A tremendous light burst forth.
Though it was hard to see clearly, shrouded by a red flash, it was unmistakably a blue-green light.
At that familiar sight, Cheon Seongjae, who was nearby, smiled.
‘The Light of Conversion!’
It was definitely the same phenomenon that had happened to him. And its appearance meant one thing for certain.
‘Noona has become a Seongdo of Ophiuchus too!’
That wasn’t all.
Smoke wreathed Cheon Yuha’s body. Seeing that, Cheon Seongjae clenched his fist.
‘She even ranked up!’
He had experienced the same phenomenon when he ranked up from A-rank to S-rank.
Sure enough, the Seongdos standing before Cheon Seongjae stirred at the sight.
“What’s that? Don’t tell me it’s a rank up?”
“Cheon Yuha?”
“No, wait. If Cheon Yuha ranked up, is she SS-rank now?”
“Wha, what? Are you crazy?!”
In truth, the Seongdos considered S-rank to be the limit for ranking up.
That was only natural. SS-rank was the realm of a Seongin, a domain so difficult to reach that it was considered the pinnacle of the new humanity.
It wasn’t for nothing that there were said to be only ten in the entire world.
Of course, Cheon Yuha had originally been S-rank while belonging to the Ten Seongins who were SS-rank, but...
“Hold on. Then if she ranked up from that to SS-rank, how much stronger does she become?”
“Obviously she’s a true Seongin level! What else!”
“!”
It was Cheon Seongjae who had shouted.
The Seongdos glared at him. There was so much they wanted to say, but they shut their mouths.
It must be because they couldn’t deny his words.
And what did it mean that Cheon Yuha had become SS-rank now?
‘A Seongin.’
Of course, Ophiuchus already had a Seongin named Igeon.
So it would just be her performing miracles as one of the Ten Seongins, same as before. There wouldn’t be a major change, but...
‘If Igeon’s power grows any further, that would be troublesome.’
That was why they glared at Cheon Seongjae.
But oddly enough, their eyes held hatred.
It wasn’t simply because Cheon Seongjae had taken their treasure.
‘A brat like that is held in such high regard by Lord Heiji?’
Clearly, Heiji, who had barely managed to connect using a Pisces communication skill, had told them something like this.
[We must prevent that child from awakening to the Seongin level.]
Heiji had apparently already anticipated that Cheon Seongjae would become a Seongin.
And that wasn’t all.
[The Fairy King that child took is far too problematic.]
Fairies were already at the level of minor gods.
Especially the Fairy King that Cheon Seongjae had taken was called Elysion, the first Fairy King, but that was merely its fairy name.
The fairies of Gemini were spirits or phantoms summoned in the sacred garden of Gemini, clad in new skins.
And.
[Its true name is Mimir, the Pouch of Divine Wisdom.]
That was it.
What Cheon Seongjae had drawn was the very spirit that the Absolute God had coveted even to the point of sacrificing one eye. A god who contained all the knowledge and wisdom of the world.
That was why even the Gemini’s Constellation God had desired to summon it, wasn’t it?
But Cheon Seongjae had drawn it and bolted.
In any case, Heiji had told them to hurry, saying that once Cheon Seongjae awakened to the Seongin level, it might become impossible to ever reclaim the Fairy King.
Right now, his body was so frail that a single tap could knock the Fairy King loose, but with a Seongin-level body, it would become one with him, just like Heiji.
And what’s more, they said it couldn’t fall into Igeon’s hands.
‘They said if it enters the 13th Constellation God, it would become too heavy a burden for the god’s throne.’
Furthermore, he had heard it.
‘The 13th Constellation God and Mimir are deeply connected.’ That was what the Gemini Constellation God had said to the Seongin.
And though he didn’t know what that meant, they raised both arms.
That was the signal to attack.
At the same time, Cheon Seongjae, who had been gesturing frantically, lost his temper.
“Ah, damn! Now I can’t summon Dad!”
Whether it was a problem of contribution level, Cheon Seongjae could no longer summon the Sagittarius Seongin.
At that, the Gemini Seongdos smiled.
Cheon Seongjae’s weakness was obvious.
‘Close combat!’
Sure enough, the brawny mages with their thick arms stepped forward.
The Cancer zodiac, a criminal zodiac, was with them as well.
“Die, you scrawny brat!”
“!”
Finally, a blunt weapon aimed for Cheon Seongjae’s head.
But just then.
Clang!
The blunt weapon stopped right beside Cheon Seongjae’s head. He had blocked it with his arm.
The attacker seemed flustered.
‘This bastard blocked a blunt weapon?’
With an arm that looked like it would snap at a single tap?
At the same time, Cheon Seongjae grinned.
‘The hardship was worth it, indeed.’
It wasn’t for nothing that his uncle had attached(?) that subordinate god to him.
Though it was only for a short time, while repeatedly coming close to death against subordinate gods, his reaction speed and agility had increased considerably.
His feeble stamina had also improved quite a bit.
And that wasn’t the only thing.
‘As expected of Uncle!’
Cheon Seongjae wept tears of emotion as he looked at the armor covering his torso and arms.
Armor S-rank
- Attack Absorption (up to 80% of total attack) S-rank
- Reflect (reflects damage up to the total amount of the user's magic power) (S-rank)
- Usable Armor Skill: If you touch my Seongdo, I'll kill you skill (S-rank) (Additional trait)
This was a holy relic that Igeon had made for him.
Normally it looked like a black t-shirt, but when infused with magic power, it became equipment that covered his upper body and arms.
And though he wanted nothing more than to treasure this relic, enshrining it and polishing it every single day, if he did that, his uncle would probably beat him up.
Anyway, it was good.
‘With this, I can manage.’
Soon, Ophiuchus’s magic power flowed into Cheon Seongjae’s hand.
But it was right then.
Among the Cancer Seongdos watching him, someone let out a laugh.
It was a woman.
And at the very moment Cheon Seongjae and the Seongdos clashed!
With that woman’s laugh, black shadows shot up around Cheon Seongjae.
Boom!
And unexpectedly, it held the power of a Seongin.
The startled Cheon Seongjae quickly turned his head. With his exceptional detection ability, he must have identified its nature immediately.
‘No way, the Cancer Seongin!’
But without even a moment to locate his opponent, the shadows swallowed Cheon Seongjae whole.
Rumble!
It was like a giant black sphere.
[Crab’s Grave]
And the woman who had trapped Cheon Seongjae smiled.
She appeared to be the commander of the Cancer Seongdos, but her true identity was none other than the Cancer Seongin, Jang Ru-i.
Among the twelve zodiacs, she was the reaper closest to death.
Having infiltrated without the Seongdos’ knowledge, Jang Ru-i curled the corner of her lips grimly.
‘Yes. No matter what, Mimir cannot go to Igeon.’
And that wasn’t all. It was best to kill such a promising sprout from the beginning.
Of course, Cheon Seongjae had a skill that could summon Sagittarius.
So this was something she had put extra care into making.
So that even if he summoned Sagittarius, he couldn't get out. And so that not even the power of the Fairy King he held could break through.
Jang Ru-i smiled.
“Finish him immediately.”
“Yes! Commander!”
And Cheon Seongjae, hearing that voice, cursed inside the black sphere.
‘That damned Cancer Seongin.’
Magic didn’t work in here. Not even the skill to summon Dad.
The reason was simple.
‘Damn it. The wall’s level is SS-rank.’
He could gauge its strength at a glance, but regrettably, the highest-level skill he had was S-rank.
‘It can’t be broken without an SS-rank skill.’
On top of that, a strange barrier had been placed, perhaps to bind the Fairy King’s power.
Just as Cheon Seongjae’s vision began to blur.
[Contractor. Break this wall at once.]
At the Fairy King’s voice, Cheon Seongjae gritted his teeth.
‘Are you kidding? You know better than anyone I can’t break this skill.’
Then the Fairy King clicked its tongue as if pitying him.
[Foolish contractor, do you plan to let your hard-earned talents and the Constellation God’s grace sit idle and roast jerky?]
“!”
The moment the words ended, a flash burst from within the black sphere.
At the same time, the Cancer members outside flinched.
That was only natural, for what they sensed in that flash was the power of the serpent.
‘This power, it couldn’t be.’
Sure enough, something astonishing unfolded inside the black sphere.
[Using Semi-Divinity]
[Qualification to become a Seongin acquired]
* * *
And around the same time.
[Absorbed power according to Leo’s Rule (Rule of the Victor)]
[Rank increased]
[Cheon Yuha - SS-rank]
The sound of Cheon Yuha’s rank awakening was heard from her badge.
Amidst the red flash, Oliver vomited blood and collapsed.
Thud!
Along with that, a familiar voice sounded in Cheon Yuha’s ear.
[Evangelism 100% complete]
[Became a Seongdo of Ophiuchus]
[Cheon Yuha has succeeded and compiled a new chapter of the Ophiuchus Bible: ]
[Qualification for Seongin acquired]
It was right then.
“Ah…! Over there!”
Oliver, whose stomach had been pierced by the red lightning, reverted from his transformation.
Covered in blood, Oliver plummeted to the ground.
As a bonus, the black armor he had been wearing was completely destroyed.
Thud!
Witnessing this, the Leo Seongdos could only gape. The same went for Stephen, who had released his semi-divinity state.
They had never imagined that Cheon Yuha would defeat Oliver.
Of course, looking at achievements and records, Cheon Yuha always surpassed Oliver, but combat was different.
No matter what, Cheon Yuha was S-rank and Oliver was SS-rank.
‘Their physical abilities should be different.’
Of course, Yuha was not only talented but also a tenacious hard worker. Being obsessed with strength made it not impossible.
Well, that obsession with strength was probably because she lost her comrades.
‘Her liking Igeon probably isn’t unrelated to that.’
And it was then.
‘!’
Stephen flinched as he looked at Cheon Yuha beside him.
Yuha was the one who had been trying to stab him just moments ago. On top of that, she was holding Igeon’s weapon.
There was no way he wouldn’t be frightened.
Sure enough.
“Hey. No, wait…! At least break your contract with your dad first!”
But just then.
Clank!
Cheon Yuha retrieved the spear. At that, Stephen asked in disbelief.
“What. You’re not going to attack me?”
“I satisfied the condition. It’s done now.”
“Wh, what??”
But it was right then.
“Cough!”
Oliver, who hadn’t stirred, painfully vomited blood.
As the Leo Seongdos reflexively tried to approach, someone stopped them.
The opponent had not only borrowed the power of an unknown civilization, but he had even targeted Leo and then lost to Cheon Yuha.
He wasn’t even worth approaching.
However, the agonized Oliver seemed incredibly resentful.
“To think I’d lose to a bitch…!!”
Just as Cheon Yuha was about to respond to Oliver’s glare.
“What’s that bastard saying.”
Along with that voice, Oliver screamed.
Crack!
At that, everyone present was taken aback.
The one who appeared above Oliver and kicked his head was none other than Igeon.
“Lo, Lord Igeon!”
At the same time, as Igeon crooked a finger, the spear in Cheon Yuha’s hand came flying over with a whine. It was welcoming its parent.
But regardless, Igeon raised the spear high.
“This bastard. Not content with borrowing the power of an unknown civilization, he can’t even accept defeat and acts pathetic.”
Stab!
“Ugh!”
Where the spear was driven in was Oliver’s stomach. The place where the core of the unknown civilization was stored.
Igeon sneered.
“And you didn’t lose to a bitch. You lost to Cheon Yuha.”
“……!”
At those words, Cheon Yuha’s eyes rounded.
But Igeon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Oliver.
“I have something to ask before I deal with you.”
“……!”
“Is Giselle that woman?”
“What?”
“I asked if that woman gave you the power of the unknown civilization.”
“……!”
Indeed.
Truthfully, while fighting Giselle, Igeon had felt something peculiar.
‘That was a scent close to a monster. No, a Sovereign.’
If so, then perhaps Giselle was...
Soon, at Igeon’s suspicious gaze, Oliver laughed loudly.
“Yes! I received power from that woman to oust the foolish Leo Seongin who’s infatuated with your weapon, and to seat a true Seongin! And I tried to use you in the arena to eliminate the Seongin, but you ruined everything!”
At that shout, Stephen, who had been helplessly beaten by Igeon in three seconds, immediately choked up.
“So that’s why he tried to kill me back then…!”
But Oliver sneered and shouted.
“Anyway, that woman said it. Humanity will perish this time. So I simply submitted to that power in advance.”
“Huh?”
“You just haven’t seen her and the power of the unknown civilization yet. Humanity, and you Seongins, are all destined to die! Igeon coming back won’t change anything!”
At those words, Igeon laughed as if disgusted.
“Even so, you’re just a pathetic loser who got scared of those bastards and lost to our Yuha.”
As Igeon struck down Oliver and turned away, the Leo Seongdos in the distance cheered.
“The verdict is out! Cheon Commander has defeated Commander Oliver!”
“The commander-in-chief of Leo has changed!”
“And SS-rank at that! Congratulations! You are finally a complete Ten Seongins!”
“In any case, Commander Cheon! Congratulations!”
“Commander Cheon is now the commander-in-chief of Leo!”
“That’s right. According to Leo’s Rule, from tomorrow you will ascend to Oliver’s position...”
At those words, Igeon, who had been approaching, mocked them incredulously.
“What are they saying. Your commander is now our Seongdan’s property.”
“Excuse me?”
“Why do you think I came here?”
At that vicious smile, the most flustered was Stephen.
Because he grasped Igeon’s intention at a single glance from that smile.
Sure enough.
‘Damn. He’s planning to take our main force!’
Though it had been hard to see obscured by the flash earlier, there had definitely been the light of conversion.
He had made Yuha into a Seongdo.
Because of that, Stephen had a headache.
‘If the Leo Constellation God finds out, it’ll be troublesome!’
However, Stephen didn’t panic.
Even though she carried the light of Ophiuchus, she was still in a temporary initiation state, not yet baptized.
If it was before the baptism, they could still bring her back.
But perhaps his thoughts had been read.
Igeon immediately used a skill.
[ skill activated]
In that instant, Igeon’s eyes turned serpentine.
A tremendous light filled Cheon Yuha’s vision.
And Cheon Yuha’s view suddenly changed.
Outer space.
Something appeared before her.
But it was a different sight from what had happened with her younger brother.
(Continued in the next chapter)