It was a tremendous scream.
The source was none other than Igeon’s embrace. It came from the book Igeon had put in his bag.
[Kyaaak!]
It was a scream as if the world were about to end.
A sound like something that should never have been discovered had been caught.
Surely, even inside the book, they must have sensed the situation outside.
If it was the Fairy King, even while confined, they would be able to feel the energy outside.
And at the Fairy King’s despair-laden cry, Igeon grinned.
“Bingo.”
At Igeon’s words, everyone’s eyes widened.
And for good reason, because what Igeon had picked up was a mere figurine.
“…That is!”
It was an angel figurine. A beautiful white porcelain statue with its large wings spread, extending a spear toward the sky.
But that figurine had been smashed to pieces the first time Igeon came to this house.
‘Hey. Didn’t I tell you to get rid of all this stuff? Throw it away quickly. In fact, a monster appeared because of this thing.’
‘Wha, what? But that’s a high-grade protective charm of the divine seats! Moreover, it was personally kissed by that saint famous for her peerless beauty…!’
‘Ugh. Disgusting.’
Crash!
‘Aaah!’
And the boy recalled that incident, his face turning pale.
He vividly remembered Igeon, as if disgusted, breaking the figurine and then searching for disinfectant.
But surely the Sage of Ssang-a-jwa wouldn’t be in there?
Even Cheon Seongjae couldn’t help but be horrified as he looked at the angel figurine.
“Come to think of it, you got that from the Sage of Ssang-a-jwa…!”
“Y-yeah, I did.”
Of course, Han Jimin was only a C-rank low-level awakened. He hadn’t even been able to join the direct-controlled holy order.
For someone like him to meet a saint-level being was beyond imagination.
Nevertheless, the opportunity to greet the Sage of Ssang-a-jwa arose because he was a friend of Cheon Seongjae.
[Oh? You’re Seongjae’s roommate?]
Two years ago. Was it when his parents, with whom he lived, suddenly passed away, and even the house he was living in was about to disappear?
His friend Cheon Seongjae told him to stay at his place, so he was using a room there.
Saying he didn’t need rent, just a little help with food expenses.
But apparently that’s what caught the attention of the Sage of Ssang-a-jwa instead.
Why?
‘Because Seongjae didn’t move into Ssang-a-jwa’s facilities.’
Originally, a high-ranking holy disciple like Cheon Seongjae would have a residential complex provided. It was practically an upper-class city.
But Cheon Seongjae absolutely never used the Ssang-a-jwa dormitory.
The reason was simple.
‘Are you crazy? If I were there, I couldn’t even fangirl over Igeon-nim!’
Ssang-a-jwa was an Igeon-hating (?) divine seat. He said that if the Saint found out, he might be kicked out of the holy order.
Well, though one might think it’s crazy that he joined a holy order that’s on bad terms with Igeon in the first place.
Anyway, despite that, Cheon Seongjae was one of the holy disciples favored by Ssang-a-jwa, so he ended up meeting the Saint.
It was probably because they thought his roommate might know why Cheon Seongjae would rather die than enter Ssang-a-jwa’s facilities.
‘Well, I didn’t tell them though.’
“And it’s a gift the Saint kissed and gave…”
Of course, Seongjae told him never to bring it into the living room or his own room. So for now, he’d put it in his room, but…
‘How could the Saint be in that figurine?’
But Igeon immediately cleared up that question.
“That kiss.”
“Yes?”
“That was probably a coordinate imprint. So she could enter this figurine when using possession magic.”
“!”
Everyone was surprised, but Igeon looked at the angel figurine as if it were nothing.
‘It was obviously for surveillance.’
The reason was probably, with high probability, because he was Hugo’s son.
Finally, when Cheon Seongjae was scolded for why he still hadn’t thrown it away, Igeon interrupted.
“No, no. Actually, it’s a good thing you didn’t throw this figurine away.”
“What?”
Igeon smirked.
Since it was for surveillance, she couldn’t afford to be discovered, so she probably dispelled all sorts of magic and came in practically naked, so to speak.
‘That’s your mistake.’
Along with that vicious smile, a strong bluish-green light burst forth.
[Activating the power of Ophiuchus]
Igeon concentrated his magic power into his eyes.
[The 13th Sense]
[The sense of the 13th seat, Ophiuchus, has been activated]
[Activation: Sight (見) – Second Gate, Messenger World]
Then, just like when he discovered Yang Wei, the world turned black and colorless.
Shick!
The world of myriad colors split into red and blue.
[The Star God of Ssang-a-jwa, the Two-Faced Master, is on alert.]
[The half of the Fairy King senses the snake’s presence and is horrified.]
At the same time, two flames were visible inside the figurine.
They were souls.
One was blazing madly as if its fur were standing on end, and the other was trembling.
Hazy
- The Sage of Ssang-a-jwa
- Awakening Name (Baptismal Name): [The Punisher]
- One who punishes evil that deviates from justice.
Effect: Inflicts critical hits or disabling attributes on all evil-aligned beings.
Reriquin
- 8th Fairy King
- Soul state (30%)
At the same time, a familiar voice was heard.
“Please save me! Please save me! I was wrong! Please save me!”
“Can’t you be quiet?”
“Great Igeon-nim, please!”
“Hey!”
Igeon laughed more villainously than ever.
* * *
The Sage of Ssang-a-jwa and Igeon’s sworn enemy, Hazy.
In fact, she was the first among the Twelve Saints to notice Igeon’s return alive.
Even before the Tower of Demons was destroyed.
It was afternoon.
She was in the Eumyang Palace when she sensed a terrible energy.
It was a frightening energy that made her spine chill. Because of it, she even spilled the coffee she was drinking.
Crash!
“Your Holiness! What’s wrong!”
A teacup worth tens of millions of yen shattered, but that didn’t matter.
“Your Holiness?”
Hazy’s gaze turned toward where the Tower of Demons was.
It was unmistakable.
The magic she had placed around the Tower of Demons showed a reaction.
And she felt an energy she had never experienced there before.
It felt like an explosion, like a supernova.
Yet it was sacred, and at the same time, a ferocious energy that seemed it could swallow even the universe.
‘A Star God?’
But Hazy reflexively furrowed her brow.
‘No, that can’t be.’
There were only twelve Star Gods in total. And this energy was clearly alien compared to those twelve.
So when she wondered if yet another new type of monster had appeared.
‘…?!’
As the Tower of Demons collapsed, Hazy felt fear.
That was because within that ferocious energy, she felt a very familiar sensation.
‘Igeon…!’
It wasn’t that she felt his exact energy. But because she had clashed with Igeon more than anyone, she knew well.
There was a feeling that could not be forgotten even if she tried.
And sure enough.
[These sons of bitches. They locked someone up in a tower and slipped out by themselves?]
A familiar voice was caught by the sound magic she had installed near the Tower of Demons.
[These bastards. I won’t let them get away with this.]
And that growling tone, that way of speaking.
In that moment, Ssang-a-jwa staggered.
“Y-your Holiness!”
“What’s wrong!”
“No, it’s nothing.”
The interesting thing was, the one who met this Igeon was Cheon Seongjae’s roommate.
Moreover, the place they were headed was Cheon Seongjae’s house.
As if proving they were friends, they were going to his friend’s son’s house of all places. She let out a hollow laugh, but for her, it was actually a good thing.
‘That place is already in my grasp.’
Hadn’t she already placed a possession magic coordinate on the figurine for the purpose of monitoring Cheon Seongjae?
Of course, that was because Cheon Seongjae was Hugo’s son.
Everyone knew why Cheon Yuha joined the Lion’s Seat, but the son’s reason was completely unknown.
‘Could Hugo have sent him as a spy?’
But the investigation showed it was utter nonsense.
On the contrary, Hugo was trying to make his son quit being an awakened altogether.
He was even ignored(?) by his runaway son.
So she breathed a sigh of relief, but in any case, it was a situation where Igeon was heading to Cheon Seongjae’s house.
‘I need to hurry.’
Ssang-a-jwa immediately used her ability.
[Soul Possession (S)]
Regardless of the target, a skill that allows her to settle her own soul.
Of course, her opponent was who he was.
Since he would notice and react sensitively to even the smallest scent, she didn’t cast even the slightest magic.
And so it was all fine that she was holding her breath in the figurine, but…
‘Shit. Disgusting!’
He smashed it.
That bastard smashed the holy object just because she had kissed it!
‘Igeon, you goddamn bastard!’
She was angry, but what was more maddening was that because of Igeon’s actions, she ended up trapped in the figurine.
Why?
‘When the possessed body is destroyed, you can’t escape.’
It was the condition and risk of possession magic.
Simply put, it was like being in a car that got completely flattened, making it impossible to squeeze your body out.
You could say her legs and torso were completely pinned.
Of course, she tried to force herself out, even at the risk of having her soul severed, but well.
‘Dammit! I can’t get out because of this strange magic power!’
Was it because Igeon touched the figurine? A snake’s magic power, one she had never felt before, remained on it and kept interfering with her.
Of course, there was a way out.
To repair the broken figurine to its original state.
It couldn’t be done with a mere borrowed skill.
‘If it’s repaired sloppily, it’ll become even more troublesome!’
There was no way a skill a C-rank awakened could borrow would be saint-level, and it could end up fusing the soul to the object.
But then.
‘Ah. Still, since it was given by Seongjae’s superior, I should glue it back using the power of the Artisan Divine Seat.’
‘What!’
‘A borrowed skill should work.’
No! Please don’t do that!
‘If you’re unlucky, I really won’t be able to get out forever!’
But.
‘Good. As expected of the Capricorn repair skill. Perfect.’
‘Nooo!’
To put it metaphorically, it was like pouring concrete over a completely crumpled car to make it look like a car.
On top of that, due to the low-grade borrowed skill, even her soul got pressed and stuck.
In the end, that’s how Hazy was forced to remain trapped in the figurine from the day the Tower of Demons collapsed.
And afterward, even news arrived that the Eumyang Palace had been devastated, but Hazy truly couldn’t do anything.
She was going out of her mind.
* * *
And now.
“Caught red-handed.”
Hazy despaired.
Of all people, she was discovered by the one she least wanted to be caught by.
But Hazy smiled.
Because Igeon had brought the other half of the Fairy King.
The remaining half she had left behind in the Eumyang Palace.
She didn’t know how he got it, but this was a golden opportunity.
“What are you doing! You can smash that glass and come out yourself!”
But.
“Kyaaak! I can’t! Save me! I was wrong! Please, just this once, forgive me. Legendary Igeon-nim!”
“Apologize now! Then Igeon-nim might spare you!”
Both halves of the Fairy King screamed.
Hazy almost cursed.
In the past, after being forced by Igeon to undergo mental training, the Fairy King had become like that.
‘What on earth did he go through!’
Just then, a voice was heard.
“Uncle, who are you talking to?”
Hazy thought, oh no.
‘Seongjae!’
Then Igeon smiled and tied something to the figurine.
- A string imbued with the ‘13th Sense’ skill.
One who holds favor with Ophiuchus can temporarily receive its grace. The effect disappears when away from the holy object.
- 13th Sense skill applied: Hearing the Voice of Souls.
At the same time, the voices of the two souls became audible to the others.
“Seongjae!”
And all three were surprised by the familiar voice.
“The Sage of Ssang-a-jwa!”
“Your Holiness!”
At the same time, Hazy’s heart fluttered with excitement.
Communication was possible.
This was good news.
‘Seongjae is a holy disciple of Ssang-a-jwa.’
Moreover, he was a child that she and the Star God of Ssang-a-jwa cherished greatly.
His piety was a bit low, but his contribution and ability were sufficient.
So she shouted.
“Seongjae! Quickly, attack that person!”
“…What?”
“That bastard is an enemy of Ssang-a-jwa! Don’t dawdle, attack!”
Then Seongjae replied.
“Why would I?”
(To be continued in the next episode)