Actually, a while ago. Hugo had a huge fight with Lee Geon.
It was probably around the time Singungjwa became subordinate to Baemju-injwa.
He didn’t know the reason, but maybe because of that damned bald Seongsin(?), Hugo, now under the Baemju-in, kept pouting.
Of course, being a lackey to a friend couldn’t possibly feel good.
He was quite a prideful type as well.
He had every reason to be sulky, but his constant snapping was so strange it bordered on weird.
So much so that Lee Geon actually raised an eyebrow and asked again.
“Hey, what are you dissatisfied about?”
“What do you mean, Lord Seongsin.”
“I said I’m sorry for deceiving you, okay? Well, honestly I think the one who got deceived is at fault, but anyway, please change the channel.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll change it for you, Lord Seongsin.”
“Just what are you dissatisfied about? Even as a subordinate, I’m not making you run any errands. Ah, Taeksu, not that channel, the movie channel. And some juice for me too. Freshly squeezed, 100%, of course.”
Twitch.
Does this brat not even consider this an errand?
Well, he understood.
Because over twenty years ago, when he was Lee Geon’s disciple, he’d done much worse things.
For example, going all the way to Antarctica to hunt a monster to make an ice-attribute weapon.
Or earning money by hastily performing tricks after Lee Geon blew all their travel funds on a single day’s meal.
Compared to those times, changing a channel and fetching juice wasn’t even an errand.
Anyway, he had received far more from Lee Geon, and it was a million times better than the old days when he was sick and groaning.
But even so, there was something he was dissatisfied about.
As expected.
“Lord Seongsin. How about just handing the Seongsin title to your subordinate deity? Let’s just be humans together.”
As Hugo offered the 100% freshly squeezed apple juice, Lee Geon’s eyes widened.
“What? So your problem isn’t being my subordinate, but that I’m a Seongsin?”
“Huh. What’s so good about being a god who can’t even die and has to live forever?”
That was it.
Hugo hated that Lee Geon had become a god.
Because a god doesn’t age like a human.
Fundamentally, it meant being an immortal existence.
Moreover, if there was a sanctuary that remembered his existence, he would become a being that never vanishes either.
And if that happened, what then?
“If you become a god, you don’t age. Everyone around you dies, but you’re the only one who doesn’t. Are you okay with being left alone? How terrifying it is to be left all alone after all your loved ones die.”
Hugo knew.
Because he himself had lost his entire family to monsters.
On top of that, Lee Geon, who had barely become like a brother, had died too.
So he knew all too well.
How agonizing it was to be left all alone in the world.
And in Lee Geon’s case, it would be even more terrible. In a fleeting instant, the people around him would age and vanish, and just how much futility would he feel?
‘Even a sage has a lifespan.’
Aging is merely slow; in the end, he would die.
‘Well, in times like now, it might be quicker to die in battle before dying of old age.’
Anyway, Hugo didn’t want Lee Geon to suffer the loneliness gods endured.
In fact, Hugo had felt that loneliness from the Jageulsa Seongsin himself.
So even though it pissed him off(?), he was doing his best to grant the Seongsin’s requests to soothe that loneliness at least a little.
“Anyway, I was gonna become a grandpa, retire, and spend my old age playing janggi with you and then go just one day earlier than you, but you went and became some damn Seongsin.”
Lee Geon cackled.
“Forget janggi, by then we should be playing virtual reality games.”
“Ah, whatever, go live for tens of thousands of years. Play games till you go blind. I’ll go holding hands with Jiu on the same day.”
Even as Hugo said that, it seemed he was still bothered by leaving Lee Geon alone.
And that wasn’t the only thing.
‘I saw the future again.’
Singungjwa’s skill
There were two futures he saw this time.
One was an extension of the future he’d seen last time, regarding Lee Geon.
‘Geon’s appearance had changed.’
It looked as if he had shed his skin.
There was what seemed like a shed human skin nearby, and Lee Geon’s appearance had subtly changed.
Of course, even though it changed, it wasn’t a bad look.
Rather, he had become far more handsome.
He’s handsome now too, but still within the realm of human, I suppose.
But after shedding his skin, he was different.
- Shut up and answer my question.
The shed Lee Geon was glaring at someone, eyes blazing as if extremely pissed.
And that was the content of the future prophecy he’d seen last time.
The problem is what came next.
Hugo saw the future that continued from that scene.
Judging by the appearance, it seemed like after the shedding, and though he didn’t know how much time had passed, Lee Geon was holding a dead woman and grieving.
Her face wasn’t visible because of Lee Geon’s back, but she was unmistakably a woman.
And that wasn’t the only thing that bothered him.
Hugo had actually also seen another future besides Lee Geon’s.
- Run away!
The sight of a destroyed city. Judging by the geography and buildings, was it roughly Seoul?
There, Hugo clearly saw.
Yuhwa and Seongjae, that is, his own children, dead.
And Singungjwa completely annihilated.
The sanctuary was devastated, and familiar holy citizens lay scattered as corpses.
It was likely due to an invasion.
An invasion on a completely different scale than the previous unknown civilization attack—the city was truly a scene of great chaos.
And the one who wiped out Singungjwa and killed his own children was probably a monarch.
He wasn’t sure which of the remaining ones, but a young man said this:
- The plan was a success.
Anyway, Hugo had seen those futures.
And what he saw through
It wasn’t something to dismiss as a hallucination.
Anyway, his heart sank and he was incredibly worried.
‘Judging by the scenery, it didn’t seem like a very distant future.’
But currently. Hugo, who was guarding the throne of Hwangsjwa, shook his head for now.
That was because of the appearance of Seongjae he’d seen in that future vision.
‘Seongjae looks different from now.’
In the future vision, Seongjae was much bigger than now.
Right now he’s just a scrap of paper(?) runt barely 160cm, but in the future vision Seongjae looked well over 180cm.
His build was so sturdy even his uncle would be envious.
In other words.
‘At least it’s not something that’ll happen right away.’
Looking at Seongjae alone, it must be a fairly distant future.
And he should prepare, but anyway that side is something that hasn’t happened yet!
Rather than that, the matter right in front of him was more important!
As expected.
“Agh! Geon’s throne!”
Hugo screamed and ran up the stairs.
And the place he rushed to as soon as he came out of Singungjwa’s basement was right at the Singungjwa building’s trash area!
Seeing the trash area outside the building, Hugo screamed.
“Agh! No!”
It was a trash area set up with recycling bins. There were designated garbage bags and the old dining table and chairs he’d had his subordinates throw away.
And around them, as expected, shadowy outer gods were swarming.
They floated like eerie ghosts, coveting something.
And that was none other than Lee Geon’s personal dining chair!
The dining chair seemed to have its own defensive ability.
“Agh! You crazy bastards! Not that!”
Hugo immediately summoned
“Move, you bastards!”
At that voice, the outer gods targeting the chair glanced at Hugo.
Asking what kind of insect dared to bother them.
But whether they noticed or not, Hugo swung his bow like a blunt weapon.
“I’ll seriously get killed by Geon!”
The power of an EX-grade weapon was better than expected.
Thwack! Thwack!
[Experience rises.]
[Experience rises.]
The types of outer gods summoned by Baegyangjwa were various.
Some were strong but nameless, or originally weak, or vassals of someone but aiming for a constellation.
A mix of strong and weak ones had swarmed in together.
And were the ones who came here at least somewhat manageable?
Or was it the power of the weapon?
The outer gods suddenly beaten by the bow seemed slightly flustered by Hugo’s attack.
Even though it was just the bow hitting them, the power was quite strong.
[Just what is this human?]
[I don’t know, he possesses a faint divinity.]
Well, whatever he was, to them a human was nothing more than a trivial insect.
[Let’s quickly deal with him and take the chair.]
They reached out toward the intruding Hugo.
But.
“Don’t touch that! You’ll really die!”
Not them, but himself, by Lee Geon’s hand.
In the end, Hugo shot the arrow he’d shot at
A massive explosion erupted from that huge light, and Hugo quickly grabbed the chair and ran off in the flash.
As if afraid the chair would break, Hugo held it preciously and checked its condition.
“Good. It’s fine!”
With this, Baemju-injwa wouldn’t be harmed.
That was when.
“Dad!”
At the voice of his son following him, Hugo urgently shouted.
“You go to Mulbyeongjwa’s side! It’s a healing constellation, so it’ll be hard to withstand the outer gods’ attack!”
In fact, among those invading Earth, there were strong ones of the high god level.
“Hurry!”
“Got it, but I’ve never been to the Mulbyeongjwa sanctuary for even once, so I don’t know the geography at all.”
Then Han Jimin, who was climbing the stairs breathing heavily, shouted.
“Seongjae, I’ve been there! Take me too!”
Cheon Seongjae, flustered by his friend’s appearance, immediately got angry.
“A low-rank ability user following is dangerous! You’ll be absolutely no help, so don’t get any strange ideas. Never even think about leaving Dad’s side!”
Cheon Seongjae disappeared with teleport.
It was worry because he knew how dangerous a C-rank would be in front of a god-rank, but Han Jimin became sullen.
Well, whatever, it was fine.
“Mister! Behind you!”
“!”
The outer gods swarmed to take the chair Hugo had run with.
[It’s a throne. It’s definitely the Baemju-in’s throne.]
The outer gods seemed convinced it really was the throne as Hugo desperately guarded it.
But then.
[
[
Perhaps having heard that notification, Han Jimin’s eyes widened.
As expected.
[Singung, how many times do I have to tell you, the master doesn’t have a throne. Are you listening? Enough with being deaf, go fetch some water.]
Was it the chair speaking?
Hearing the voice, Han Jimin was startled.
“Mister, can’t you hear the chair talking?”
“What sound!”
“Uh... it says it’s not the Baemju-in’s throne.”
“No, it’s right! That’s why that brat Geon called!”
Due to Hugo’s obsession, the outer gods gathered even more.
[Indeed, this is the Baemju-in’s throne.]
[Seeing a subordinate guarding it so desperately, it’s certain.]
That very moment.
Right when the outer gods touched the chair.
Flash!
[
In that land of life, a tremendous event was unfolding.
Lee Geon, like a stone statue, had his legs, torso, and even head fallen off.
The accumulated pain and the god’s attack had destroyed his physical body.
And his body was being destroyed to the point where super-regeneration couldn’t keep up, and eventually the flesh that still held the scent of a human died.
But the moment Lee Geon’s head hit the ground, his body began to emit light.
[That’s!]
Should we say it felt like shedding skin?
Lee Geon’s scattered flesh turned into beautiful porcelain, and a shining human figure rose through the gaps.
At that, the owner of Baegyangjwa panicked and shouted.
[You frustrating fools. What are you just watching for?]
The owner of Baegyangjwa approached Lee Geon.
But then.
Flash!
[Kugh!]
A flash of light shot up.
And.
[Completely sheds the shell of humanity.]
[Learns of the existence of
[Obtains the authority of a god.]
[Fully awakens as a god.]