"Come to find you."
It was a voice he had missed.
But it was a voice he thought he might never hear again.
Finally hearing his friend's voice, Hugo seemed to lose all tension at once.
On the other hand, Hades's face was dumbfounded at his appearance.
_'Why is that bastard here, too?'_
Of course, he had intended to settle things with Lee Geon. If he didn't catch Lee Geon and beat him down, not only the great gods of Olympus but also Kunlun and Valhalla would kill only him.
But it was too soon.
_'I planned to deal with that bastard in the territory of the Ennead.'_
Yet, that wasn't the only shocking thing.
_'Eco!'_
The problem was the male god caught by Lee Geon.
And he was a servant of Hades specially transformed into Hugo to deceive the eyes of other gods. But seeing his transformation undone, Hades couldn't help but widen his eyes.
_'What the hell. Why did he get caught too!!'_
There was a good reason for his disbelief. The transformation placed on Eco was nothing ordinary. He had skinned Hugo's face and perfected it with the power of the Olympian gods.
So how had he been found out?
But Eco, who had been dragged in by Lee Geon, shut his eyes tight as if feeling wronged.
_'No way, what kind of lunatic starts praising a friend when he drinks?!'_
Usually, isn't cursing the norm?
In the end, Eco, who had coveted Hugo's belongings and stolen his watch, shed tears.
And then it happened.
"Geon-ah!"
At that voice, Lee Geon, who had been looking for Hugo, immediately turned his head.
"Taek..."
But the moment he turned, killing intent flared on Lee Geon's face.
Hugo was being held down, pinned by three subordinate gods. But small fry like them didn't matter.
The problem was the bandages covering Hugo's face.
"You fucking worms."
Lee Geon's voice instantly turned vicious.
He had seen the human skin mask upstairs already, but he hadn't witnessed the process.
As if it hadn't even been properly treated, the bandages were stained with blood.
And at Lee Geon's fierce aura, the gold-armored subordinate gods hurriedly raised their spears.
"Protect the goods!"
"Eliminate the intruder!"
But those who were pinning Hugo down could not finish their words.
Lee Geon had vanished in an instant.
And the place Lee Geon reappeared was right before their eyes!
"Hurk...!"
The subordinate gods facing Lee Geon felt as if their breath had stopped.
Lee Geon's face, emitting something, did not look human. Nor did it look divine.
_'A monster.'_
He looked like a monster that devours gods.
And at that moment.
As Lee Geon swung his hand, the bodies of the subordinate gods beside Hugo were torn apart.
[Remove]
That was the authority of something.
And depending on the situation, Lee Geon was someone who had torn apart monsters with his bare hands.
And so, the death power he swung from his hand obliterated the enemies' armor and protective authorities.
_BOOM!!!_
He tore the enemies' bodies apart in an instant.
"Kuh, kuhurk!!"
In the end, two of them collapsed, and the sole remaining subordinate god fell on his backside.
"N-no...!"
The subordinate god couldn't even think of swinging the spear he held.
_'What is this, if he were a god of this caliber, I'd definitely know him.'_
He had clearly felt power like this before.
Certainly from a high-ranking god. No, perhaps from a great god.
But it was then.
_Slash!!_
"Kuak!!"
Hugo pulled a knife from the bastard's waist and immediately slashed his throat.
"Geon-ah! Are you alright?"
At that approaching voice, the energy enveloping Lee Geon subsided a little.
Lee Geon clicked his tongue at Hugo, who had ended up looking like a mummy in no time.
"What's your face looking like that again?"
"Ah..."
"Forget it, get that treated and let's go home."
Just as Lee Geon was reaching out to try using the super regeneration authority.
"The merchandise thinks to run away?"
"!"
_BOOM!!_
An immense force exploded in the trading hall.
_Rumble!_
As the floor shook, someone surged up from the ground.
"Are you the troublemaker who shook Olympus and trampled Duat with your dirty feet?"
"!!!"
They were startled by the human silhouette.
He was the great god ruling Duat. The lord of the underworld who possessed the divinity of Osiris.
And wasn't he already enraged that Lee Geon had stolen the residents, the very property of the underworld?
He emitted his divinity as if to attack Lee Geon.
"What have you done with all the residents?"
"That's not what's important right now!"
Hades glared at the lord of the underworld.
"The balance comes first. If you want to deal with that bastard, finish the transaction first, then catch him!"
"What nonsense is that? In the first place, it was you who brought that bastard here and caused this mess. It wouldn't be enough even if I demanded compensation?"
Hades's eyes flashed as if he found it absurd.
"Fine, then this deal is off— _Kuk!!_ "
Just then, an attack flew at him as if telling him to shut up.
_BANG!!_
"Kugh!!"
"Kuk!"
It was Lee Geon.
And having flung the power of death at them, Lee Geon checked his skills.
-Currently Available Authorities-
-Authority (3/8)
[Pain Creation (3-Star)], [Come Back (4-Star)], [Come Back 2 (5-Star)]
-Authority (3/8)
[Remove (1-Star)], [Summon Dead Soldier (2-Star)], [Circulation (5-Star) Conditions Not Met]
-Authority (2/6)
[Eye of the God's Gaze (1-Star)], [Fighting God Instinct (4-Star)]
Looking at it, Lee Geon raised the corners of his mouth.
Was it because the Blazing Sands owner was diligently sucking up in the divine realm? Or was someone paying off his debt?
_'Compared to earlier, the number of usable authorities has increased.'_
Of course, the opponents were high-ranking gods. Without a weapon, they were hard to face, and even now he was at a disadvantage, but he didn't care at all.
"Listen up. From now on, you are a blunt weapon."
"Aaak! What are you talking about, you bastard! Aren't you going to let me go?!"
Lee Geon hefted up the blunt weapon, Anubis.
At a glance, it looked like meat for barbecue tied to a harpoon, but it was a very fine blunt weapon.
But that wasn't the end.
Lee Geon grabbed Eco with a ferocious glare.
"And get this, you bastard, you're a shield."
"Aakk!! Why am I a shield?!"
"Why do you think? Our Taek-su even acted as a friend's shield for me. How dare you imitate Taek-su when you can't even do that much?"
"Hey! Are you insane, using your friend as a shield?!"
Hugo touched his forehead as if a reality check had hit him, but Osiris and Hades scoffed.
"Even so, he's just a buff-type god!"
If he possessed the authority of life, he must be a healer-type healing god!
As Osiris and Hades soon unleashed their power, Lee Geon raised the corners of his mouth.
_BOOM!!!_
"Aakk!!"
Lee Geon blocked the gods' attacks with Anubis and Eco.
_BOOM!! BOOM!_
And Anubis and Eco, who were hit directly by their superior's attacks, lost consciousness.
Seeing Lee Geon charging, Hades and Osiris let out hollow laughs.
"Did you think such a shallow trick would work...?"
But that was when it happened.
"!!"
Watching Lee Geon, they flinched in surprise.
It was for a different reason.
[Fighting God Instinct (4-Star)]
-Unlocks maximum combat power, usable until divinity reaches 0%.
At the bright light beginning to envelop Lee Geon, the gods widened their eyes.
They had no choice.
"Wait, that power!"
"Isn't that the authority of a Fighting God... _Kuk!!_ "
Lee Geon vanished in an instant.
Having disappeared with a speed incomparable to before, Lee Geon sent the two gods flying at once.
_BOOM!!!_
Thanks to that, Osiris, who had flown into the wall, could only grind his teeth.
For gods, there were various attributes such as war god, punishment god, wealth god, and luck god.
And among such gods, the war gods (武神) are evaluated as strong. Among them, there are rare gods who stand at the peak.
That was precisely the Fighting Gods (鬪神).
Not only skill, but a noble position one can only attain after achieving corresponding deeds!
Therefore, the proof of a Fighting God is a skill ranked within the top 10 that all gods look up to!
Anyway, it was a power a greenhorn like him shouldn't possess.
_'Even among the great gods, there is only one called a Fighting God!'_
But soon, they raised the corners of their mouths.
Certainly, that authority was strong enough to be admired, but its weakness was just as clear.
"That skill is a double-edged sword that burns through energy."
"How on earth do you plan to handle an authority that constantly chips away at your divinity?!"
Divinity was the energy that allowed a god to use their authority. If it reaches 0%, they die immediately.
In fact, the light gradually fading from Lee Geon's body was proof of that.
[Current Remaining Divinity 8%]
"This is the end for you!"
But that was when it happened.
"Taek-su! I really went through hell to find you! Even if it costs me my life, I'm taking you away from here!"
"????"
At the sudden outburst, the gods thought he was spouting last words, but soon, an amazing thing occurred.
[A faithful devotee feels deep emotion. Faith explodes.]
[Divinity is recharged through the devotee's prayer.]
[Divinity 80%]
At the power surging up in an instant, the expressions on the two gods' faces were a sight to behold.
They were questioning if that was even possible.
But Lee Geon, who had already painfully experienced the power of 600% faith on Earth, grinned ferociously.
"Bastards, who's worrying about whom?"
"......?!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Lee Geon vanished.
And without hesitation, he struck Osiris and Hades down.
_BOOM!!_
"Kuk!"
"Kuak!"
The moment he slammed them into the wall, Lee Geon quickly deactivated Fighting God Instinct. Then he approached Hugo.
"I have business to attend to. For now, you go up first. Yuha came too, saying she misses her dad."
"Yuha?"
But that was when it happened.
"Huh. You look down on the gods of the underworld too much."
"!"
The bloodied Hades barely managed to raise himself up.
"Thinking about how much you fought and brawled as a human to obtain the qualifications of a Fighting God. But even an excellent war god has things that are possible and things that are impossible."
"!"
At Hades's words, Lee Geon cracked his knuckles as if telling him to drop dead, his brow furrowing.
He had instantly caught onto something from Hades's words.
And sure enough.
"Taek-su. You didn't eat anything while you were here, did you?"
He had heard that among Hades's authorities was certainly a ruthless authority called 'Law of the Underworld'.
In short, an authority stating that if you touch the food of the underworld, you cannot leave for the land of the living.
The story of Persephone eating three pomegranate seeds and being unable to completely return to the world above was that very tale.
Hadn't the Virgo subordinate gods warned them before they left?
Lee Geon raised an eyebrow.
"You bastard, you didn't pick up and eat something again just because you were hungry, did you?"
"Do you think I'm you? I haven't touched a single drop of water since coming here, okay?!"
"Well, I figured as much, but..."
The staggering Hades laughed.
"Right, he didn't eat it! Because I planted it inside him!"
"!"
The moment those words fell, Hugo suddenly vomited blood.
As Lee Geon, flinching, was surprised for once and caught Hugo, Hades's authority activated.
[Three Pomegranate Seeds (5-Star)]
- All those within the range become subjects of Hades and cannot escape the underworld.
- Become a subordinate god belonging to Hades.
With a tremendous light, a bizarre magic circle appeared across the entirety of Duat.
Then, this time, both Osiris and Anubis were startled.
That was because Hades's authority had affected even them.
"Wait...! What is the meaning of this!"
"Hades! Wasn't this authority a binding authority to tie the living to the underworld?!"
"Why use an authority meant only for preys and serpent gods!"
Then Hades burst out laughing.
"You fools of the Ennead. That old-fashioned thing is my father's generation's authority. By the time it reached my generation, it changed a bit!"
"What?"
"Originally, I planned to activate it after the preys moved to your territory, but it doesn't matter."
"!"
"It's a pity the great god wasn't caught, but with you here, even the Great God Temple will see it as a gain."
The land-owning god of the Ennead and high-ranking god. Having Lee Geon here on top of that was perfect, he said.
"Serpent god, I enjoyed watching your skills. Become my war god and use that incredible power for me!"
The gods of the Ennead, struck from behind, widened their eyes in fury.
"That bastard! He never intended to make a deal from the start! Deceiving the Ennead?"
"Haha, first is Duat!"
_Flash!_
With the flashing light, Lee Geon frowned.
[Warning. Hades's authority has activated.]
[Warning. You are forcibly becoming a subordinate god of Hades.]
The powerful underworld god's authority bound the souls of all the gods standing in Duat.
"Aakk!! Master!"
All the gods of Duat were dragged into Hades's shadow.
_BOOM! BOOM!_
Even Anubis was dragged into Hades's shadow.
Their affiliations were changed to become subordinate gods of Hades. Forcefully, at that!
And surely Hades had used Hugo, pretending to trade him, for this reason.
To take the money, and when Hugo crossed over to the other side, to activate this authority and make all of the Ennead forces his own subordinates!
Of course, it was questionable whether even a great god could be made a subordinate god, but Hades was a cunning bastard indeed.
Seeing that even Anubis was dragged in, some special power must have been designed into it.
And then it happened.
_Crunch!_
Lee Geon, whose body was paralyzed by the authority, was also seized by Hades's shadow.
"Don't be too sad, serpent god. Serve under me, and you might even witness the unknown realm, the 6th stage. The sight of me, your future master, using it."
Then Lee Geon let out a scornful laugh.
What the hell was that, watching and watching?
"6th stage?"
It was the moment Lee Geon's hand twitched.
_Flash!_
Hades flinched at the light radiating from Lee Geon's body.
At the same time, Lee Geon heard a welcome sound.
[A portion of this Serpent Lord's debt has been repaid.]
[Some penalties from the divine realm are lifted.]
[Some locked skills and authorities can now be used.]
At that voice, Lee Geon raised the corners of his mouth.
So that's why it had been quiet—wondering what the Virgo god was up to this whole time.
Well, whatever, it was good anyway.
Lee Geon looked at one of the unlocked skills and smiled.
[ ]
- A skill made by the 13th original owner. Seals a rampaging divinity, temporarily allowing it to be lowered to the 5th stage.
- If you shout "(name before modification: Daddy I Love You)", you enter a state and can use the 6th stage.
"Just fucking die."
Lee Geon unleashed the 6th stage divinity.
(Continued in the next chapter)