What? Someone's here?
Igeon rarely sparkled his eyes. No, not just sparkled—they gleamed fiercely.
Sure enough.
“Hey. Tell me more about that. Who did you say is here?”
As Igeon approached, the goddesses were overjoyed.
“Ah! You mean Lord Hades?”
Fearing that Igeon might go elsewhere, they excitedly vied with each other to tell him all sorts of things.
“They say he recently acquired a rare vassal god! A pushover... or something? And so he came to the 18th floor for a banquet to celebrate!”
“I heard that besides Lord Hades, all sorts of famous holy gods gathered, calling it a blessing of the divine realm!”
At that, Igeon laughed as if disgusted.
Oh ho.
So, you’re telling me they took someone’s precious friend and are now having a party?
Igeon looked angrier than ever, veins bulging, but whatever, it didn’t matter.
In the current situation, it was rather advantageous.
“So, where can I meet him? I have some business with him.”
For some reason, the goddesses seemed flustered and exchanged glances.
“Ah...”
“Why? Is there a problem?”
“No. Telling you where he is isn’t hard, but whether you can actually meet him...”
“That’s right. Unless you’re an Olympus affiliate, they probably won’t even let you in.”
“He’s such a high-ranking god that meeting him in person is difficult...”
Just as Igeon frowned at those words and was about to say something—
“Ah! But with that vassal, you could get in easily.”
“!”
The goddesses, unexpectedly, pointed to the satyr who looked like he was dying of happiness.
“Aren’t you also an Olympus vassal god? He could easily get you into the banquet hall.”
“Right. Introduce him. Then Lord Hades would be pleased, wouldn’t he?”
“!”
As if surprised by this revelation, Igeon looked at the satyr.
But the satyr himself threw a fit.
“Ahhk! Shut up! My divine status was stripped by Olympus ages ago, so what do you mean introduce whom to whom!”
“Oh my. But your divinity hasn’t been revoked yet, has it? Though you did disgrace yourself as a lewd demon in the divine realm and earned the gods’ wrath. They’re still looking for you.”
“Ahhk, no! If I see them, I’m dead!”
After all, hadn’t he tried to sneak in because he had come to know information that Olympus shouldn’t know?
The moment his entry record remained, they’d come to capture him with terrifying force!
So the satyr, sensing danger, tried to flee, but—
“Forget it, you. Follow me.”
When Igeon’s eyes flashed, the satyr screamed.
“Ahhk! Get lost! Why should I!”
The satyr, as if Igeon were his big brother, bellowed.
“Go by yourself! Earlier, I only surrendered for tactical reasons because I couldn’t use my divine power! Now that we’re inside the divine realm, I can use my divine power too, you know? Yeah, you’re just a pseudo-god whose body got sturdy because some mineral got deified!”
“!”
The satyr threw punches as if daring Igeon to come at him.
“Though I’ve incurred the gods’ hatred, I’m a well-known god whose name no one doesn’t know. How dare a lowly god be so insolent...”
But right then.
Kugugugung!
“Aaaah!”
In an instant, the magic power of Ophiuchus surged. And when his power was unleashed, his eyes gleamed red, unlike before.
“You want to get beaten and then follow? Or just get beaten and follow?”
“I understand!! I’ll follow right away even if my legs are broken!!”
“No. Breaking your legs would be a hassle, so forget it.”
The satyr—no, Pan—shed tears.
* * *
The 18th dimension layer was a lower layer, but was it called the pleasure dimension for nothing? The entire continent was a dazzling city of night.
And.
“Right over there. I definitely saw Lord Hades enter that place.”
Giddy goddesses pointed to a lake. There was a huge cruise ship there.
Of course, it was far more advanced-looking than the cruises seen on Earth.
And.
‘I can definitely feel it.’
A familiar aura could be felt from within the ship.
Of course, vassals had cast a dark screen power to hide who came and went, but Igeon, with his sharp nose, couldn’t be fooled.
And the moment Igeon headed for the ship’s entrance—
“Who goes there!”
Naturally, vassal gods blocked Igeon.
Their bodies were like bodyguards in suits, but their heads were long-necked snakes.
[Divine Name: The Twelve Labors]
[Divine Authority: Hydra (Vassal God)]
[Affiliation: Lord of the Underworld (Hades)]
[Nemea’s Nine Twin Water Snakes]
When useful information appeared, Igeon smiled, and Pan was appalled.
‘A vassal god of Hades that doesn’t die even when beheaded, and whose poison can kill even gods...!’
So he tried to bolt at once, but Igeon grabbed Pan’s backpack as he tried to flee.
Even though Igeon didn’t particularly exert force, Pan couldn’t move a millimeter.
At that moment, one of the nine twins glared at them with killing intent.
“What business does a lowly god like you have here?”
Igeon smiled brightly and smacked the back of Pan’s head. In a panic, Pan held out the backpack.
“Ah! Uh! This guy has come because he wants to become a vassal of Lord Hades!”
“A vassal god?”
“He’s a warrior god! I brought him because his combat power is useful. And commendably, he even brought a dowry or something!”
“A dowry?”
Soon, when Pan opened the backpack, the water snakes were greatly impressed.
“Ohh! Aren’t these all talents!”
“This guy is incredibly rich!”
At that, Pan broke into a sweat, and Igeon curled the corner of his mouth grimly.
‘I’ve learned well that the stupid gods of the divine realm are mad about money.’
Then I’ll use them thoroughly.
Sure enough, Igeon extended his hand.
“Here. This is for your trouble.”
When Igeon handed them talents, Pan stared at him in terror. He couldn’t help it.
Because he had seen Igeon attach suspicious devices to the talents.
So he thought.
‘Do you think they’ll be fooled by something like this? They’re just trying to hold us here on purpose...’
“Kreup, perceptive fellow. This one’s a keeper. He’ll do well in society.”
“If Master Pan brought him, his skills must be guaranteed.”
“Follow us. Our master will be pleased.”
When they were let in so easily instead, Pan clutched his head.
‘Catch on! Why don’t you get it, why!’
But regardless, they went inside the cruise ship.
And the deeper they went inside, the more Igeon’s eyes changed.
He couldn’t help it.
‘It’s in there.’
Beyond the door, inside the hall, Hades’ aura could be felt.
But.
Murmur murmur.
‘!’
Suddenly, a bizarre commotion came from inside the hall.
At this, Igeon hurried into the banquet hall, but another guard inside blocked him.
“Hey! You, lowly! Where do you... ack!”
“Don’t call him lowly! He’s a client!!”
“What?!”
The water snakes who had let Igeon in narrowed their eyes and whispered softly.
“He has a lot of money.”
“!”
They sinisterly began to eye Igeon’s pockets.
However, Igeon flinched once inside.
The party hall was filled with gods in luxurious dresses and divine garments.
But.
‘Not here.’
No matter how he looked, Hades was nowhere to be seen.
Igeon coldly muttered to the twin water snakes who had brought him.
“Hey. Where’s Hades.”
“Ah, well, he can’t not be here...”
“Ah. Lord Hades? Our master had to rush back to his villa on the 10th floor. He got caught by his wife.”
“?!”
The water snakes were shocked, but Igeon himself grinned as if intrigued.
“What? Then I can just go there.”
It actually turned out well.
If his wife is there, things will go faster.
“Villa or whatever, guide me to the 10th floor. You said you’d let me meet him, right?”
Then the water snake brothers looked at Igeon with serious expressions.
“No.”
“What?”
“You can’t just go. This place is for entertainment, so it was okay, but that place is the palace of a great god. You absolutely cannot go or enter without advance permission.”
“That’s right. You must obtain face-to-face permission. Especially since, with that piety level of 600% or whatever, he brought a valuable item, and thieves have increased. Moreover, the item keeps trying to escape and gets caught, so security has been tightened.”
“Well, because its merchandise value would drop, we can’t cut off its legs.”
“But thanks to the large advance payment, we were able to hold this party.”
“Anyway, I hear it keeps flinging weird paper airplanes outside desperately, saying ‘Igeon, Igeon’ every day... but who is Igeon?”
At those words, Igeon’s eyebrows twitched.
Ah. So these bastards are treating Taksu as a commodity?
“Anyway, wait. Out of respect for your sincerity, we’ll take you there soon.”
“How long will it take?”
“That’s ten...”
Crack!!!
Igeon couldn’t hold back and threw a punch at the water snakes’ faces.
Screams erupted inside the banquet hall.
But regardless, Igeon smiled brightly.
“Ha, wait ten years? These damn god bastards really push it.”
Then another brother, who wasn’t yet a bloody mess, spoke in bewilderment.
“Ah, no, look here. I think you have a big misunderstanding. It’s not ten years, it’s ten...”
He was about to say ten minutes, but at that moment.
Craaack!!!!
Igeon threw another punch and let out a hollow laugh.
“What? Eleven years?!!”
Then the remaining one shouted urgently.
“Ah, no!! It’s ten...”
Crack!!
“Fifteen years!!!!”
“Ah, no! Not that, it’s minu...!!!”
In the end, even the last brother’s face was smashed and he collapsed.
“Ha. Nineteen years, you shameless bastards.”
But the hydras, who couldn’t even open their mouths, felt wronged.
Igeon didn’t seem to have any intention of listening.
And the moment Igeon found a pass to the 10th floor in the water snake brothers’ possession—
The banquet hall became a mess. The gods who had been enjoying the party just moments ago.
“What’s with that guy!”
“Lord Hades’ guards!”
At that shout, Igeon smiled brightly and turned his head.
It wasn’t for any other reason.
“So, you guys are eating and drinking on the money from selling my friend.”
Igeon’s eyes shone.
As if sensing something ominous, Ophiuchus vassal gods spoke from within Igeon’s shadow.
[Um, Master. This won’t do. There are quite a few esteemed individuals here.]
“Yeah. All friends of Hades?”
[Master???]
“Haha. I’ll make them all my vassals and feed them to Yongyong as wet feed.”
[Master!!!!]
Right then, screams echoed throughout the banquet hall.
“Damn it, who the hell are you!”
“The entertainer Hades requested, why!”
“What does that... ack!”
Hearing the bizarre voices from inside, Pan trembled violently outside the door.
Just what kind of guy has entered the divine realm!
* * *
And around that time.
[Pantheon, 10th Dimension Layer]
Hades, who had returned to his villa, heard a strange report.
“What? What did you say?”
“I mean, right now outside, outside!”
“What’s outside?”
“An intruder has broken in! At the main gate!”
“!”
Hades narrowed his brow.
An intruder when he’s already very busy?
“Isn’t an intruder something the external guards should handle? I don’t understand why you bring this problem all the way here.”
“It’s not an ordinary intruder, sir. A strange snake god...!”
“Snake god...?”
Hades tilted his head. But only for a moment.
“Ahh.”
He gave a small laugh, as if finally remembering something he had long forgotten.
“Ah, so it’s come here to find its vassal?”
“Master?”
“Well. Still, a nameless lowly god from the outskirts did quite the effort.”
Hades laughed as if finding it cute. Seeing his master like that, the vassal hesitated.
“Um. Then what shall we do about the intruder?”
“A wretch not worth caring about. Leave it.”
“Excuse me?”
“At best, a vulgar lesser god. That thing won’t even be able to reach here anyway.”
“Then...”
“Instead, deliver a message to the honored guests at the shipboard party. Apologize that I had to leave early due to urgent business. I was too flustered to contact them, but tell them to enjoy the party without me until tonight.”
“I shall carry out your command.”
Hades laughed as if amused.
(Continued in the next episode)