A black light drew near the gods.
It was a power that felt as if it would bring ruin to the world.
Of course, it did not only speak of physical destruction.
'Death.'
It was no simple rest.
It was a deathly force that would erase not only the world's destruction, but the very existence of gods, their divinity—even the definitions and memories of them.
Thus the gods could not help but flinch.
'A power that can erase even the memory of gods.'
Gods do not die easily.
And how could they, when gods are beings born from the wishes of humans.
Humans, vulnerable to fear and stress, need something to believe in without fail. All the more so in this current environment with monsters invading.
And so long as those humans endlessly wished for and remembered them, a god could be revived at any time.
Hence, eternal life and indestructibility.
But Igeon's power before their eyes was different.
The power of that Calamity God was a complete death that turned even resurrection into child's play.
A terror even to gods who did not fear death itself.
The 13th Constellation God.
For he was the only god who could kill not only the world, but the very existence of the gods.
It was not just them.
'All gods may die by that wretch's hand.'
The utter destruction of the divine realm.
As proof, the Constellation Gods who saw Igeon's black light went into convulsions.
Though the power was not yet enough to be called that of a Calamity God, merely catching its scent was enough to make the Constellation Gods panic.
They did not even want to approach it.
Perhaps that was why.
[The convulsing masters urgently seek the Dark Star.]
[They protest, demanding that greenhorn be eliminated at once.]
"!"
The Dark Star, a foul star uniquely able to devour Constellation Gods.
Could it be the perfect adversary to deal with the utterly filthy Igeon?
At last, with the gods' protests, a black light fell before Igeon. It was a black light shot through with streaks of crimson.
[The Dark Star has personally incarnated.]
Bang!
It did not take the form of a beast like the Geumsuju-in.
As if a Big Bang had occurred, the heavens split open with an explosion.
Rumble!
Its shape was like a black hole.
A black hole appeared amidst the churning, typhoon-like clouds.
Along with it, a hair-raising beam of light fell from the black hole.
Boom!
As the beam struck the ground, the holy city's people screamed.
"Kugh!!"
Animals, trees, debris, buildings—
Everything around began to be sucked into the black hole.
That was not all.
[The Dark Star is plundering the power of the Saints.]
Even the holy city's magic power was being sucked into the black hole.
It was a feat worthy of a Cancer Constellation God who coveted the power of other Constellation Gods, but well.
[The masters are enraged at the Dark Star's rampage.]
[They protest that it must not touch their own holy cities.]
[They say that the Calamity God alone is enough to be its foe.]
[The Dark Star snarls at them to shut up, glaring fiercely.]
At the same time, the light beam falling from the black hole advanced towards Igeon.
In truth, the Cancer Constellation God had been targeting Igeon from the start, regardless of the other gods' protests.
It must have been furious enough to unconsciously plunder the holy city's power.
As evidence, a violent vortex swirled on the ground. That vortex became a massive hurricane aiming for Igeon.
[The Dark Star reveals killing intent towards the Master of Ophiuchus.]
[The Dark Star flashes its eyes, demanding he hand over its Saint if he means to torment it in such a way.]
At this, Igeon raised the corners of his mouth.
In such a way?
He looked at Jang Rui, whom he was holding.
His head was already burning in Hugo's flames, his skin melting.
The solar flames, which did not extinguish until nightfall, were burning Jang Rui's hair and attempting to melt even his eyes.
"Kugh...!!"
Well, perhaps because he was a Saint, he did not die from it.
'No, is it because he's not human anymore?'
As proof, the shape of his eyes burning in the flames changed.
His pupils changed from human to the eyes of a reptile-like beast.
His skin was also changing to a different color.
Well, it didn't matter.
Igeon grinned viciously towards Cancer, who was demanding its Saint back.
And then.
Crunch!
"Argh!"
As if saying, take him if you can, he ground Jang Rui's face into the dirt.
At this, Cancer's light heaved violently.
Of course, it seemed a little different from the other Constellation Gods. It felt less like he worried for his Saint, and more like his pride had been wounded.
And something about Jang Rui that must not leak out.
As proof, a giant hand stretched out from the vortex.
It was a hand made of the vortex itself.
And that hand, the size of a building, was trying to take Jang Rui.
Igeon raised the corners of his mouth.
[3 minutes remaining until Battle God Instinct ends.]
[Level condition (20) satisfied. Saint designation satisfied. The Divine Throne is complete, allowing free use of Divine Throne energy.]
[Divine Throne energy can be consumed to extend Battle God Instinct by 1 second each.]
Simultaneously, he raised his hand to the sky. The Celestial Punishment in Igeon's hand transformed.
Flash!
The hatchet of Stage 1 instantly changed to Stage 3, the ultimate attack form.
Its height alone was approximately 3 meters!
The Celestial Punishment, its blade now massive, roared fiercely.
Surely, being an object Igeon had made, it could read its master's emotions.
[Celestial Punishment is enraged.]
[It vows not to forgive those who harm its master, pledging its body.]
At this, the vortex hand heaved greatly. It was a mockery.
[It laughs, asking what a weapon made by a mere mortal could possibly do.]
[It scoffs, asking if such a thing could even scratch an immortal being.]
Igeon raised the corners of his mouth.
"Daring to belittle my child!"
This was his child, the one who had even caught the Red Eye, one of the Four Great Calamities of the Unknown Civilization.
A black light surged from Celestial Punishment. Celestial Punishment, imbued with that light, grew even sharper.
And then the clash of Cancer and Ophiuchus's power!
It was the moment the giant hand tried to swallow Igeon.
Bang!
Igeon swung Celestial Punishment, colliding with the vortex hand.
Boom!
The black light emanating from Celestial Punishment split the giant hand into three parts.
Like a one-way road stretching into the sky, the black light swallowed the vortex.
Crunch!
In an instant, the vortex scattered.
[The Dark Star glares fiercely.]
[It demands how a mortal could dare lay hands on the body of gods.]
The Constellation Gods who had descended were also visibly flustered by the sight.
[The masters are horrified.]
[One of the masters hiding its face trembles in terror.]
It must be because of the black power they felt from Igeon.
Though he had yet to awaken as a Calamity God, that power—
For now it was merely a power of destruction, but well.
'Already enough to dismantle the power of a Constellation God.'
Even the subordinate gods were appalled.
[As expected, it would spell trouble if that awakens.]
And as if reacting to that thought, even the avatars who had only been watching finally stepped forward.
Though they had meant to observe the situation since the Dark Star was present.
[That wretch must not remain alive.]
That wretch was tied to their secrets.
[The enraged masters use their authority.]
[They say to quickly remove that filthy Calamity God from their sight.]
[They say he must be dealt with before the Calamity God opens its eyes.]
[They say they did not manipulate the Saints for nothing to kill Igeon.]
[They say to grant power to the Dark Star as well.]
The beast-shaped lightning bolts that had incarnated as avatars emitted power.
But that was when it happened.
"Ugh!"
Kevin, who had been dealing with the attacking subordinate gods, flinched.
A sensation as if an arrow had struck his back.
It was because he could not possibly not know what that sensation meant.
As expected.
[No, wait ju... Dammit!! I told you I'll trap you in a figure if you barge in!!]
Ignoring the command to wait, a silver light surged from Kevin's body.
Bang!
[The Master of the Full Moon manifests through its Saint.]
[The Master of the Full Moon, a Master under Ophiuchus, has descended.]
The unicorn transformed into a long-haired beauty.
A goddess had descended.
The other Constellation Gods must have been an eyesore.
And the Master of the Full Moon, having incarnated through Kevin's body, flashed her eyes.
[Do not worry.]
The goddess, radiating powerful energy, landed before Igeon.
[I shall fully support the new Master of the Serpent, so you need not worry...]
But that was when it happened.
Whack!!
[Huk!]
Kevin—no, the incarnated Master of the Full Moon—was kicked away by Igeon and sent flying.
The Master of the Full Moon, hurled in an instant, raged.
[Master of the Serpent! What is the meaning of this!]
The Virgo Constellation God, having suddenly been struck, looked utterly wronged, but Igeon wore an indifferent expression.
[Don't pretend to be an ally. You placed a curse on me too.]
"!"
At those words, Hugo's eyes also widened.
What? A curse?
The Virgo Constellation God?
Even Kevin was so flustered he almost forcibly dispelled the incarnation of the god.
But whether they reacted or not, Igeon sneered.
[You put a monitoring curse on me. Seems like you were watching me 24 hours a day, even when I bathed.]
"!"
Hugo was horrified, Kevin thought 'oh no,' and the Master of the Full Moon seemed panicked.
She had been observing Igeon after he awakened as Ophiuchus; it was never a curse.
Thus the flustered Master of the Full Moon blushed.
[Ah, no, that's not wha...!]
Igeon, as if he'd heard enough excuses, grabbed the Master of the Full Moon by the collar and hurled her.
Towards the side of the incarnated Constellation Gods.
Boom!
[You handle those bastards.]
After throwing the Master of the Full Moon, Igeon turned his head.
There, the Cancer Constellation God was returning as a vortex once more.
And at that moment, other avatars tried to attack Igeon, but.
Boom!
"!"
The Cancer Constellation God emitted power as if telling them not to interfere.
Cancer was a Divine Throne that walked a different path from the other Constellation Gods.
[It declares it will trample this Ophiuchus and plunder his abilities.]
[It is pleased, saying Ophiuchus's regeneration ability will sell for a high price to the Unknown Civilization.]
Igeon lifted Celestial Punishment as if telling it to get lost.
Through its core, he had already built up some resistance to Cancer's power.
And though he was consuming Divine Throne energy, he was still using Battle God Instinct.
'I'll eliminate that one first.'
He would also capture the other gods and find out why they tried to kill him.
Or, depending on their goal, he would drive them from this Earth.
And though the skill was still on cooldown, it didn't matter.
[Through the Saint, your abilities have been unlocked.]
[You can partially use the power of death.]
Boom!
The vortex and Igeon's power clashed again.
Boom!
"Kugh!"
As the forces collided, Celestial Punishment, blocking the vortex, roared fiercely.
It was indeed worth having a Saint.
But that was the moment.
Boom!
'!'
A suspicious light rose from the bodies of all the holy city's people and subordinate gods.
The holy city's people were alarmed.
"This is...!"
Like hot steam rising, lines of different colors ascended towards the sky.
That was the magic power connected to each one's Constellation God. The divine blessing.
And as that power was forcibly drawn out of their bodies, a shocking thing happened.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
"Argh!"
The lines emerging from their bodies were severed.
"Kyaak!"
"Argh!"
"Kyaak!"
The subordinate gods and the holy city's people whose lines were cut were abducted into the sky.
[The Dark Star has severed the Constellation God's blessings.]
[The subordinate gods whose blessings' power was cut are exposed defenselessly.]
[The Dark Star abducts the defenseless subordinate gods.]
[The Dark Star grows stronger.]
The form of the clashing vortex changed.
This time it was not a hand.
The vortex transformed into the shape of a monster.
And what appeared was a half-human, half-demon the size of a 100-story building.
Its legs were crab-like crustacean, its upper body a man without a face.
Its arms were like pincers.
An appearance closer to a monster than a Constellation God.
[Warning. The opponent's physical body is too tough.]
[Power does not work.]
[You must smash the shell first.]
And the man emitted power.
"Kugh!"
As heaven and earth rang, the holy city's people foamed at the mouth and collapsed. They could not maintain their sanity before that terror.
Many of the subordinate gods also hid in terror or knelt.
Even the Constellation Gods who appeared as avatars did not want to approach. Hugo, too, instinctively could not lift his head.
[Warning. The Dark Star emits power.]
[Warning. It is power far too strong to endure.]
Warnings came flying, but Igeon paid no mind.
Perhaps because, though a corpse, he had already fought a Lord-level in the basement of the Demon Tower.
He could not be newly suppressed by such a force.
'This measly warning...'
But at that moment, Igeon flinched.
Crack!
An ominous sound rang out.
'Damn.'
Celestial Punishment, which had been blocking Cancer's attack, had cracked.
And for a living weapon, that would be terrifying agony.
As proof, Celestial Punishment writhed in pain.
[Celestial Punishment feels the agony of its body being torn.]
[Celestial Punishment is in great anguish.]
Yet Celestial Punishment did not care.
[Celestial Punishment says it can do anything for its master.]
[Celestial Punishment says it can do anything so long as its master does not cry.]
Celestial Punishment was a weapon that, among the holy artifacts, could see Igeon's inner self.
That was why it said such things.
But as Igeon, not noticing that, was about to withdraw Celestial Punishment—
Celestial Punishment, crying out one last time for its master, tore into the flesh of the Cancer Constellation God.
Crunch!!!
Flash!
A tremendous flash burst forth.
And in that moment, Celestial Punishment, its strength exhausted, shattered to pieces.
It must have been the effect of the crack from when it had faced the General-level last time.
He had repaired it then, but Celestial Punishment was made of a unique material with no available resources to fix it.
'Was that the cause?'
But the Cancer Constellation God laughed.
[It says the weapon was nearly perfect.]
[It says, however, that a weapon made of mortal materials cannot pierce an immortal's body.]
[The Dark Star tells you to give up now.]
It was a mocking laugh that said someone like you was beneath them.
A feeling that you were nothing but a lower species made divine.
But beneath that sneer, Igeon laughed sharply.
"Oh, really? Then it just needs to not be made from mortal materials."
[......!]
Igeon summoned his inventory book and pulled something out from within.
It was a massive fang.