Meanwhile, back on the deck.
The cruise party hall that Igeon had swept through.
Inside, groans intertwined and flowed out.
“Damn, what the…!”
“What on earth happened…!”
The ship’s interior was utter chaos.
Expensive foods rolled around the floor mixed with blood, and a splendid table was embedded in the ceiling in an unrecognizable form.
Of course, it wasn’t just the table stuck in the ceiling.
“Ugh…!”
Gods lay groaning, pinned into the ceiling, the walls, the floor. All manner of them.
Thanks to that, the gods who barely survived had no choice but to be confused.
“Is this… the work of that bastard earlier?”
“Yes…!”
No one knew the bastard’s identity.
Strangely enough, he hadn’t used
It was almost as if he didn’t know how to use it.
But that wasn’t the problem.
“Elders!!”
“Are you alright, Elders!”
From vassal gods who came after losing contact, to fellow stellar gods, to the gods who had suffered the calamity at the party.
They were aghast at the sight of the bloodied gods.
Among the gods that insane bastard had driven into the walls were, of all things, some very precious figures of the divine realm.
There was an old man.
“Aah…! The Elder of Kunlun!”
“The Messenger of Valhalla…!”
These were incredibly important individuals even within the Eight Great Powers.
One was the Grand Master of Kunlun, called the Great Teacher of the great stellar gods, and the other was the Messenger of Valhalla, where only the most ferocious warriors among gods gathered! And the sole moderate at that!
Thus, even great stellar gods dared not lay a hand on them.
And though no one knew what that bastard earlier was, this was no ordinary trouble.
“There will be an uproar from above!”
“Good heavens, who could commit such a rude and terrible…!”
It was then that a god, thrown to the floor and bleeding from the nose, opened his eyes.
“Whose doing, then…!”
“!”
Bloodied gods everywhere were helped to their feet.
“Did he not say, with his own mouth, that he was an entertainer summoned by Hades!”
“Hades?”
The gods buzzed loudly. At that point, they could guess how the situation had come about.
“Then are you saying Hades orchestrated this?”
“That is so.”
The gods’ eyes changed in an instant.
“You wicked thing.”
This gathering was hosted by the well-connected Hades.
And it was a gathering meant for a peace treaty, no less.
Moreover, it was already packed with gods who had flocked here for the rare chance at a vassal god auction.
But.
“Indeed. This is all Hades’s scheme.”
“Of course, it was absurd for him to try selling such a thing from the start.”
The purpose was obvious without asking.
“The bastard Hades. Surely he used us contemptuously for the
At that, the gods began to emanate vicious bloodlust.
Even now, the attention on the vassal god known as
The divine realm was currently on the verge of a massive war called the Great Divine Throne War.
Put simply, a succession war to select the king of gods, the throne left vacant.
“So this is why he held such a party. That rotten bastard!”
“Did he deploy an assassin to gain advantage in the Great Divine Throne War?”
“It is clear. That so-called entertainer must have conspired on Hades’s orders!”
In truth, this was something Igeon had done without any thought.
But the gods were beside themselves with rage.
“Ha. Though we are of different powers, we still came with joyful hearts to show consideration.”
“An ungrateful wretch.”
“No, will it be just that cur Hades’s problem alone? The head harboring him also bears responsibility.”
“That is right.”
The stellar gods rose fiercely. They seemed ready to start a war right then and there.
“Inform all stellar gods! Strike Hades and Olympus at once!”
***
“Oh. So this is the detached palace.”
Before Igeon’s eyes stretched a vast palace.
Unlike the 18th dimensional layer, the 10th floor had a greyish sky. It seemed that the higher floors got sunlight, while the lower you went, the less light reached.
Of course, that didn’t mean Igeon could just leave the palace grounds.
[Used (Temporary Pass for Holy Territory, Grade 4)]
- A pass that can be issued to vassal gods for missions.
- Usable regardless of rank, granting temporary entry to the owner’s territory.
- However, cannot leave said territory.
[Remaining Stay Time: 28 hours, 34 minutes, 30 seconds]
Well, conversely, it meant he couldn’t escape from here, but that didn’t matter.
“Oh. Still, this bastard must be earning quite a bit. He’ll be fun to loot.”
Igeon grinned as he looked at the detached palace.
But unlike Igeon, there were those who were weeping.
[Masterrr!!!]
It was his vassal gods, hidden in Igeon’s shadow.
[Master! You truly mustn’t do this!!]
At his subordinates’ desperate cries, Igeon frowned.
“What, what are you fussing about? What exactly is your complaint?”
As if he really didn’t know!
Igeon’s vassal gods didn’t even want to recall the situation on the ship just moments ago.
Some gods had fled, but the vast majority had been left there beaten to a pulp.
So they spoke.
[We were clearly inside the ship! Those guys!]
In the divine realm, there were tens of thousands of powers. And among them, the ones standing at the pinnacle in every aspect—scale, might—were the
[Even putting aside the Olympus Merchant House, one of the Eight Great Powers, it’s Kunlun and Valhalla!]
[Valhalla especially is full of the most ferocious ones, and of all things, their Messenger was dangling from the ceiling…!]
But what about themselves in comparison? Other powers commanded hundreds, thousands, millions of vassals, while the Serpent Lord’s Constellation (Ophiuchus) had a mere ten!
They were outmatched in numbers right from the start.
And while borrowing the strength of their allied Twelve Constellations felt unsettling, the absorbed constellations’ vassals still lacked loyalty.
[In any case, this matter will be reported above!]
[They will come for you, Master!]
The vassals wailed, but Igeon simply picked his ear.
“What’s it matter? Let them come or not.”
Truthfully, he didn’t care about those bastards.
[Master?]
Eyes flashing, Igeon grabbed the bloodied water serpents he’d snatched from the ship—the Hydras—by the scruff and hurled them somewhere.
Whoosh!
Then the twin brothers shot straight like bullets!
Kwaang!
They were mercilessly smashed into the main gate of Hades’ palace.
Boom!!
At the same moment, as the gate was shattered, the gatekeeper on guard was greatly flustered.
“Brothers!!”
The black dog-headed gatekeeper with him couldn’t hide his bewilderment either.
“What! Aren’t these guys your little brothers?”
“Brothers! What happened! Don’t die; open your eyes! Brothers!”
The water serpent frantically shook his siblings.
But just then.
“Aha. So you’re one of the nine twins too, huh?”
“…?!”
The water serpent’s body trembled at the chilling voice from behind. An eerie cold slithered down his neck.
But the moment he tried to turn his head.
Bang!!!
“Cough, hack…!!”
Hydra, his head seized by Igeon, coughed up blood.
Paying no heed, Igeon narrowed his red eyes.
“Enough. Hurry up and show me the way.”
At that sight, the dog-headed vassal god beside them let out a savage roar.
[Divine Name: Kerberos (Vassal God)]
[Affiliation: Lord of the Underworld (Hades)]
[Hellhound]
“You cur! Where did a beggar like you roll in from to beg in a place like this!”
The Hellhound emitted a ferocious aura.
[Divinity Release]
At that, Igeon tilted his head curiously.
It was a power he hadn’t seen before.
But even so, a strange instinct told him he couldn’t let that power be used.
Sure enough, the vassal gods cried out urgently.
[My Lord! You mustn’t face it head-on!!]
[You mustn’t touch the divine…!]
But Igeon paid no heed.
“If you’re a mutt, act like a mutt and show me the way! You whelp!”
[?!]
“Sit!!!”
Along with the shout, Igeon’s foot came slamming down onto the Hellhound’s head.
Kwajik!!
A massive explosion erupted at the entrance.
And after some time passed.
The innermost part of the detached palace.
“What? What did you say?”
Hades couldn’t help doubting his own ears.
The head butler bowed deeply, trembling.
“The entrance—the entrance has been breached!”
“A lowly snake god of unknown origins has already invaded the detached palace!”
Hades was dumbfounded.
There should certainly have been a gatekeeper at the entrance.
And as if sensing their master’s displeasure, his retainers trembled. This was all their oversight.
“M-my Lor…”
Tap.
The wine glass fell, and the retainers flinched.
Hades muttered with a murderous look.
“Fine. The bastard only has one aim anyway.”
“!”
Hades let out a hollow laugh as he rose from his seat.
Igeon’s objective was him.
“He’ll surely come this way. Prepare to welcome him grandly.”
“!”
Human or god, all were equal before death.
Much less a fledgling who hadn’t even filled his godhead or divinity.
He would snuff out that breath.
The Lord of the Underworld spread his arms, readying to receive the guest.
***
“Hey. Is this really inside the palace?”
“Yes…! It is!”
The Hellhound was being dragged along by Igeon while coughing up blood.
All to show him the way.
And as Igeon surveyed his surroundings, he frowned.
The interior was a mix of an antique, temple-like air and Earth’s modern feel.
But it was then.
“Um. But you haven’t told me your destination.”
The Hellhound narrowed his brow. In truth, he knew well what awaited up ahead.
‘No matter what, before our Lord’s authority, even this bastard won’t be able to endure.’
So the Hellhound asked, sweat beading.
“Um. Shall I guide you to Lord Hades then?”
At those words, Igeon cocked his head.
“No? Have I lost my mind? Who said to guide me to him?”
“Huh? Th-then.”
“The wife.”
The Hellhound buffered for a moment.
“…Excuse me?”
“Didn’t you hear? I’m talking about Hades’ wife.”
The Hellhound screamed.
“What?! The Lady?!”
“Yeah. She’s here, right? I heard he came here because he got dragged by his lady. So take me there.”
The snake god’s red eyes gleamed as he grinned viciously.
***
And it was around that time.
Inside the silent god’s palace.
Tap. Tap.
Hades, who had been waiting while drumming his fingers on the chair, narrowed his brow.
He couldn’t help it.
“He’s late.”
Quite some time had passed since he’d heard Igeon had breached the entrance.
And if the Hellhound was with him, he shouldn’t be lost.
The scout vassal god sent to monitor Igeon hadn’t reported anything in particular.
‘The bastard’s aim is me.’
He was someone who had chased all the way here for him. He wouldn’t have suddenly gotten scared and fled.
‘Then why isn’t he coming?’
He’d even openly radiated his mana to let the bastard notice his location.
And after all the trouble of laying down attack skills here in anticipation of the bastard’s arrival.
But precisely at that moment.
“My Lord!”
It seemed some news had reached them; the retainers came running with faces drained white.
“A great crisis! The scout god we sent has just returned urgently! That snake god…!”
“What is it? Don’t tell me he fled midway?”
At that, the scout bird the retainer had brought along cried out at the top of its lungs.
“That’s not it! That snake god has gone to the Lady’s quarters, of all places!!”
Wh-what?
Hades’ face showed the rare hint of panic.
But just as Hades, with no time to be flustered, was about to rush to where his wife was—
Boom!!!
‘!’
The door of the room where Hades had been waiting exploded.
“!!”
Had one of the scout birds been intentionally released just as he got close?
Through the smoke, blood-soaked scout birds plopped onto the floor.
And then.
“What, I finally get here, and you’re going somewhere?”
From the doorway stepped a familiar face.
A face Hades had definitely seen through the communication.
The red-eyed young man was smiling.
“Is this what you were going to look for?”
What’s more, he had a familiar object slung over his shoulder!
“……!!!!”
It was Igeon.
And over one shoulder hung none other than Hades’ spouse, like a sack of rice.
Hades’ eyes bulged at the sight, and he ground his teeth.
“You son of a…!”
Igeon grinned as if he’d been caught.
“Enough. Hand over my friend, you bastard. Ah, or did you already sell him?”
“What?”
“So how much did you sell him for? How much do you think I should sell your wife for, huh?”
(Continued...)