Thus, Yi Geon’s rescue of the prisoners continued.
The deity he pointed to this time was one with a serpent’s head and wearing thick armor.
“So, what about this one?”
[Good. It’s usable. Ah, just the head though.]
“Okay.”
Puhak!!!
At last, Yi Geon’s hammer blew the serpent deity’s head away.
He showed no sign of guilt over blowing away a fellow serpent (?) .
As if that wasn’t enough, Yi Geon proceeded to blow away even those who seemed to be its comrades.
Thanks to that, not even a shadow of the jailers could be seen within the prison.
And around that time, Yi Geon dusted off his hands and looked behind him. Behind him stood hundreds of deities who had been freed by Yi Geon.
“So, have we gathered them all with this?”
[There are still a few remaining… but well, this should suffice.]
The freed vassal deities were dumbfounded by the sight. That was understandable, for they were deities who had once belonged to the Serpent Bearer constellation.
After Asran’s death, centuries had passed since they were forcibly taken by the Great Divine Gods and subjected to forced labor.
But because they did not submit, centuries had also passed forcibly imprisoned.
“For such a day… to come!”
“O Master…!!”
“Young Master…!”
“I had heard rumors, but for it to be true…!”
Deities seeing him for the first time sent looks of trust towards Yi Geon.
No, it wasn’t just looks.
[You have received sufficient faith from vassal deities]
Yi Geon’s power was strengthened by the reverence of the deities.
They knelt and bowed their heads towards Yi Geon.
“We offer greetings to the new Master…!”
Yi Geon watched, looking greatly interested.
[The Wolf of Destruction (Fenrir) swears loyalty to the Serpent Master]
[The Mistress of Destruction (Sekhmet) swears loyalty to the Serpent Master]
Not one of them was below the rank of a high-grade deity.
And that wasn’t all.
Among the rescued deities, there was even one corresponding to the Ruling Deity level.
[The Mistress of the Hearth (Hestia) swears loyalty to the Serpent Master]
Yi Geon smiled as he looked at them.
“So, are you all of the Serpent Bearer constellation’s vassals?”
“There are more in this underground and in the prisons of other factions. But we can bring them.”
“We shall go and free them immediately.”
As soon as Yi Geon gave his permission, the freed vassal deities moved at once.
At the same time, an astonishing event occurred.
[Conditions have been met.]
“!”
Perhaps it was because countless vassal deities had sworn loyalty to Yi Geon.
[Countless stars flock towards the Serpent Master]
[The power of the Star God increases]
[The conditions to become a Great Divine God have been satisfied]
Along with that notification voice, an intensely powerful light, unlike any seen before, erupted from Yi Geon’s body.
The remaining vassal deities of Yi Geon let out groans.
[This light is!]
[The light of a Great Divine God…!]
Along with the light, a change occurred in Yi Geon’s divinity.
[Possessed divinity evolves]
Light swirled around Yi Geon’s body. In an instant, light burst out from him.
It was [Life] and [Death].
But something was strange.
“Ohhh!”
“Finally!!”
The appearance of the two divinities was different from usual.
They were not formless masses of light with expressions, but a young girl and a young boy.
Astonishingly, both had blonde hair.
And at that sight, the vassal deities screamed as if they couldn’t believe their eyes.
“Personification?”
“Divinities can achieve personification?! How is that…!”
“The laws of the divine realm…!!”
But whether they made a fuss or not.
[Life] and [Death] bounced around and shouted.
“Finally! I can speak!”
“Finally, I can talk back to that damned master!”
or
“Finally, I can claim the master!”
Life and Death, with the girl being and the boy being , it seemed.
Of course, Hugo just furrowed his brow at the sight.
“Good grief, those personality-wrecked sadists have gone and gotten themselves bodies.”
Both had the appearance of a beautiful boy and girl, but Hugo knew their capabilities.
Wasn’t the answer obvious just from seeing how they rampaged when reaching the 6th stage?
At those words, the vassal deities who realized their identities cried out in astonishment.
“Are you truly saying those are and ?!”
At that cry, flared up and struck down the vassal deities.
“I have the name ‘Jun,’ given to me by the Master!”
“Kugh!!”
“What, why are you so strong!!”
It seemed that Life and Death were, after all, Yi Geon’s divinities.
And and appeared to hold the highest ranks among the deities.
This meant that if Yi Geon so wished, those two could become the commanders of the vassal deities.
And the two, seeming to greatly adore Yi Geon, clung tightly to his legs.
Well, whatever, it was fine.
Yi Geon shook the blood off his hammer and called Mimir.
“Is it done with this?”
[Yes. It is done.]
Mimir bowed his head in satisfaction.
‘He already possessed the ability. What remained were just the conditions to become a Great Divine God.’
Everyone rejoiced and looked at Yi Geon.
But in that situation, there was just one being.
The Primordial God seemed greatly dissatisfied.
It wasn’t for any other reason.
[ claims he is not a hammer.]
[ claims he is a book.]
Along with those words, the appearance of the vicious hammer Yi Geon held changed.
Poof!
The changed appearance was none other than a book that looked like an ancient text!
[Head Breaker (ex)]
-An object that has completely divine-tool-ized the Primordial God.
However, Yi Geon immediately got angry.
“Hey! I told you not to take that form!”
But the Primordial God grumbled.
[ claims he is a book, not a hammer.]
[ says he is merely taking his original form.]
[ says he doesn’t even like his name!]
“Shut up! How do you fight with a book!”
Yi Geon shook the book as if enraged.
Then the Primordial God, who was once the king of deities, seemed quite wronged.
[He says hitting with the corners causes great damage!!!]
Yi Geon completely ignored him.
“If you don’t turn back into a hammer, I’ll burn you.”
The Primordial God felt wronged(?).
That’s right.
In fact, the Primordial God’s original form was a book.
‘Well, it seems to have the characteristics of all creation in nature.’
Since the Primordial God was the universe itself, it contained all the authorities and structures of the world.
In short, this book was a repository of knowledge, a secret manual containing all truths, no less.
To Yi Geon, it was no different from a recipe book or blueprint useful when making weapons.
But what use was that?
‘It’s no help in combat.’
For Yi Geon, whose specialty was just shutting up and crushing things, the book’s form was extremely useless(?).
So Yi Geon had changed its external appearance to a hammer at least.
After all, it was made by directly converting the Primordial God into a divine tool, so both its ability and durability were overwhelming!
‘The one I originally had would have its durability severely reduced when committing slaughter.’
Ultimately, when the king of deities returned to being a hammer, Yi Geon was satisfied.
And as for the one actually watching that spectacle.
Hugo was trembling.
It wasn’t for any other reason.
‘That bastard Geon has gotten even stronger.’
While it was terrifying how he handled the king of deities like his own possession, he trembled even more seeing the deities whose heads were shattered by that hammer.
Because somehow, those corpses felt like they would be his future.
In fact, Hugo had even received such a threat from Yi Geon.
-Tell me.
-What?
-Why you killed the Creators.
-……!
Yi Geon had said that with intensity enough to strike at his own throat. Clearly, he had realized that Hugo had regained his memories as Hugo.
And indeed.
-You said you were with the Creators because you wanted something.
-That is…! I can’t say.
-Why?
-Because you’ll despise me more if I say.
At those words, Yi Geon raised an eyebrow.
-Then don’t come near me, or your family.
-No! That, I feel wronged. I don’t know what you heard from the vassal deities or the Scorpio Star God, but you’re saying that without knowing….
-Manbyeon. The monarch who came to toy with the Primordial God, but was instead captured by the Creators and lived as their slave.
-!
-And to escape that servitude, he spread the Creators’ weaknesses by rumor, causing them to be killed.
-……!?
-He thought he was finally freed from his shackles after annihilating the Creators, but couldn’t even flee the divine realm because my fath… no, the 13th one survived.
-……?!
-After hundreds of years passed, he finally became free only after even the 13th died and all Creators were dead. And the moment he was free, he led his comrades, devoured deities, and utterly wrecked the divine realm.
-……!!
-How can I trust such a bastard.
-……!
Hugo could say nothing. But Yi Geon had spoken nonchalantly.
-Well, I do trust you.
-…Geon-ah…!
-But there’s one thing I want to confirm. So don’t even think about lying, and answer honestly as a friend.
-Wha, what is it?
Immediately after, Yi Geon asked a question.
And witnessing Yi Geon’s expression change in response to his own honest answer to that question was quite a sight.
It might have been the angriest face Yi Geon had ever shown in all the time Hugo had seen him.
In the end, greatly enraged, Yi Geon threw a punch at Hugo while spouting unheard-of, vicious curses.
It was a day he keenly realized just how dirty and harsh Yi Geon’s mouth could be.
And.
-You son of a bitch. I won’t let you die an easy death.
Anyway, that’s why he was currently dragged along as a meat shield.
Restoring trust itself would likely not be easy.
Well, whatever, it was fine.
“Master? Where are you going?”
“Haven’t you already achieved the objective?”
Their original goal was to fulfill the conditions to become a Great Divine God.
That is, gathering the vassal deities.
But Yi Geon raised the corner of his mouth as if questioning what they meant.
“I have one more objective left.”
“!”
Soon, he moved.
* * *
It was around that time.
“Good heavens, what is that about.”
The divine realm was turned upside down in a different sense.
It wasn’t for any other reason.
“The Star Gods of the 13 Zodiac Constellations have been captured.”
“Didn’t they say they’re being taken to the execution grounds like that?”
“…What?! No matter what, to Star Gods who were once one of the 9 great forces…?!”
The central area of the divine realm.
Past the bridge connected to the castle, a vast land unfolded.
And on the desolate plain made of stones and rocks, an astonishingly gigantic hole was pierced.
It was like a sinkhole, yet a more terrifying place.
Astonishingly, several deities were bound above that hole.
The deities who had gathered up to the bridge were startled at the sight of them.
“Good heavens, they really are the deities of the 13 Zodiac Constellations…!”
“Beings of such rank…!”
The wrists of the captured deities were bound with something like cubes, and they hung in midair as if held captive by these cubes.
Of course, the ones actually captured were busy arguing.
“No, why do I have to be captured because of you?”
“Don’t ask me….”
“More than that, where did the Scorpio Star God go!”
Present there were the enslaved Aries Star God (Jade Emperor), Virgo Star God (Artemis), Leo Star God (Narasimha), Sagittarius Star God (Apollo), and, for some reason, Cali treated as the Libra Star God, Lee Jae-won, Goat-E, Taylor who was a Capricorn Saint, Sophia who was an Aquarius Saint, and others—six individuals acting as saints for the vacant positions.
And the humans(?) who were suddenly dragged there could only foam at the mouth.
“Aack! Why am I here!”
“Hu… Huk! Th… This place is….”
And at that sight, the Virgo Star God glanced disapprovingly at her brother.
“This happened because you couldn’t do your job properly.”
“…Don’t blame me….”
“…I, is this place not Earth? Does anyone know why we were brought here…?”
At Goat-E’s pale-faced words, the deities broke out in a cold sweat.
That’s right. They had captured the deities using the Great Divine God’s privilege, the Judgment Authority.
Simply put, it was an Interrogation Authority that could bind and summon those suspected of crimes once per case.
When caught by this authority, all deities except those of Great Divine God rank were forcibly disarmed, bound, and summoned regardless of their origin.
The Great Divine Gods were the current heads of the divine realm, and this was possible because they had the permission (indulgence) of the Great Divine God level.
But why were saints here…?
And on the faces of the deities full of questions, Lee Jae-won and Goat-E seemed to have fallen into shock as well.
“Don’t tell me you, deities, don’t know either?!”
“Uh… I’m not sure. Ask the Serpent Master for now. It seems the Serpent Master has done something….”
“?!!!”
Meanwhile, the Leo Star God, wearing a leash emitting lightning around his neck, raged madly.
“Has Valhalla finally gone insane? Daring to touch us?”
“Shut up! You will soon fall into the execution pit below and be inherited.”
“Who on earth permitted….”
[I permitted it.]
“!”
Cutting off the Leo Star God’s words, the one who appeared was Valhalla’s Great Divine God, Tongtianjiao. And as soon as he appeared, thousands of Valhalla-affiliated deities manifested around him.
From Valkyries flying in the sky to giants. The number was immense.
Appearing as a gigantic purple flame giant, Tongtianjiao looked at them as if they were abhorrent.
[Execute them.]
But it was just at that moment.
[You brat, who said you could execute someone on your own?]
“!!!”
Everyone was startled by the familiar voice.
“The Ser, Serpent God!”
“Yi Geon-nim!!”
Yi Geon, appearing along with shadows, descended onto a pillar near the execution ground.
That appearance, radiating a vicious aura, was unmistakably the form of a 6th-stage Death God!
The deities flinched at that sight.
‘That appearance is…!’
Everyone was wary of the intensely radiating power.
“Come to think of it, they said that guy’s rank is equal to a Great Divine God.”
“That is correct.”
Because it was just a rumor and they had only seen a ranking list, they were uncertain, but seeing it with their own eyes made it clear.
‘He’s certainly not a mere Ruling Deity level!’
But at that moment.
The Valhalla deities, as if waiting, reached out towards Yi Geon, and Yi Geon raised the corner of his mouth.
[It’s finally time to try this out.]
Along with Yi Geon’s words, a massive light burst forth.
[You have fulfilled the conditions and power of a Great Divine God]
[’s divine tool is activated]
(Continued in the next chapter)