At the face that appeared, not only Igeon but everyone was surprised.
It couldn’t be helped.
"Jaewon!"
Hyugo, also seemingly surprised, looked at the man who came out of the summoning circle.
That wasn’t all.
"That person is..."
"Isn't that Heiji?"
What was summoned wasn’t just I Jaewon, but also Heiji, the Saint of Ssangajwa, together with him.
So Igeon couldn’t help but tilt his head.
"Why is she there too?"
She was Cheon Seongjae’s former superior and a mage who was a mortal enemy to him.
And Heiji had clearly been made a subordinate to test out the power of [...] when dealing with the fish god.
Well, that wasn’t important.
"Was she also captured by the angels?"
"Yeah, I heard that all the existing Saints were done in by the new Saints in some form."
All of them went missing, and their followers are still desperately searching for them, aren’t they?
But at her appearance, Heilli narrowed her eyebrows, as if on guard, in an oddly attractive way.
As expected.
"It’s best not to get close to Heiji."
"?"
At the unexpected words, Igeon blinked and looked at Heilli.
"Come to think of it, you guys buried her in the ground in the Alps, didn’t you?"
"!"
Heilli flinched at that.
She was someone Igeon had barely managed to make an ally using the power of [...], but they had buried her in the ground, causing his subordinate gods a lot of trouble trying to find her, hadn’t they?
"You buried her because the power of [...] didn’t work properly, right?"
At Igeon’s question, Heilli flinched even more.
In truth, she couldn’t bring herself to say that they had buried her because Heiji had dared to covet Igeon.
So while she was just sweating profusely, Igeon clicked his tongue.
"That’s why I even used [...] after that."
"......!"
Since Heilli wouldn’t have buried Heiji for no reason, she had used [...] thinking that [this] didn’t work.
It didn’t matter if she attacked him, but it would be troublesome if she held a grudge against those around him for no reason.
But at those words, Heilli sweated even more, and Igeon, not knowing that, scrutinized Heiji cautiously.
"Well, it seems the effect of [...] has already worn off, though."
Was it to be expected of a Saint?
In fact, when looking at Heiji’s body with [God’s Stare], the effect of [...] had disappeared.
And that meant Heiji’s ferocious temperament, which had forced Heilli to bury her in the ground, had returned!
What’s more, that kind of woman is with Jaewon?
"Could she have sided with the angels and taken our Jaewon hostage?"
Igeon growled and raised the Heavenly Punishment, but Heiji, who saw him, flinched in surprise.
"W-What are you doing here?"
"Cut the crap. First, you sided with the fish god and sold me out, and now you’ve sided with the angels to play tricks?"
"Wha, wha?!"
Heiji looked at Igeon as if dumbfounded. Then she approached him quickly and whispered, as if feeling wronged.
"I! I was trying to deal with Eden from the inside! To protect you, the Earth’s Saint!"
"She’s lying again. Why would you protect me? Did you get shot in the head?"
"That is...!"
As Heiji tried to say something, Heilli interposed herself, eyes flashing.
"She’s an enemy. A liar. A schemer. There’s nothing more to hear."
"?!"
Heiji looked at Heilli as if asking what this was.
But Heilli slightly furrowed her brows and looked at Heiji.
There was a reason—twenty years ago.
Heilli knew that Heiji had taken a romantic interest in Igeon back then. Of course, for some reason after that, the two had become mortal enemies, though.
But now, who knows.
‘She must have even forgotten the incident that made them enemies because of [...].’
She didn’t know why they fought or what incident occurred. But since the bad memories about Igeon had disappeared, only the original good feelings must remain!
And although they were both Saints, Heiji was a bold woman who knew no shame(?)!
In fact, she had tried to pounce on Igeon even back then!
So she had thoroughly prevented her from daring to do anything impudent to Igeon!
And perhaps sensing something similar, Yeonu also furrowed her brows.
"Well, whatever. I just need to take Jaewon and that’s it."
"!"
As if telling her not to interfere, Igeon raised the Heavenly Punishment towards Heiji.
"Seongjae, I’ll handle that woman. You take the angels."
"Yes."
But at that moment,
Shriek!
"!!"
A rough arrow flew at Seongjae.
The one who shot the arrow was none other than I Jaewon!
Igeon looked surprised. That was because the magic power of the arrow Jaewon had drawn was Heiji’s magic power.
And because the Scorching Master had become human, the followers of the Bow Saint couldn’t use magic power now.
So it seemed he had borrowed power from Heiji...
‘Jaewon is targeting Seongjae?’
"This bastard, after going over to the angels, did you get brainwashed or something?"
But what Jaewon spat out was even more unexpected.
"Igeon-nim! You mustn’t stay by his side right now!"
"???"
"It’s dangerous if you stay there!"
At the words that Seongjae was dangerous, Igeon was dumbfounded.
"Jaewon, maybe you can’t recognize him because he’s grown so big, but this is Seongjae."
"That’s not it! I’m not the one being manipulated; it’s the young master!"
What the hell?
"What kind of bullshit..."
"The young master attaining divinity is the angels’ plan! They’re just pretending to proselytize the residents to sacrifice Igeon-nim as an offering to the Great God of Eden! If you stay like that, you’ll be in danger!"
As if asking what kind of bullshit that was, Igeon looked at Cheon Seongjae, but Seongjae instead got angry.
"There’s no way! Jaewon-hyung is the one who’s brainwashed! Can’t you see he’s teamed up with the Saint of Ssangajwa? Eden summoned him!"
"I only temporarily teamed up to recover the young master’s and Hyugo-nim’s souls!"
Then Igeon’s eyes sparkled.
"Really? Taek-su’s soul is here?"
"Yes!"
At the same time, Jaewon attacked the angels who had summoned them.
Bang!
‘!’
Then the flustered angels counterattacked, and the two attacks collided.
With that, a huge wind pressure erupted, blowing away all the angels and residents nearby.
"Ugh!"
It seemed they intended to blow Cheon Seongjae away as well, but Seongjae gritted his teeth and cast a defensive magic.
"Uncle! Jaewon-hyung is acting strange!"
"Igeon-nim! Don’t be fooled!"
By then, Hyugo was equally flustered.
"Geon, did you check their faith levels?"
"Well, both are over 100%, but if they’re brainwashed, faith is meaningless."
"!"
Faith is a conviction deeply embedded in the soul.
No matter how much external brainwashing or mental manipulation is done, the faith itself rarely changes.
‘Unless the person themselves turns traitor.’
If the faith was low and they were likely to turn, that’d be one thing. But to fanatics exceeding 100%, a clumsy brainwashing would never work.
‘Those over 100% are the type who would truly give their lives if their god told them to die.’
In other words, it was impossible to distinguish mental manipulation or brainwashing through faith levels.
And at those words, Hyugo looked troubled.
"Then whose words are true, my son’s or Jaewon’s?"
"Uncle! Obviously Jaewon-hyung was brainwashed and is trying to drive a wedge between us!"
"Igeon-nim! Don’t fall for it! Do you think such large-scale proselytizing is possible inside the enemy’s stronghold?"
Hyugo sweated profusely.
"Just whose words are right?"
Yeonu and Heilli also looked unusually flustered.
"It’s true that Hyugo’s aura can be felt here. Jaewon’s words have a point."
"But if it’s Seongjae, I think he could proselytize that many people..."
As both seemed confused, Igeon gestured.
"Okay. I got it, both of you come here. I’ll tell you apart."
Then Cheon Seongjae and I Jaewon approached immediately.
"I swear to the heavens. I absolutely did not join hands with bastards like Eden!"
"I swear too!"
"Yeah, don’t worry. I have a way to tell you apart."
"What method... Ack!!!"
Igeon grabbed both of their heads and made them headbutt each other.
Bang!!
With Igeon’s strength added, a sound like the heavens and earth splitting was heard. And finally, Jaewon and Seongjae collapsed in a near-death state.
At that sight, Hyugo sweated profusely.
"...You said you’d tell them apart? Were they both brainwashed?"
"I don’t know, what does it matter."
At the sight of his friend brushing off his hands as if it was troublesome, Hyugo was at a loss for words.
‘This bastard, since he couldn’t tell them apart, he just made both of them shut up.’
"It’s done, so hurry and carry him. Why are you just standing there staring blankly?"
"?!"
Igeon, who had knocked out his son and was even scolding his father, looked at Heiji.
Heiji flinched at that gaze and said, as if begging, ‘Go away.’
"I, I didn’t do anything. As proof, I even brought Hyugo’s soul here."
"You brought Taek-su’s soul?"
As Igeon got closer, Heiji blushed slightly and said something.
"Yeah, I, like Jaewon, came to my senses and it was an angel’s den. Instead, I used that to my advantage and brought it back. I overheard that Hyugo was sold at auction, and that his soul was torn apart and sold to gods."
"You were kidnapped too?"
Igeon tilted his head as if it was strange.
‘The ones the angels kidnapped were basically those with high faith.’
The faith Heiji had towards the Saint of Ssangajwa was clearly around 90%, not at a level angels would covet.
So just in case, when Igeon checked Heiji’s faith level, his expression became even more puzzled.
That was natural.
[Faith in Baemjuinjwa 245%]
"......???"
The faith in Baemjuinjwa was too high, excessively high.
So Igeon could only blink his eyes.
‘Why on earth? The [...] definitely wore off.’
Did he get hit with an unknown chaos skill?
As a result, seemingly very suspicious, Igeon, unusually anxious, slid his finger towards Hyugo’s soul.
"You didn’t plant something like a bomb, did you?"
"Do I look like you?"
"R-Right."
What Heiji held out was a softly glowing bead.
And it was one of the things the Fates had cut from Hyugo’s soul and sold to the gods.
The divinity was in Zeus’s temple, and they chopped up and sold the unnecessary human-side soul. Things like Hyugo’s memories and lifespan, not divinity, were useless to Olympus.
‘This must be the remaining 30%.’
Something Hyugo should have originally possessed.
In the end, Igeon carefully examined the soul, and only after confirming it was an intact object did he hand the soul to Hyugo.
"Eat it, and your lifespan, memories, and power will return."
As Igeon shoved it into Hyugo’s mouth, Hyugo struggled in pain.
"Mm!"
No, this slime or this bastard!
No wonder the creature matches its master; can’t you put it in normally? Would it hurt?
But the moment his own torn soul passed down his throat!
‘!’
Hyugo’s head went blank.
[The lifespan of [...] returns to normal.]
[Vitality has been recovered.]
At the same time, he saw a sight he had never seen in his life.
‘!’
It was the memory of his past life that remained in his soul.
-Aaah! Run away!
-What is that bastard!
It was an event from the distant past called the primeval times, a time full of karma.
-It’s a monster that devours gods!
-Run!
-Damn, it’s too strong! Our attacks don’t work!
Gods he had never seen before were fleeing. But he was killing the fleeing gods joyfully, leisurely hunting them.
How much time passed like that?
Puhaak!
Hyugo killed a god and delightedly devoured someone.
But the moment he saw the face of the god he killed and tore apart, Hyugo trembled.
That was because he resembled Kevin so much.
‘Why this guy.’
So as the flustered Hyugo froze at that moment.
"...Suya! Hey! O Taek-su!"
"!!"
Hyugo snapped back to his senses at Igeon’s voice.
Igeon was looking at him as if asking why he was acting like that.
"Are you okay?"
"Uh, yeah."
"You remember your son?"
As Igeon lifted up a limp, seemingly dead(?) Cheon Seongjae, Hyugo screamed.
"Aaaah! Seongjae!!!"
"And you. You said you’d give Seongjae and me 30 million won for my fangirling, right?"
"Don’t talk nonsense!!!"
Igeon nodded as if convinced.
"Good. Both your power and memories have returned."
The verification method was extremely strange, but Igeon seemed to not care.
"We found the nephews, so now we’ll return to Earth."
"!"
And right then.
As Igeon turned around, the fallen angels groaned in pain but inwardly felt relieved.
‘Good. That bastard is finally leaving here.’
‘Just pretend you’re still unconscious.’
‘And the moment he returns to Earth, we’ll inform the General immediately.’
And once this fact reached his ears, all-out war would begin.
‘So quickly get out...’
But it was right at that moment.
"Hey."
"!!!"
Igeon grabbed the angels by their hair and lifted them, as if asking where they got off pretending to be unconscious.
"I have something to ask you."
"......!!!"
"You’ll answer, naturally?"
At Igeon’s fierce gaze, the angels trembled.
(Continued in the next episode)