What? You recruited someone?
Kevin and Giselle thought they had misheard for a second.
That was how dumbfounded they were.
In the end, Giselle, who had been cackling at Lee Geon's death and mocking him, couldn't hold back and asked again.
[Right now. You recruited *who*, exactly?]
At those words, the half-human half-beast sighed as if they were pathetic.
[I see the title of Constellation was ultimately nothing. Imprisoned, and now even your ears have deteriorated.]
The half-human half-beast's lips curled up.
Perhaps it was a sneer, judging that compared to a Lord, the human faction was truly inferior.
The half-human half-beast approached the prison. Beneath that expression was a sense of superiority, a disdain for humans.
As expected.
[Or perhaps, are you merely surprised that we accomplished what even you couldn't?]
[Ah, no. That's not it.]
[Inferior gods of the human faction. If you didn't hear, I'll say it again. We have recruited your colleague, the Saint of the Holy Palace, who even you failed to sway...]
"Pfft!!!"
[!]
Kevin almost burst out laughing, a rare occurrence. And at the sudden laugh that escaped him, the half-human half-beast turned its gaze.
"No… right. Damn. You sly bastards. You managed to reel that guy in, of all people."
Kevin, who had quickly turned his head, began to tremble.
And the monster spoke again, perhaps thinking it had been misunderstood.
[Yes. The Holy Palace Saint is our loyal...]
"Pffftt!!!"
[????]
In the end, the monster frowned and looked at Kevin again.
But Kevin had wrenched his neck around, so his expression was not properly visible.
And seeing Kevin with his head turned away, the Virgo Apostle clicked her tongue.
Kevin's face, as he turned away and clamped his mouth shut, was on the verge of dying from laughter, that was why.
A guy who looked like he'd suffocate from being unable to breathe properly was holding on desperately, knowing he couldn't afford to be caught by the monster.
Of course, normally, there was no way his composure would break over something like this.
'But of *all* the people to recruit, it had to be the Holy Palace...!'
Kevin was literally dying of laughter.
Giselle gave up on speaking.
She didn't know how the story of recruiting the Holy Palace Saint came about in the first place.
'What? Kill Lee Geon with Hugo? Betrayal?'
As if he would *ever* betray him!
Hugo was the only opponent even she, Giselle, hadn't managed to sway until the very end.
Not that she had succeeded in swaying the others either, but Hugo was simply on a different level.
'Get lost. I'd rather put poison on a cheeseburger and choke on it than join you bastards.'
No slander against Lee Geon worked, and no attempts to drive a wedge between them took hold.
Why else would she immediately think that Hugo was the first one that needed to be eliminated after Lee Geon's death?
He was kept alive only because he had many useful aspects.
Anyway, that wasn't what was important right now.
She didn't know what method they used to ultimately pick Hugo, but.
[...That's a trap... Kuk!!]
Giselle tried to offer a warning, but Kevin immediately stretched out his hand.
At the same time, pure white ice froze Giselle’s body and sealed her mouth shut.
The enemies were so helpfully wasting their own efforts; why would he pour cold water on that?
"Constellation, didn't you say the Holy Palace would handle Lee Geon themselves? You talk *way* too much."
Kevin's lips curled up murderously as he glared at Giselle.
It was rage. There was no way he wouldn't be furious, played for a fool at the Tower of Demons along with Zhang Lui and this woman, knowing nothing.
In fact, if it weren't for Lee Geon's direct orders, Kevin would have mobilized the entire forces of Virgo and invaded.
But this woman was Lee Geon's prey.
And his orders were the priority.
Because among the Libra Apostles, there was an outstanding one who would be useful to Ophiuchus.
"Well, you just stay like that inside. I'll just be taking your subordinates with me."
That bastard!
And Giselle frowned at the power of the ice that sealed her mouth.
'This isn't the power of Virgo.'
This silver power with a tint of green was unmistakably Lee Geon’s power!
[Under the protection of the Serpent Bearer]
[Constellation experience is being tithed to Ophiuchus]
The power of Ophiuchus suppressed the power of Libra.
The half-human half-beast watched that scene with immense interest.
[To be devoured like that by the very being that was once the flesh of a Lord, even if it has now fallen to be a mere human Constellation... How truly pitiful.]
The half-human half-beast let out a sneer of extreme satisfaction.
[Well, how strong could a low-ranking Lord become by devouring Saints and Constellations and growing from them? Still, it wouldn't even reach the toenails of my Master. I understand.]
The half-human half-beast, with goat-like eyes, glanced at Kevin.
But Kevin, who had been stretching out his hand, had his eyes wide open.
He couldn't help it.
'What? A Lord?'
But regardless, the half-human half-beast grinned eerily.
[However, I cannot understand you, who dares to steal the apostles from here.]
Immense killing intent bore down on Kevin.
In response, the Virgo Apostles who had come with him urgently stepped forward.
[Kevin!]
Flash!
It was a barrier.
The truth was, the Virgo goddesses had been secretly stealing the Libra Apostles while Kevin distracted the monster and Giselle.
After all, the Libra Apostles imprisoned here were trapped inside objects, just like genies in lamps.
And now that they'd found those objects too, they just needed to use Kevin as bait and escape themselves!
[Hurry, take those and go to the young Snake!]
Just by appearance, the opponent was at least General-class!
Only Lee Geon had managed to capture such a being until now; it was that strong.
They couldn't leave their own Saint to be harmed.
But.
[Kuk!]
[Heok!]
The Virgo goddesses screamed, clutching their own throats.
The half-human half-beast monster leisurely smiled while extending its hand.
[The Harvest Allowed by Abundance]
And with that, something burst forth from the mouths of the Virgo goddesses.
It was their souls.
This was the authority used by the Lord of Abundance, capable of cultivating and harvesting emotions, abilities, everything.
And he intended to harvest the souls of the apostles, extracted using the power granted by his master.
At this, Kevin immediately used a Saint's exclusive skill.
[Dismiss Summon]s
Simultaneously, Kevin threw the object the goddesses had tossed to him back to them.
[Kevin!]
"You give that to Lee Geon yourselves!"
And with that, the Virgo Apostles vanished.
He had returned them to the Constellation Realm.
Though, that Constellation Realm was currently Lee Geon’s.
The moment the Virgo Apostles disappeared, the barrier vanished, and the half-human half-beast curled its lips.
[If you had just taken those items and fled, you might have saved your lives.]
Kevin raised his sword.
But at that moment, the half-human half-beast used the borrowed authority of a Lord.
[What Abundance Cultivates is ]
A flash of light burst, and Kevin screamed.
Every human has large and small wounds.
From small cavities to organ inflammation, or small scratches. Even hangnails.
And the very small abrasion on his flank that he got while infiltrating the Constellation Realm of Libra, in this moment, grew exponentially by the power of Abundance.
Crunch!
The small inflammations and scratch wounds he originally had instantly enlarged, tearing his body apart.
"Kgh!"
It was tremendous pain.
But the bastard, who missed nothing, didn't seem satisfied with just that.
[What Abundance Cultivates is ]
The seed that Abundance richly cultivated this time was pain!
The agony, already death-like, became even greater than before.
And as if mocking it, savoring it, laughter erupted from the black magical power the half-human half-beast emitted.
[Pain Level 100%!]
[Pain Level 150%!]
[Pain Level 200%!]
The monster's magical power, which had changed into the form of a bird, cackled gleefully.
And that power of wound and pain growth even extended to Giselle.
[Argh!]
She was already wounded from her encounter with Lee Geon and suffering injuries inflicted by the Lord of Time.
It was only natural that this pain exceeded her capacity.
The half-human half-beast laughed at the sound of her scream.
[Behold, is our Lord's power not magnificent? It was with this that we recruited the Holy Palace's Saint. Cultivating human emotions is trivial work.]
'……!'
Having experienced the power of Abundance firsthand, Kevin ground his teeth.
Because he didn't know what would happen even to Hugo if he faced this kind of power.
No, that's not what was important right now.
[Not that!]
With Giselle's scream, the half-human half-beast activated the magic circle drawn on the floor.
Simultaneously, a strange statue rose from the magic circle!
The half-human half-beast curled its lips.
[Take good care of the Royal Apostle of Libra.]
A Royal Apostle was a top-ranking apostle among apostles!
It was an object Giselle had hidden, intending to summon it once her energy was accumulated.
And just as this top-ranking apostle was about to fall into the monster's hands—!
Flash!
"!"
Kevin's belt flashed, growing in size as a mass of light suddenly gulped down the statue in one bite.
"!!!"
It was a slime.
The moment the slime swallowed the statue and tried to flee, the half-human half-beast exuded murderous intent.
[You dare!]
As it finally moved to act, Kevin swallowed his pain and cast a flash spell for the slime.
[Light of the Snowfield (S)]
Flash!
The half-human half-beast, momentarily blinded by the skill, screamed, and the slime leaped outside the prison.
Just as the enraged monster was about to use tracking magic to kill Kevin and capture the fleeing slime—!
Whish!
With a powerful explosion, the magic vanished.
And at the shadow that appeared within the smoke, Giselle was more surprised than anyone.
[Kali!]
She was the one who had been luring the Constellation Realm's followers outside.
And more than anything, seeing Kali, Giselle's expression was one of immense joy.
[You've come to save me, daughter.]
Giselle cast a worried glance, asking where she had been.
But.
Snatch!
[……!!]
Kali tore off Giselle's necklace and stepped back.
Simultaneously, she effortlessly scooped up the blood-soaked Kevin.
Because of this, Giselle was horribly startled.
[Daughter!?]
But at that cry, Kali replied nonchalantly.
"I'm not your daughter."
[Wh, what did you say?!]
"Then, bye."
Having stolen both the Royal Apostle of Libra and the Constellation's treasure, Kali quickly escaped.
[Kali!]
At the same time, a voice sounding livid was heard.
[Those bastards!]
It was the General, whose eyes had been briefly blinded. The General, stripped of a precious Royal Apostle, called his subordinate.
[The plan has changed. Tell them to handle it immediately. Before those things can regroup. I will bring the Lord and follow shortly.]
* * *
Meanwhile, around that time.
"What? Replace the Constellation?"
Hugo raised an eyebrow at the words of the opponent before him.
And standing before Hugo was none other than the Scribe.
Hugo was receiving an unexpected proposal.
"Pull down the Ophiuchus Constellation, you say?"
"Yeah. Good for you, good for me. Oh. Don't tell me you actually *enjoy* being Lee Geon’s lackey?"
At that, Hugo's blood boiled.
"Are you joking? He’s a bastard I’d be glad to kill."
The Scribe smiled at that as if it were expected.
And more than anything, the reason the Scribe could speak so confidently was one.
'As expected, he wore it.'
That was it.
It was because of the tie pin stuck in Hugo's tie.
And that was the item he himself had sent to Hugo during the day, disguised as a gift under Cheon Ji-woo's name.
Since his specialty as the Scribe was information distortion, he had sent it off well, made to look like a letter from his wife.
But the true nature of that gift was an object that cultivated hatred.
The authority of the Lord of Abundance was clearly, secretly placed upon it.
In fact, it was visible to the cockroach hiding in the Scribe's pocket.
[Hatred for Lee Geon 50%]
[Hatred for Lee Geon 70%]
[Hatred for Lee Geon 100%]
The Lord's ability was working distinctly. And at this level, anyone would be more than ready to kill Lee Geon on sight.
At the same time, they were ones who had received instructions from the General.
'The Royal Apostle was stolen, they said. If it's the Holy Palace, both Kali and the Virgo Saint could be instantly killed from a distance.'
He had to hurry to bring him to their side.
Maybe that's why.
The Scribe curled his lips.
"Since our goals are aligned, I could even help you bring down Lee Geon."
And then it was that moment.
"Hey. What are you doing, you guys here?"
"!"
At the familiar voice from behind, the Scribe laughed as if a golden opportunity had fallen into his lap.
Because the one who appeared before them was none other than Lee Geon!
'This is it.'
Simultaneously, the Scribe whispered to Hugo.
"That right there is the face of the mortal enemy you must kill. The enemy who robbed you of everything, isn't he? So, let's kill him."
At those words, as if a switch had been flipped, Hugo grinned.
"An enemy, huh."
Hugo rose.
It was a meaningful smile.
(Continued in the next episode)