And finally, Igeon, who had encountered the Red-Eyes, was laughing as if disgusted.
“That lizard brat. Doesn’t even know his place and is just going berserk.”
“……!”
All the saints were startled by his appearance.
How he was here didn’t matter.
“D-Did Igeon just send that giant flying?”
“What? You’re joking, right?”
“No, I saw it. He really did!”
The saints guarding Stephen got chills.
It was understandable because the size of the Red-Eyes before them was beyond imagination.
Even at a cursory glance, the size alone was a staggering 170 meters or more.
And in the first place, Awakened ones never had to hunt monsters over 100 meters.
The Red-Eyes was exceptional; usually, monsters that were considered huge were around 50 meters.
‘The highest record ever taken down by an SS-class was a 70-meter one.’
As such, just facing the Red-Eyes was overwhelmingly intimidating.
But he just knocked that thing over?
Sure enough.
The fallen Red-Eyes seemed flustered.
[Guoooo!]
At the same time, its red eyes gleamed ominously. It was undoubtedly searching for the culprit.
At this, Igeon picked up the Heavenly Judgment.
“Well, at that size, it’s still a baby.”
Originally, it’s a creature that can grow its body up to hundreds of meters proportional to what it devours.
In fact, the maximum size Igeon saw 20 years ago was a staggering 300 meters.
Of course, its power doesn’t change with size, so any size is troublesome.
Knowing that, Igeon infused the Heavenly Judgment with his mana.
Kiiing!!
The Heavenly Judgment hummed joyfully, reacting to its master’s mana.
The saints were horrified at the sight.
“D-Danger!”
“You can never take that down alone, Sir Igeon!”
Because its reflexes were far too fast for its size.
Close combat was unthinkable.
“Even the Lord was nearby and got his arm torn off…!”
But Igeon completely ignored them and leaped between rooftops.
At that sight, the saints screamed as if all was lost.
“Damn it! Everyone prepare support!”
“Get a stretcher too! So we can carry him back immediately if he gets hurt!!”
“Hurry up!”
But Stephen scolded those who were hastily preparing for battle.
“Don’t do pointless things. You’ll only get in the way.”
“What?!”
“You asked earlier what the strategy against the Red-Eyes was.”
“!”
“That’s it.”
“Huh?”
“The way to handle that thing is Igeon.”
“?!”
The saints looked at Stephen in shock.
Their gazes seemed to ask what he was talking about.
But Stephen was serious.
“No one else can take it down.”
Of course, he himself hadn’t seen Igeon take down the Red-Eyes.
He hadn’t been in a situation to see it.
[Run away!]
Everything had gone differently from the plan.
The Red-Eyes they had planned to eliminate while it was sleeping had been accidentally awakened, and their attacks didn’t work.
And what he saw there was Igeon sprinting in the opposite direction from them.
[That crazy bastard…!]
Of course, the sight of his back was still unforgettable. And he still regretted being the first to flee from that spot.
‘Probably only a few saw the Red-Eyes’ neck getting severed.’
The certain ones would be Cancer and Virgo.
Cancer had always been very interested in Igeon, and Virgo, who hated losing to Igeon, surely wouldn’t have left the spot until Igeon departed.
And although it was Cancer who had handed the Red-Eyes’ neck to him, Stephen was certain.
‘Who else but Igeon could take that down.’
Sure enough.
[Kuoooo!]
Once again, the Red-Eyes’ scream echoed.
Startled, they lifted their heads and saw the Red-Eyes collapsing.
It seemed that while opening its mouth again, it had been struck by Igeon’s rooftop slingshot.
Thanks to that, the saints fell into panic in a different sense.
“Isn’t this crazy? How can he…!”
But without even a moment to panic, something landed in front of Stephen.
Thud!
The bodyguards and Stephen were all startled.
That was because the one who appeared before them was none other than Igeon.
And Igeon, who appeared abruptly, was scowling deeply.
“What the. Where’s your arm?”
Perhaps he noticed while heading to catch the Red-Eyes.
And at Igeon’s question, Leo laughed. It was unlike Igeon.
“It got cut off, why? Are you worried?”
Then Igeon made a disgusted expression as if to say, what are you talking about.
“No. Where did the severed parts go?”
“…….”
It was truly a look that seemed to view him as an insect. Stephen, thinking that was just like him, answered.
“…If it’s the arm, I think Taurus took it.”
“Both of them?”
“……?”
The oddly persistent tone was strange, but Stephen answered indifferently.
“No. One is probably in that thing’s stomach….”
“Is that so? In its stomach?”
“!”
Stephen felt a sudden chill.
It was frightening that Igeon’s eyes glinted oddly, but it was even more frightening that his gaze was somehow fixed on his own legs.
Stephen stepped back as if terrified.
“What. Why are you looking at my legs with those eyes.”
“No. It’s nothing.”
Igeon laughed meaningfully and looked at the Red-Eyes.
* * *
It was around then.
Boom! Boom!
“What the, that bastard! Our attacks don’t work!”
The saints blocking the Red-Eyes that was heading toward the city were screaming.
And among them were Goth, I Jaewon, and the Sagittarius saints.
Hugo had sent them.
Even so, he must have felt uneasy sending Igeon to the Red-Eyes alone.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Igeon, but he had a trauma from 20 years ago.
So he must have sent the precious fingers who should be protecting the sanctuary, in his stead.
But what good would that do.
‘Take that down? A joke, right?’
Goth and I Jaewon, who had actually arrived on the scene, froze stiff.
They hadn’t presumptuously thought they could take down the Red-Eyes, but they thought they could at least hold it back.
‘It’s gotten to the point where Sir Igeon, who supposedly took down something like that, looks even more monstrous.’
Of course, I Jaewon had seen the Red-Eyes 20 years ago, but he had thought that was just the fear of a powerless porter in his childhood.
But now that he was S-class, it was even more terrifying than back then.
Because now, he could gauge just how strong the opponent was.
‘That thing is beyond the realm of humans.’
Especially Goth pressed down on his trembling hand.
He was an SS-class, so he had been somewhat confident.
‘What new strongest of humanity.’
If Igeon really had taken down that thing, then they should be ashamed of even that title.
Cheon Seongjae, who had been retching, also said a word.
“Honestly, since I was young, I didn’t know how incredible the Red-Eyes was, but seeing that, I truly realize it bone-deep.”
“!”
“20 years ago, it could have destroyed the earth.”
Now it seemed you could understand why the Twelve, who were the first Awakened, were revered as saints for taking it down.
At the same time, as if agreeing, a despairing voice was heard from the side.
“W-Wouldn’t it be better to go under Libra even now?”
They were saints who had bravely rushed from other constellation seats besides Leo and Sagittarius.
“Th-That’s right! They said the Libra side isn’t attacked by the Red-Eyes!”
“If we want to live, we have to go there…!”
“Yeah! Let’s all go to Libra even now! If we bring our saints, maybe she’ll protect the place where we live!”
Amid the panicked scene, the Sagittarius saints clicked their tongues, calling them idiots.
Boom!
The Red-Eyes, as if annoyed by the noise, swung its massive tail.
And at the tail flying toward them, the saints collapsed to the ground.
Because its size was so great, they couldn’t even flee.
“Aaaagh! It’s over…!”
It was right then.
Kwaang!
Along with a tremendous explosion, a scream rang out.
It was the cry of a beast.
And when people, startled by the sound, lifted their heads, a red rain poured down from the sky.
It was blood.
And the protagonist of that blood was none other than the Red-Eyes!
“Kieeeek!”
The Red-Eyes, its tail severed, roared fiercely.
People were horrified.
“I-It’s cut! That tail!”
“Who the hell!”
But people were startled to see someone falling from the sky.
“I-Igeon?!”
Igeon landed with the giant ax slung over his back.
Thud!
It was a light movement like a squirrel.
At the same time, people who realized it was Igeon who cut the tail screamed.
“I-Igeon cut that?”
“Are you crazy?! That thing gets cut?”
But whether others were shocked or not, Igeon looked at the growling Red-Eyes.
And unlike before, Igeon’s expression was quite serious.
That was only natural.
‘There’s a wound.’
What Igeon was looking at was the area around its eye.
Because it was so massive, no one seemed to have noticed, but there was definitely a wound on its eye.
And.
‘I’m sure, that’s a wound I made 20 years ago.’
The wound I stabbed when I was with the Twelve Saints.
That wasn’t all.
There was a familiar wound on its back, and a mark on its nape as if its neck had been slashed.
‘I’m certain. It’s exactly where I cut its neck.’
That meant that thing was the same Red-Eyes whose neck he had severed.
Well, he hadn’t even thought there’d be another one that size to begin with…
‘How is this possible?’
But the doubt didn’t last long.
[God’s Eye]
When the skill activated, Igeon let out a hollow laugh. That was because a yellow light was bursting around the Red-Eyes.
Seeing that, Igeon raised the corner of his mouth as if understanding.
‘It was resurrected by Libra’s power.’
Well, it wasn’t impossible. The severed neck of the Red-Eyes had been revealed to the world as a treasure of humanity, and they must have used it to resurrect it.
‘I don’t know what was offered in exchange.’
And it was a woman who resurrected the Red-Eyes like that.
She must have planned to use the same skill on the Red-Eyes so it would pass by their sanctuary.
To protect their sanctuary in that way, and to gather people using fear.
‘Despicable.’
But it seemed even Libra couldn’t achieve a complete resurrection.
Why?
‘At that level, it feels like a zombie.’
It’s the same beast, but oddly reeking of corpse smell.
In other words, it wasn’t complete regeneration.
‘Well, Libra isn’t the divine seat of resurrection and regeneration.’
So that must have been the limit.
As evidence, that Red-Eyes couldn’t fully use its signature skills.
It wasn’t even using its main ability of monster clustering.
But that didn’t matter at all.
‘Since its body is well resurrected.’
Igeon’s eyes glinted oddly.
‘With that, I could make an unbreakable item.’
Then shall I put in some effort for my cute saints.
At the same time, Igeon checked one of his skills.
[Prisoner skill can be used]
Confirming that, Igeon smirked sinisterly.
But as if reading Igeon’s thoughts, a voice gave a warning.
[You are receiving a penalty]
[Physical ability reduced by 50% (Remaining time: 39 hours 35 minutes 02 seconds)]
However, despite the warning, Igeon smiled.
‘When have I ever fought without a penalty.’
It was no problem at all.
Sure enough, Igeon headed toward the Red-Eyes.
The saints were surprised at the sight.
“U-Uncle?!”
“No! If you go alone…!”
But without a chance to stop him, Igeon disappeared.
Bang!
“Kyaak!”
“Aagh!”
With a tremendous roar, Igeon vanished in an instant. And after a brief moment of being unable to open their eyes due to the wind pressure, people gaped.
“A-Already that far…!”
His bursting speed was so fast that even the crafting parts pouch he had in his arms fell out.
At least he hadn’t dropped anything essential for battle, so it was a relief.
And then.
Kwaang!
“Kieeeek!!!”
“Kiiiik!”
A sound that seemed to pierce the sky echoed.
It was a horde of monsters.
The horde of monsters swarmed toward Igeon. But his speed, sprinting like a runaway train, showed no signs of slowing.
Rather than slowing down,
[Death Line Slash]
Puhaak!!
He struck down the enemies blocking his path.
At the same time, blood shot up toward the sky, and before the blood could even soak the ground, Igeon had vanished.
Splat splat!
And in the spot where he had disappeared, dozens of monster heads fell!
Thud! Thud!
The saints watching could only gape at the sight.
“C-Crazy.”
“Wh-What speed…!”
It was even hard to call Igeon’s movement running.
Indeed, it was light and wind.
That wasn’t all.
“Kiiiik!”
During the attack, he lost the Heavenly Judgment, but paying no mind, Igeon pulled out a carving knife from his waist.
The time that took was a mere 0.1 seconds.
And with that, he pierced the monster’s temple.
Kkwaajik!
As Igeon reached out, the Heavenly Judgment flew back into his hand.
And toward the monsters rushing at him, he mercilessly brought the ax down.
Pakak!
The iron-armored monsters were crushed, their defense rendered meaningless.
What was more terrifying was that even in such an urgent situation, he was reading the flow of attacks from all directions.
When one would be too frantic to think straight, he linked attacks and handled enemies as if predicting even the strikes coming from behind.
So Cheon Yuha and Goth felt infinitely smaller.
Even though they, as Ten Stars, prided themselves on being the best in situational judgment.
Igeon was on a completely different dimension.
If their thought units were in seconds, Igeon’s seemed like bioelectrical signal units.
His judgment itself was different.
That wasn’t the only thing.
Compared to the macho men like Leo or Taurus, Igeon’s arm was an utterly ordinary arm.
But it was impossible to know where in that arm such power came from.
Then.
“Ah! Already that far!”
Igeon had already reached the very nose of the Red-Eyes.
Giants guarding the Red-Eyes appeared, but Igeon paid them no mind.
Tuhak!
In the blink of an eye, the giants’ heads flew off.
Kwaajik!
Igeon used the collapsing giants as stepping stones and leaped.
And in an instant, arriving right in front of the Red-Eyes, Igeon raised the corner of his mouth.
“Long time no see, you big snake brat.”
“Kiiik?!”
At the same time, the Heavenly Judgment swung!
And finally.
Puhaak!!!!
The Red-Eyes was split vertically from head to toe.
(Continued in next episode)