Dozens of minutes earlier.
Yang Wei thought this bastard Lee Geon had finally gone mad.
He was flustered that Lee Geon had suddenly called him out, but the sight before him was something else entirely.
'Good heavens, how can he regenerate a corpse turned into minced meat to this extent?'
That was right.
What stood before his eyes was a commander wearing a helmet.
And though he had seen Lee Geon's super-regeneration ability, he had no idea it was possible even on a corpse.
Moreover, to think the monster that had made him into this state was the very one who had declared war on humanity 25 years ago!
That creature was a general-grade monster that even the Star Gods were wary of!
So Yang Wei got chills.
'Just how much has he grown while I was trapped in that fish?'
Honestly, when Lee Geon returned, he'd thought, "All those other bastards must be dead too, serves them right, keke," but it wasn't something to joke about.
And then.
'Whoever the culprit is, the one who stabbed Lee Geon won't die a pretty death.'
There was a reason Lee Geon was painstakingly breaking their fingers and toes one by one.
'He must be planning to identify the real culprit.'
Since the Saints were all individuals with their own agendas, they wouldn't reveal their true intentions easily.
And if he killed the culprit in the meantime?
Lee Geon would surely drag their soul back from hell and make them suffer for eternity.
That wasn't all.
'I have a feeling even the Star Gods were involved in his death.'
Yang Wei was quick on the uptake.
He hadn't been conducting business among the Star Thrones for nothing.
And the fact that the Aries Star God ran away as if seeing a ghost upon Lee Geon's return was surely no coincidence.
'Knowing that bastard's personality, he won't leave even the gods who helped kill him alone.'
Well, none of that mattered.
What was important was that Lee Geon had assigned him the role of a spy.
Of course, he'd been flustered at first, but Yang Wei thought this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Why?
'The faction of the Unknown Civilization possesses enormous treasures.'
Their side had sacred artifacts, but the Unknown Civilization's side had special totems. They were immense treasures that even humans had yet to access.
And though he couldn't know their exact abilities, from the incidents that had surfaced and his intuition as the God Throne of Wealth, he was certain.
'With those, human history would change. No, my life would change! Money is the best!'
That was why the greedy Yang Wei had gladly accepted Lee Geon's order.
Since he just had to pretend to be an enemy general and steal valuable goods!
'This is a body regenerated by that genius Lee Geon anyway. Think I'll get caught? You dumbasses!'
Actually, Lee Geon being better at fighting than the Combat God Thrones had turned him into a mixed bag, but originally, Lee Geon was a tower manufacturer with perfect repair abilities.
The moment he gained the ability to regenerate even living things, the game was over.
'I'll never get caught!'
If he was meant to be caught in the first place, Lee Geon wouldn't have sent him as a spy.
'Exactly. Lee Geon is a genius! The best man!'
But lo and behold.
[This bastard smells like a human.]
"?!"
[His whole body reeks of human stench. Who is it that made such a shoddy body?]
"??!!"
What the hell is going on!
Having been discovered in an instant, Yang Wei screamed.
And as soon as his identity was exposed, the monsters surrounded Yang Wei.
[A human crawling all the way here? What nerve.]
[Perfect timing, I was hungry.]
"Aaack!"
Lee Geon, you damned son of a bitch!
'Whenever he makes my stuff, he always gives me defective goods!'
Is this another defect!
Yang Wei cursed Lee Geon as if feeling wronged.
That guy always gave Hugo top-quality items at a 90% discount, but with him, who paid several times more, Lee Geon always mysteriously gave him flawed goods!
'Don't make things half-assed!'
And whenever he called him out on it, Lee Geon always said his hand slipped.
Anyway, he'd put up with it because the performance was so good. Buying items whose repair cost exceeded the production cost was something he still considered madness.
Well, none of that mattered now.
[But this human has a nice smell.]
[A high-grade Saint?]
[I know this smell. It's Aries, the biggest coward among the human Star Thrones.]
Surrounded by monsters at least Red-grade or higher, Yang Wei trembled.
'Damn it, I've heard it's really painful to be eaten by these bastards.'
In the end, Yang Wei squeezed his eyes shut.
And immediately raised both hands and tried to prostrate himself flat on the ground.
The monsters were surprised by this.
[What, he surrenders just because he got caught?]
[Humans truly have no guts.]
At those words, Yang Wei seemed to feel a surge of anger for a moment.
And in that moment, he thought.
'I am a Saint too!'
Simultaneously, the man about to prostrate himself sprang up and charged at them.
"Do not look down on our humanityyyyyy!"
[!]
"Humans have pride too! Think I'd kneel to some sovereign! I fight for humanity!"
Even so, his current body was that of a monster.
Even without the protection of a Star God, he should be able to inflict some damage!
That wasn't all.
'If I do this, Lee Geon will see me in a new light too!'
Since Lee Geon had trusted him and given him this chance.
But that was when.
[This bastard is betraying me? Wanna die?]
Along with Lee Geon's voice heard from somewhere, Yang Wei screamed.
"Hyeuaaack!"
Immense pain struck his body.
The reason was simple.
[You have acted against your master's will.]
[You are tortured by your master.]
Yang Wei collapsed from the pain of being kicked in a vital area.
And this was undoubtedly Lee Geon's doing.
'I did feel something connecting me to Lee Geon's power, but as expected...!'
He knew it well because he remembered the feeling of being connected to his own Star God.
He wasn't sure of the details, but Lee Geon had taken this body captive and meted out punishment as chastisement.
That's roughly how the subordinate gods felt, anyway.
Anyway, Lee Geon must have been observing his actions. And must have thought he was trying to betray humanity, thus doing this.
So Yang Wei shouted with spirit.
"Humanity does not kneel...! Thuaaghh!"
Yang Wei again grabbed his vital area and collapsed.
[You have acted against your master's will.]
[You are tortured by your master.]
"No, I was doing this for humanity... hyakawaack!"
As Yang Wei was about to die like that, the monsters surrounding him gave bewildered looks.
[Wh-why is he like this?]
[I don't know. Is he broken?]
[Yeah, he seems to smell like fish too.]
Under the continuous pain, Yang Wei shouted as if pleading, as if speaking to Lee Geon.
"Nooo!! It's a misunderstanding! I'm not betraying... Aaaack!"
[You have acted against your master's will.]
[You are tortured by your master.]
In the end, Yang Wei prostrated himself flat.
"I'm sorry. I will pledge loyalty to the Unknown Civilization."
The pain stopped.
[Your master is satisfied.]
Yang Wei shed tears.
That bastard flips out even when I don't betray him.
And around that time.
The Saints, who had been watching this scene in real-time, were terrified.
Their gazes were directed at Lee Geon, who was smiling.
"Yeah. That's how you should have behaved from the start. Do you always have to have your eggs burst open to come to your senses?"
The Saints fell into solemnity.
That wicked bastard.
They felt sympathy for Yang Wei inside the mirror.
But regardless, Lee Geon's eyes glinted as he looked at the mirror.
"Now, hurry on to the sovereign."
From the beginning, Lee Geon had been hoping Yang Wei would betray him.
The reason was simple.
'If he reveals he's a Saint, he'll definitely be sent to a superior.'
That was right.
That was exactly what Lee Geon was aiming for.
The Unknown Civilization already considered Saints and Star Gods to be the highest-grade special food.
The reason high-grade Saints, who received much power from their Star Gods, were targeted was similar.
And the precious soul of a Saint had come rolling in on its own; there was no way they'd just stand by and watch.
'Yang Wei is guaranteed to be taken to a sovereign-grade monster.'
Therefore, whether Yang Wei gathered information or not didn't matter at all.
No, to be precise, he had no expectations whatsoever.
As such, there was only one thing he was aiming for.
'Now, hurry to the sovereign.'
Lee Geon had placed a special device in the body of the helmeted man.
[Venom of the Serpent's Eye (SSS)]
-Based on the poison stored in the body, creates a special poison unique to the Ophiuchus Throne
This was a skill that newly evolved when he swallowed the core of the Cancer Throne this time.
And just in case, he attached the bomb that the Capricorn Throne possessed as well. That was the missile which had once been intended to wipe out Korea.
That was because originally, that was something Cheon Ji-woo had completed to 90%, and the Capricorn Throne had stolen the nearly finished product.
Anyway, when Yang Wei goes to the sovereign, he could execute his plan then.
'I'll pulverize them with the special bomb and poison installed in the body.'
Sure enough, the creatures moved just as Lee Geon thought.
[A Saint? You?]
[That's right! I'll hand over information from this side, so please spare my life!]
[What should we do?]
[What do you mean, if it's truly a Saint-grade soul, we must take him to the Sovereign.]
Lee Geon smiled, as if everything was going according to plan.
But that was when.
Unexpected words came from within the mirror.
[But wasn't it too contrived?]
[Huh?]
[No matter what, there's no way a noble being of the Saint level would be captured this easily.]
[That's true.]
They were looking at Yang Wei with great suspicion.
[Above all, there's proof of it.]
At this, Lee Geon furrowed his brow.
Just as he thought the situation might have been too contrived, that was when.
[Isn't he too weak and pathetic to be a Saint?]
[That is correct.]
[There's no way this thing is a Saint.]
At those words, the Saints went "Ah," and nodded their heads, while Yang Wei flared up in anger.
[What are these bastards saying! I am a Saint! You jerks!]
In the end, the monsters, having judged that such a shoddy thing couldn't be a Saint, tried to devour Yang Wei.
At that scene, the Saints were uncharacteristically troubled.
"Hey, is this really okay?"
"That fatso is really going to get eaten there!"
"He's still a Saint of humanity, after all!"
At those words, Lee Geon, finding it annoying, clicked his tongue.
Well, Yang Wei was in a situation where he couldn't use his power because his Star God had run away.
So even if they ate Yang Wei's soul, they wouldn't gain much power.
'Ah, whatever.'
Finally, when Lee Geon activated the switch from his bosom, something astonishing happened.
Bang!!
A massive explosion occurred within the mirror.
The Capricorn Throne's bomb, planted in the helmeted man's body, had detonated.
'Well, those guys should be handled fine with this.'
Whether he recovered the corpse of the helmeted man—no, Yang Wei—or not didn't matter.
As the bomb, which was especially effective against monsters, exploded, the other side turned into a chaos.
Bang!
[Aaack! What is this all of a sudden!]
[That human creature unleashed an unknown power! Cough!]
Inside the mirror, blood splattered, limbs were torn apart, and it was utter pandemonium.
But in that situation, one person alone—Yang Wei—sustained no damage at all.
That was only natural.
[Prisoner 4's body regenerates under the influence of the Ophiuchus Throne.]
Thanks to this, Yang Wei shouted in exhilaration.
[See! This is the power of a Saint! Die!]
Strictly speaking, it was the bomb Lee Geon detonated, but Yang Wei, in high spirits, charged at the monsters.
Bang!!
[Experience points increase.]
[Prisoner 4 has acquired an item.]
[Prisoner 4 has stolen a large amount of something.]
[It is secretly transferred to the sanctuary of the Ophiuchus Throne.]
In the end, the monsters, flustered by this power, quickly shouted as if grasping the reality.
[Damn it! It's Saint-grade!]
[Summon the General!]
[Take him to the Sovereign!]
They quickly seized Yang Wei.
Yang Wei yelled if they wanted to taste the bomb again, but no more explosions occurred.
Lee Geon had ceased its activation.
Thanks to this, Yang Wei, caught by them, appeared flustered.
[Aa, no! Why isn't it coming out, hey!]
[He is the Sovereign's precious meal! Drag him away! He's Saint-grade!]
[Hurry to the gate!]
[No, I'm not a Saint! I said I'm not!]
Lee Geon laughed at the scene reflected in the mirror.
'That fatso is useful after all.'
To think he'd even uncover a monster summoning gate, something he hadn't expected at all.
But the Saints were appalled at his laughter.
"I-is it okay to just leave him like that?"
"Can we really let him be sent to the sovereign?"
As if annoyed, Lee Geon picked his ear.
"What do I care? He can get saved by the Star God who ran away, or not."
At those words, Kevin looked at Lee Geon as if dumbfounded.
That Star God, who had also been damaged and fled... as if that same coward would really go save his Saint!
But regardless, Lee Geon smiled as if everything was going according to plan.
"Whatever, I'm going. That side is settled, and now I just have to destroy the gate."
At that vicious smile, the Saints looked at him as if he were a madman, and Hugo held his face as if about to cry.
"As expected, there's no way someone like that is a Star God."
(To be continued)