miracles.
But hadn't Lee Geon gone like that 20 years ago and in the end, failed to return?
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Lee Geon, but trauma was a terrifying thing.
Whether Lee Geon knew that or not, he spoke.
‘It’s fine. If it gets too hard to defend your sanctuary, call me. I can get there right away.’
‘No! It’s not because of that… What? No, wait. You can’t get there right away in the first place. You can’t teleport into our sanctuary.’
‘What do you mean. I can.’
‘What??? How?’
‘How, my 1st territory is your inㅂ…’
‘In… what?’
But Lee Geon abruptly changed the subject.
Well, it didn’t matter anyway.
“That damn bastard. I don’t care if he dies.”
That’s how Hugo returned to his sanctuary. It was in Korea.
But.
[The northwest of the Sagittarius Palace is under attack]
[Defending against monster intrusion]
A sound came from Hugo’s watch-shaped emblem.
In fact, the sanctuary of the Sagittarius constellation, where he had returned via his Homecoming skill, was under attack by monsters.
‘Demon birds…!’
Hugo, looking at the sky, gritted his teeth.
But that level was fine.
[The sanctuary’s self-defense skill is activating]
Flaming arrows shot from the sanctuary were attacking the giant crows.
Hugo added his strength to them.
[Red Flame Explosion]
Along with the skill, Hugo shot arrows at the crows.
And.
KWA-KWANG!!!
With a fierce explosion, the giant crows were blasted into chunks of flesh and scattered.
And as soon as the enemy was gone, he headed for the sanctuary entrance.
But.
“!”
Hugo halted just before entering. His expression completely twisted.
That was only natural.
‘Why are they here.’
An unwelcome face was standing before the Sagittarius sanctuary.
‘Libra.’
That’s right.
Tall, clean white uniform, and bright blonde hair.
The one standing at the entrance of the Sagittarius sanctuary was none other than Giselle, the Saint of Libra.
A beauty radiating charisma so intense it seemed she could subdue people with her eyes alone.
Of course, she wasn’t the type of woman who’d want to set foot on Lee Geon’s land, so high probability it was a clone.
But all that didn’t matter.
‘Why is that woman here.’
And at Hugo’s expression, Giselle gave a breezy smile.
“Hugo. Make a slightly happier face. I’ve actually come to visit this shabby, cramped stable of yours. Such a repulsed gaze as if looking at an insect is quite rude….”
An arrow flew before she finished speaking.
BANG!
A tremendous explosion erupted. And before their eyes, a vassal deity of Libra lay collapsed, having taken the arrow instead.
And at the arrow that had accurately aimed for the crown of her head, Giselle let out a hollow laugh.
“Seeing as you don’t even want to exchange greetings, I’ll have to get straight to the point.”
Without hesitation, Giselle threw something.
Hugo frowned because of it.
“What kind of bullshit is this….”
But Hugo was shocked by the object that fell to the ground.
‘!?’
He couldn’t help it.
What Giselle had thrown was, unexpectedly, an arm.
No need to ask whose arm.
‘Stephen…!’
That’s right.
The muscular arm that looked like a right arm belonged to Stephen, the Saint of Leo.
The gold armor fitted on the arm was proof.
Moreover, the ring on the finger was the same. A one-of-a-kind SS-grade sacred relic that Stephen used.
‘It’s definitely his.’
Above all, the magic power of Leo strongly emanated from it.
So Hugo glared sharply at Giselle.
But Giselle smiled.
“It’s nothing. I told him to join my side, and he flipped me off, so I only meant to cut off his fingers, but….”
“……!”
At the same time, she smiled.
“It worked out anyway. He’s a hero who caught the Red Eye. It would be an honor to die by the Red Eye there.”
This woman.
At the same time, Hugo could understand what had happened to the other Saints.
‘So that’s how she’s making them her allies.’
Simply put, she was invading each sanctuary and forcing them to choose.
To side with Lee Geon, or to side with her.
In fact, the Saint of Pisces, standing next to Libra, couldn’t meet his eyes.
Just as expected.
Giselle spoke.
“What will you do? I’ll destroy the other places, and next is here.”
“……!”
Hugo furrowed his brow.
That dangerous gleam in her eyes saying she would annihilate not just the sanctuary but this whole area.
Of course, it could be taken as a bluff, but for Libra, it was possible.
Because she was a terrifying constellation that could make the impossible possible if the weight was right.
And Libra wasn’t the only problem.
THUD!
Something fell from the sky. And seeing the object that landed at his feet, Hugo muttered a curse.
“You son of a…!”
What had fallen was Stephen’s head.
And the one who had thrown it spoke in a thick voice.
“You’re next, Sagittarius.”
‘Taurus…!’
The Saint of Taurus stood behind him.
In the end, dumbfounded, Hugo even felt murderous intent.
“Don’t tell me you killed him? You guys?”
At those words, Taurus sneered.
“Hah, don’t try to pin colleague murder on us. We just picked up what the Red Eye did to him.”
“……!”
“And if you don’t join us, you’ll end up the same. Once the Red Eye destroys America, it’ll cross the Pacific. So where do you think its next destination will be?”
Hugo furrowed his brow.
No doubt, it would be Korea.
As expected, Taurus smiled.
“Still, we’re the 12 Saints together, and we have some history, so we came to give you a chance. Pick. Is it Lee Geon, or us?”
It was that very moment.
FWOOOSH!
Magic power exploded from Hugo’s body and fierce flames blazed up.
At the meaning of going all-out, the Saint of Taurus scoffed.
“Don’t struggle in vain. You might have been strong in the past, but now you don’t even have your royal sacred relic….”
“Piss off. Who says I don’t have my royal sacred relic?”
No sooner had the words ended than an explosion erupted.
And at the revealing of the familiar relic, their expressions twisted.
* * *
It was around that time.
“Lord Saint!!”
America, the main palace of Leo.
The sacred followers of Leo were wailing at the sight of their Saint.
“Good heavens, how could this…!”
“Damn you, Taurus bastard!”
“And Libra, too!”
Cheon Yuha was also looking at Stephen with a bewildered face.
It truly had happened in an instant.
When Libra swung her hand, Stephen’s right arm flew off.
And at the same time, the Red Eye bore down on Stephen like that.
And he was instantly done for.
The sacred followers, who could only watch it all unfold, trembled with rage.
“Lord Saint…!”
“Dammit. At this rate, Leo is…!”
But it was right at that moment.
“That crazy bitch…!”
“Lord Saint!!”
The sacred followers looked at Stephen in surprise.
Stephen spat out blood and groaned in pain.
“Now, of all things, she went and resurrected someone who must not be summoned?”
“Lord Saint! Are you alright!?”
“Do I look alright, damn it?!”
Stephen gasped in agony.
He was covered in blood. And both of his arms were gone.
They thought his head had been cut off, but Stephen had actually lost his left arm.
One had been taken by Libra, and the other had been devoured by the Red Eye.
Of course, the opponent was the Red Eye.
It was a miracle he had survived at all.
‘Dammit, at this rate it’s total annihilation.’
The Red Eye, screaming toward the sky, was completely destroying the sanctuary of Leo.
It hadn’t yet turned toward the city, but that was only a matter of time.
And the sacred followers, who had faced the Red Eye for the first time, were losing their will to fight.
They had never seen such a monster before.
Frankly, the Saints who had supposedly captured such a thing seemed absolutely insane.
But the sacred followers, trembling in fear, spoke.
“Lord Saint! Please tell us the strategy to defeat it!”
“That’s right!”
Then Stephen steadied his breathing and spoke.
“I keep telling you.”
“Yes?”
“It was Lee Geon who caught the Red Eye.”
“…What?!”
The sacred followers were in shock.
[Kooooh!]
With the Red Eye’s scream, the roof they were on collapsed.
Kugugung!
“Aagh!”
Stephen and the sacred followers guarding him fell to the ground.
And just as the violently shrieking Red Eye was about to engulf them all!
Swoosh!
“!!”
Before their eyes, a small-bodied boy appeared.
“Uh, huh?!”
With a gesture of the boy’s hand, they vanished in an instant.
BOOM!
In the end, the Red Eye had no choice but to chew only the roof, having eaten nothing.
And after some time passed?
The sacred followers who had nearly been devoured by the Red Eye were bewildered.
That was only natural because the surrounding environment had changed.
“Wha, what! Teleport?”
“This is the back garden!”
So that was when they wondered what had happened.
“You okay? Hey?”
“I’m okay… Urrrgh…!!!”
Beside them, a boy was on all fours, vomiting violently.
And at that familiar face, the sacred followers of Leo were shocked.
“Cheon Seongjae!”
Cheon Yuha, who had been teleported along with them, was also shocked.
That’s right.
The one who had appeared in an instant and moved them all en masse was none other than Cheon Seongjae.
But perhaps because he wasn’t yet accustomed to teleportation magic, or because he had moved too many people.
Anyway, Cheon Seongjae was on all fours, dying of dizziness.
But it was right then.
“Ack…! It’s coming this way!”
The sacred followers got up, trembling all over.
The Red Eye, having gotten upset after chewing on the stones, had found Stephen and Cheon Yuha.
But it was right at that moment.
PUGAG!!!
The Red Eye that was targeting them screamed and collapsed.
The sacred followers were astonished at the sight.
“That, that massive thing was taken down with one…!!”
Astonished, the sacred followers gaped.
Someone was standing on the roof of the Leo sanctuary.
“Lee Geon!!”
And finally, Lee Geon, who had encountered the Red Eye, was laughing as if disgusted.
(To be continued in the next episode)