There's a thing called table manners education in the world.
Of course, what's taught there differs from household to household. That's a matter of great variation depending on the parents' dispositions.
But.
"Ah, those damn otaku bastards. I should've given them one more."
"Oh dear, honey, stop it. You're just getting your own mouth dirty."
At the very least, those two probably weren't taught by their parents to run their mouths like that.
A smile blossomed on Lee Geon's face.
But the couple scoffed as they looked at Lee Geon.
"The Tower of Evil is definitely their doing. Because of that, that nobody Lee Geon is getting attention for nothing."
"It's okay, honey. I'll make you feel all better today. Don't mind trash like him."
"Right. I'll hold it in. You beggar bastard."
They even called a stranger a beggar bastard.
Even I would at least look at someone for ten seconds before calling them a son of a bitch.
Come to think of it, I had actually been curious all along.
Why they kept calling me a fake.
Obviously, that forty-something man surnamed Hwang outside the Tower had also kept calling me a Lee Geon stalker fan.
'At the very least, it's not because my face makes me look like an imitation.'
The leather armor, at least enough to be recognizable in this world, I had long discarded when leaving the Tower because it was cumbersome.
So I had no idea what they meant by calling me a fake, but I didn't really care either way.
"Hey. You two cockroaches."
Lee Geon called out to the rude pair. Startled, they turned their heads back.
"Hey? Cockroaches?"
"Are you calling us?"
"Yeah, you two monkeys over there. You."
A gesture as if calling a dog.
Baffled, the two let out empty laughs.
"That nutjob."
And as they drew closer, it was the boy and Mr. Hwang who were terrified instead.
There was no choice but to be.
'Crazy, that's the Gemini Holy Order!'
'Why those people of all people!'
In a word, a battle group.
They were an Awakened group that followed the Twelve Star Gods and the Twelve Star Saints, defending the city.
But the two couldn't help but tremble as they stared at the man's blue cardigan.
On the surface, it was just an ordinary cardigan with a strange emblem embedded, but it was different.
That was definitely a famous item empowered by the Star God of the neighboring country!
'Damn, of all people to mess with, it's the top-ranking Holy Order of Korea!'
But the man and woman were instead enjoying themselves. It was a bit unexpected to be called, but they hadn't come with kind intentions from the start.
Sure enough, the man approached Lee Geon as if today was his day. The lips that took a long drag on the cigarette curled grotesquely.
"What, you otaku bastard. Touchy because I called you a fake Lee Geon?"
The man was practically about to burn Lee Geon's face with the cigarette.
"Or did your eyes roll back because I insulted that Lee Geon you worship and suck up to... Urk?!"
The man nearly bit his tongue.
"Ugh, uuugh!"
A pain as if his shin was on fire. Even with a kick, it was a perfect hit. Truly a level where he couldn't even scream.
As the man gaped and raised his head, Lee Geon was smiling.
No, fake or whatever.
"If you've been sidewalk-smoking, shouldn't you apologize first?"
"!"
"No, to begin with."
"?"
Lee Geon's index finger came right before the man's eyes.
And then.
Crack!
"Aaack!"
As Lee Geon flicked his finger, a tremendous force struck the man's chin.
Truly the sound of bone shattering.
Lee Geon grinned crookedly.
"Sidewalk-smoking is something you shouldn't do."
As the man fell backward, the cigarette that had flown away with him pattered down. And at that sight, everyone dropped their jaws.
Especially the boy who had tried to get Lee Geon to run away had turned utterly pale.
And with good reason, since the opponent was unmistakably the Gemini Holy Order, an elite group that soared across Asia and wielded massive influence even abroad.
So he couldn't believe it.
'That place should only have monsters of at least A-rank or higher...!'
Yet a finger flick took down that giant of a man? People who wouldn't budge even if pushed by an excavator?
But whether they were shocked or not, Lee Geon leisurely picked up the cigarette he had sent flying. Then his direction was toward where the man had fallen.
Lee Geon roughly grabbed the man's head.
"Speak up. Is a person's face an ashtray? Huh?"
"……!"
With his head grabbed, no words came from the man.
What is this, isn't a finger practically a weapon?!
The grip strength of the boy holding him transcended common sense.
Not only that, this area was a non-combat zone where powers were suppressed due to another Star God's authority. Even reasonably high-ranking ability users couldn't exert this much strength.
'What? Since I don't sense a Star God he follows, he's clearly an Ant...!'
An Ant, in short, is an ordinary citizen.
They were ordinary people who paid monthly protection taxes and provided tax revenue for the Holy Orders operated by the Twelve Star Saints. In other words, non-Awakened who had not received divine power; they were commonly called Lay Believers.
So it was strange.
'Damn, what's going on...!'
Regardless, his pride in front of his woman would not allow him to simply keep taking it.
The opponent was just a high school brat with a much smaller stature than his own. Though his power was partly suppressed, he wasn't entirely restricted.
The man tried to stand, holding his shattered jaw.
"This son of a bi... Uk!"
But the man nearly vomited. Because of the cigarette ash and smoke thrust down his throat.
And Lee Geon, having stuck the cigarette in the man's mouth backwards, smiled.
"You know well that second-hand smoke is bad, don't you?"
"!"
Furious, the man tried to say something, but flinched at the approaching finger again. He wasn't sure, but if he got hit by that once more, his face wouldn't survive.
"Uwah, arrigh! I ged it! Sthop!"
Lee Geon smiled with satisfaction.
"Right. You shouldn't just puff smoke into people's faces, right?"
"Uuhp!"
"You won't do it anymore, will you? Right?"
"Uhp, uuuhp!"
"Good. As long as you understood."
Lee Geon withdrew his hand.
The man felt relief, but Lee Geon grinned fiercely and moved his hand again.
Crack!
"Kurgh!"
This time it was a fist.
In the end, the man collapsed, his nose shattered too.
Lee Geon raised the corners of his mouth.
"If he were someone I could reason with words, I wouldn't have done it from the start."
But that wasn't the end.
"Hey. Woman cockroach."
"!"
"Put away that weird thing before I send your hand flying."
"?!"
The woman who had been secretly aiming for Lee Geon's back froze in shock.
She had even erased her presence with a Star God skill, how did he...
Not only that, Lee Geon didn't even look back. So just as she hurriedly tried to step back.
"Warning you."
Lee Geon raised his hand.
"If you try any tricks behind someone's back, you might really die."
The woman knew she'd slipped up.
But Lee Geon was faster.
Crack!
With a tremendous boom, the woman flew backward.
"...H-heuk!"
This thumb flick was an attack to the brow ridge. She would be fortunate if her cervical spine wasn't dislocated from the impact.
Eventually, the attacked woman collapsed, foaming at the mouth. The bizarre spray she had been about to spray clattered away.
And the only one composed in this situation was Lee Geon, casually picking at his ear.
"These punks should have gotten the message by now."
But the surroundings were in an uproar.
"Hey! What are you doing! No matter what, using abilities in the middle of a shopping district...!"
However, Lee Geon was instead dumbfounded.
"What are you talking about? If I'd used abilities, those punks would be dead."
"Wh-what?"
Mr. Hwang and the boy were appalled beyond words.
'Then right now, bare-handed, you turned the Holy Knights of the top Holy Order into this state?'
No, from the time he'd beaten down the mutant wolf, I had thought he was no ordinary guy but!
'Just which Star God's blessing did he receive...!'
They couldn't even think to shut their mouths.
But actually, the one continually being surprised was Lee Geon.
Why?
'As expected, those are that guy's items.'
Lee Geon wrinkled his nose and lifted up the spray and the necklace he had torn off. His face looked as if he were picking up toilet paper smeared with feces.
It was unmistakable.
'Their holy artifacts.'
In simple terms, objects containing divine power. Called holy artifacts because they bore sacred godly power.
The Twelve would offer tributes to their respective gods and receive special artifacts to use.
And if his senses were right, this spray, these clothes, unmistakably the aura of Japan's... that Gemini woman.
'And ordinary people are using these?'
No, since they seem able to use magic power, maybe they aren't ordinary.
Anyway, that wasn't all.
[The followers of Golden Fleece, greedy for wealth, delight in this situation]
[They say to deal with the man and woman quickly]
[The followers of Aries want to see them bleed]
[They clamor to be given their groans of pain to listen to]
[They say not to worry about watching eyes]
[They promise to give useful wealth if you deal with the two]
Lee Geon furrowed his brow and surveyed the surroundings.
Perhaps within a 10km radius. A strange energy felt throughout one administrative district.
And that was none other than the aura of the God of Wealth, the Aries Star God, one of the Twelve Star Gods. So it was strange.
'After Gemini, now Aries?'
At any rate, as if they'd been playing a game of land-grabbing among themselves, barriers of various countries' Star Gods were felt everywhere.
Especially from the subway exit, the power of the American Star God wafted out strongly.
And that made him furious.
'These bastards. I'm sure I warned them clearly not to even set foot near Korea.'
Daring to mark territory like dogs while he was away?
It was not for nothing that he hated the Twelve Star Saints and the Star Gods they served.
'Those guys are not benevolent gods.'
The Twelve Star Gods, to use an analogy, were fleas or mosquitoes that sucked human blood. No, worse than leeches.
Basically, they were beings with more interest in their own profit than in humans.
And such pests showing up without any purpose?
That made no sense.
Even pests don't appear without food. They swarm because there's food to devour.
So there was no way he'd welcome them marking territory.
Moreover, if they'd put up barriers to this extent, they must have messed with every single protective artifact he had created and installed.
'It's impossible for the items I installed to just disappear on their own.'
No wonder he hadn't felt any of his items' energy.
As if it were pathetic, Lee Geon grinned crookedly.
But just then.
[Warning. The followers of Aries, greedy for wealth, are glaring at you]
'!'
A red shadow writhed beneath Lee Geon's feet.
Those who had been gleefully watching this situation and even blocking the crowd; all were of the Aries Star God from the Chinese side.
And these subordinate gods were the Star Gods' minions.
They wriggled as if about to devour Lee Geon.
It was clear they saw him as an easy target since no Star God was felt from him.
[The subordinate gods of Aries seek to fulfill their desires using their authority]
Soon, as the giggling red shadows were about to reach out to Lee Geon's body.
"You goons, you dare try some petty trick?"
At Lee Geon's murderous intent, the shadows halted abruptly.
The shadows began to tremble.
And.
"Get lost, right now."
Unable to endure those serpentine eyes, the subordinate gods vanished.
Watching this, Lee Geon sneered as if it were beneath him.
'Ass-kissers of the Star Gods.'
At the same time, as the barrier disappeared, the boy and Mr. Hwang who were far off were startled.
"What, why did the barrier suddenly...!"
To this, the boy, who seemed to have some experience, was also bewildered.
"The subordinate gods maintaining the barrier disappeared! Well... Since the barrier around here was just for tax collection, it's actually better for us if it's gone, but... ."
Such a thing had never happened before.
They stared at Lee Geon.
But whether they did or not, Lee Geon let out a yell.
"Ah, shoot!"
"What's wrong? What happened!"
Lee Geon hurriedly approached.
"Kid. What these guys are wearing."
As Lee Geon pointed at the fallen man's clothes, the boy and Mr. Hwang sighed as if he'd finally realized.
"Took you long enough to notice!"
"That's right. This emblem! It's definitely the Korean top-ranked Gemini Holy Order."
"That's why, of all people, a Japan-affiliated direct order...!"
"No, no."
"Yes?"
"Are these designer brands?"
Flabbergasted, Mr. Hwang and the boy examined the clothes and accessories.
"Now that you mention it, their clothes, bags, shoes... All Hermès, Chanel... Wow, how much is all this!"
"...Even the underwear is brand-name?"
"In any case, seeing them decked out in this stuff, they're rich, right?"
"Yes? That goes without saying! The Gemini Holy Order is filled with political and financial giants and even third-generation heirs..."
"Anyway, they're the type who won't have any trouble in daily life even if stripped bare, right?"
"...Pardon?"
'Pardon?'
The boy and Mr. Hwang thought they had misheard.
But Lee Geon grinned slyly.
It might have been his most lecherous gaze since leaving the Tower.
"Good. I needed a change of clothes anyway."
"Whaat?!"
"And I should get ample compensation for mental damages."
"Wait ju..."
"Ah, underwear excluded, of course."
The starved hero's hands were faster than light.
(To be continued in the next episode)