Incheon Middle School, faculty office.
“Seongjae. Looks like you washed your hair today.”
At the homeroom teacher’s words, Cheon Seongjae flinched. But whether he did or not, the teacher chuckled.
“The student director fought so hard to take off your hat, you know. But apparently, he was making a fuss about how he couldn’t erase your uncle’s praise or something. A complete ruckus.”
Indeed.
Five days ago.
Out of the blue, Cheon Seongjae showed up at school without washing his hair.
For a day or so, no one paid it any mind. It wasn’t that strange.
But Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday...
As the days passed and his condition worsened, his classmates and teachers began to find it odd.
Even the girls who usually admired Cheon Seongjae stirred restlessly.
Sure, he was a pint-sized(?) oddball, but Cheon Seongjae was a well-groomed honor student. A sight like that was unimaginable.
And what’s more, Cheon Seongjae was an extremely conspicuous student at school.
His appearance played a part, but above all, he was an A-rank Superior Saint.
In a world where the majority of ordinary people were lay believers (F-rank), Cheon Seongjae was a walking billboard.
Every student who ran into him stirred.
Anyway, so they tried to chalk it up to him just being busy and let it slide. But, well.
‘Seongjae, you’re amazing. The missions must be tough, huh? You can’t even wash up, always working so hard.’
‘Huh? I haven’t been on any missions. I’m too busy just listening to Uncle’s stories, so what missions?’
‘...What?’
‘And I haven’t washed my hair because Uncle patted my head for the first time.’
‘What???’
‘It’s fine. I can hold out for another month.’
‘Hey! What is that...! No, wash up right now! No, I’ll wash you myself! Hey! Where are you running off to?! Get back here!!’
In the end, he was dragged off by the student director and his hair was forcibly washed.
The sight of a global celebrity getting his hair scrubbed roughly by the student director was quite a spectacle.
And apparently deeply mortified, Cheon Seongjae trembled with indignation.
How could they thoughtlessly wash the hair that their lord had touched, like scrubbing laundry?
“Anyway, the reason I called you today is this.”
The homeroom teacher held out a piece of paper.
“You didn’t write down your desired high school.”
“Ah. It’s because I have no intention of going to high school.”
At that, the teacher was left speechless.
The school’s top student was giving up on high school.
So the teacher looked troubled.
“Someone like Seongjae could easily get into a science high school or a gifted school, you know?”
No, to be honest, he had the brains for early admission to university.
“Didn’t you get recommendation offers from prestigious overseas universities too?”
The only problem was his faith was utter crap. Otherwise, he was a genius coveted by many places.
But Cheon Seongjae was indifferent.
“Our household isn’t prosperous enough to invest in that. And I don’t have the time for it.”
The teacher sighed. It seemed he had an inkling of the situation.
“Was joining the Gemini Divine Seat to fix your sister’s arm the reason too?”
At those words, Cheon Seongjae flinched.
‘Well, there’s a bigger reason too.’
It was related to his mother. Of course, he hadn’t spoken a word about his sister or mother to others, simply saying, ‘I’m going to the top Divine Seat because I want to be like You!’ which made things a bit awkward.
‘Tch, before I leave the Divine Seat, I need to steal Gemini’s top-secret magic tome.’
And after causing a mess, who knows how long he could stick around Gemini.
Though, since he’d recently found its hidden location, it didn’t matter.
‘The enemies who killed my mother.’
They were connected to one of the Twelve Saints.
But it was just then.
“Would your father know about this, perhaps? I was thinking of bringing him in for the next parent-teacher conference...”
The moment the words fell, Cheon Seongjae shrieked.
“Father is absolutely not allowed! Don’t even call him!”
“What?”
Cheon Seongjae trembled as if recalling some shameful dark history.
And for good reason. If his famous father came to school, that day would turn into a disaster zone.
In fact, back in elementary school, during an open class, the mothers and teachers observing all fell for his father, and the lesson couldn’t even proceed.
“Anyway, Father is a no-go. I have no intention of talking about my career path. He’ll only nag me, as sure as...”
“Then how about calling your uncle?”
“!”
At the mention of Yi Geon, Cheon Seongjae froze.
A face that said he’d never dared to imagine it.
That Yi Geon would come as his guardian—the thought itself was something he could never dare request...
Bang! Bang!
Cheon Seongjae slammed his head down.
Just imagining it was wonderful.
But at the same time, Cheon Seongjae grew dead serious.
‘Wait. The devastation might be even worse than when Father comes...!’
His looks, his popularity—his father was nowhere near(?) in comparison.
Though, of course, the teachers still didn’t seem to know who Cheon Seongjae’s uncle was.
“Then your uncle...”
It was just then.
Right from the neighboring classroom, a roar erupted.
No, it wasn’t just the next classroom. The entire student body, no, the whole district shook.
At that moment, a familiar face burst into the faculty office. It was his roommate, Han Jimin.
And whatever she’d seen, she was deathly pale.
“Seongjae! Did you see it? Just now, your sister!”
Her expression was so unusual that Cheon Seongjae grew frantic.
“Why! Did something happen to her?!”
“No. Your sister is the best!”
“???”
It was a scene being broadcast live across the whole world.
* * *
“Saint Lord!”
Manila, Luzon Island.
The Divine Seat leaders, who had set up camp in the Sea of Demons, were in shock.
“That’s the Saint Lord, right!”
“Saint Lord!”
Even the saints of other divine seats stood gaping.
A black sky, a black sea raging with storms.
Parting the furious waters, the monster revealed itself.
It looked like an octopus and a centipede fused together.
Its overall silhouette was that of an octopus, but its vertical mouth wriggled like the legs of a centipede.
Its skin, like wastewater, was both slimy and hard as embedded stone, and its head was larger than a single island.
And above all, its legs were horrifying.
The thousand legs attached to it looked like the body of a centipede.
What’s more, each leg was long enough to reach the clouds.
Goooooo—
The destroyer of the sea let out a roar.
But the shocking part wasn’t the horrifying visual of the creature.
“Saint Lord!”
It was unmistakable.
They were still far and could only confirm it with binoculars, but that armor. That muscular silhouette.
“Let go! You beastly bastard!”
There was no doubt—it was Stephen of Leo.
However, even though they should have been overjoyed at the Saint Lord’s survival, the Leo Divine Seat leaders were baffled.
And for good reason: where Leo was hanging on was the problem.
“That bone...!”
“That’s definitely Yi Geon’s...!”
Realizing the situation, the Divine Seat leaders went white as sheets.
That was it. Stephen was at the monster’s mouth. Specifically, he was clinging to a bone held by a thousand legs.
And the Leo saints had no way of not knowing what that bone was.
“Has the Saint Lord still not given up on that?”
“It’s worth ten billion dollars. I wouldn’t give up either.”
Amidst all that, it was a miracle he was alive.
Clinging to a bone, fending off the monster’s attacks—it was befitting a saint.
“Anyway, we prioritize retrieving the Saint Lord! S-ranks will lead the charge! The UK and Korea will draw its attention! The final blow will be from Ten Saints Cheon Yuha...”
“Ah. Why is that guy alive instead of dead?”
“Vice-Leader Cheon Yuha!”
With an indifferent face, Cheon Yuha summoned a crimson spear.
To come searching for that idiot when she didn’t even have time to see her uncle—this was the worst.
“Don’t forget the strategy for the thousand legs! Right after retrieving the Saint Lord, we continue immediately!”
“Yes!”
It was just then.
The Pisces, who had allied with Leo, chanted a spell.
[Ocean’s Sprint]
That was the signal.
“Five seconds to advance!”
“Four seconds!”
But just before they charged, someone shouted uneasily.
“Is it really okay to approach like this?”
“What?”
They hadn’t seen it up close yet, but just its roar gave them chills.
They had been full of confidence watching the footage, but the feeling was completely different.
“The opponent is already Red-grade...!”
“Don’t make me laugh! It caught even Yi Geon! What’s there that we can’t do!”
“B-But, Yi Geon...!”
“Advance!”
The moment the words fell, the Divine Seat leaders kicked off and rushed out.
It was like a golden sprint.
And the spot they landed was atop the sea. With the Pisces’ magic, they dashed over the water.
At the same time, a wondrous event unfolded.
[Beastification]
The figures of the Leo Divine Seat leaders changed.
Parts of their bodies transformed into the forms of beasts.
One’s arm, another’s torso, another’s head.
And that was the characteristic of Leo’s divine seat.
Transforming parts of the body into sacred beasts. The sacred beasts' ranks varied from F-rank to SS-rank.
It was Leo’s signature skill, much like Cancer’s Escape, Aquarius’s Exclusive Chalice, and Gemini’s Soul Beckoning.
And as they stepped up, the Divine Seat leaders of other signs also glared with anticipation.
“As soon as Leo’s side rescues the Saint, we strike the thousand legs!”
“We can’t let it be taken!”
Leo was a powerful divine seat of the north. Out of respect for the saint retrieval, they yielded the first attack, but their eyes told an entirely different story.
Confidence. Fighting spirit. Arrogance.
“This is the chance to erase Yi Geon’s name and raise the prestige of our Divine Seat leaders!”
“Yi Geon took an hour, but we’re different!”
“Ten minutes is enough!”
At last, they rushed out onto the sea.
Yi Geon was indeed famous and great, and because of that there were many who quietly respected him, but, well.
To their now fully grown selves, it all looked like a boost from a sacred artifact or divine protection.
And at this very moment.
‘Our new generation is far superior to Yi Geon!’
‘With a record that overwhelms his!’
They prepared their skills immediately, intent on taking it down first.
In fact, this situation was practically a solo competition among the Divine Seat leaders.
They had in fact quarreled fiercely, each claiming they’d be the first to take it.
But since they couldn’t narrow down their opinions, this was the conclusion reached!
‘Whoever catches that thing first wins!’
‘We’ll finish it off in one shot, before the others even get a chance to touch it.’
At the same time, the waiting Leo saints unleashed their skills.
And those streaks of light aimed for the monster’s mouth.
But it was just then.
“Where are you attacking, you idiots!”
“......!”
Leo kicked away the incoming attacks.
And shouted, as if enraged.
“If you bombard it like that, the weapon will break too! Wait!”
The Leo Divine Seat leaders were thrown into confusion.
“Saint Lord!”
“We can’t rescue you if you do that!”
“If we delay, the other saints will also be in danger...!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll create an opening soon...”
But right at that very moment.
Godspeed.
A flashing streak of crimson struck Leo’s face. At that, Stephen was sent flying far away.
“Keuhak!”
He was kicked away at a speed faster than light.
It was possible because Leo was distracted.
“Saint Lord!”
Not caring, Cheon Yuha alighted softly atop a thousand legs.
“Saint retrieval, success.”
The Divine Seat leaders were left in a daze.
“That’s not a retrieval!”
“Are you insane! Do you even know this is being broadcast live across the world?!”
But Cheon Yuha was indifferent.
Meanwhile, she retrieved Yi Geon’s bone from where it had fallen into the sea and tucked it into her bosom.
It seemed that had been her aim from the start.
And right then.
“The Leo Saint has been knocked off!”
The moment Stephen vanished, the Divine Seat leaders rushed in ferociously.
“No need to even recall Yi Geon’s footage!”
“I’m the one who’ll adorn the front page!”
“Don’t touch it! Move!”
“You move! I’m catching that!”
Saints filled with ambition charged in.
They were already displeased that Yi Geon, who looked utterly unremarkable compared to them, was being lauded as the Thirteenth Hero.
‘How many years have passed by now.’
‘If you just look at time, our experience is longer.’
‘In other subjugations, if only we went out ourselves...!’
With eyes flashing like that, the saints unleashed their ultimate moves.
Boom! Boom!
At last, deafening explosions erupted over the sea.
But it was just then.
“Keuk...!!!”
“Jacob!”
“Damn...! What is this thing! It’s way stronger than we thought!”
Far from falling, the monster stretched out its arms even more viciously.
In the end, the commanders watching and waiting on land shouted urgently.
“All forces charge!”
“Pardon? But...!”
“At this rate, it’s total annihilation! Charge!”
It was a fierce battle.
It was even stronger than they had imagined.
“Just a little more!”
“It’s dangerous! We’ve used all our recovery items!”
“Endure!”
They shouted until their throats felt like they would burst.
Boom! Boom!
It was a strike delivered with every ounce of strength. And at last, the creature collapsed onto the sea.
People slumped to the ground.
“Huff...!”
Battered and bloodied, they let out a cheer.
“We cut its body in half!”
But the Saint commanders stared at the fallen enemy, secretly swallowing hard and stiffening.
‘It was far stronger than we thought.’
In the footage, the monster had looked so sluggish, but the real thing was nothing like it.
Still, they forced themselves to hide their true feelings.
“We could’ve taken it alone, but the backup team jumped in and ruined our momentum.”
“Hah, it turned into a team fight all of a sudden, but it was still nothing special!”
“Well, it’s better for the Saints to share the experience evenly. But it was way too easy.”
“Yeah, the real thing was even smaller than in the video. If we hadn’t been trying to rescue the Leo Saint, we would’ve shown our real power.”
“Right! There’s no reason to praise him as a legendary hero—!”
But then, it happened.
Guoooooo—
“……!”
The Saints who had been about to attack froze in place.
A sound of an entirely different dimension echoed out.
“W-wait, what is this... guhack!”
A black shadow spread beneath the sea.
A shadow so vast it was on an entirely different scale than before.
At the same time, they realized the source of this terror.
‘N-no way.’
It was exactly as they feared.
“Damn it! The one we just caught is a baby—!”
“What?”
“The mother is the real one!”
They froze.
‘S-something that huge was only a baby?’
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the creature revealed itself above the sea.
Guoooooo—
A size and oppressive pressure on a completely different level from before.
The tens of thousands of Saints froze.
“I-it’s the same one from the video!!”
There it was, the very creature from the footage. But in a different sense, it couldn’t be compared to the video at all.
“W-what is this pressure…!”
Terrifying.
And they were struck with shock.
It was only natural.
“I-Igeon really caught that thing alone?”
Silence descended.
And someone thought:
Perhaps the monster in the video had looked pathetic not because the monster was weak, but because Igeon, who caught it, was simply too overwhelming.
Because Igeon had subdued it so easily, they had assumed it would be easy for them too.
In the end, after that heavy silence, screams erupted.
“Run!”
“We have no chance!”
From the drone cameras to the Saints, everyone retreated like mad.
But.
“Kyaaaak!”
The real monster’s countless tentacles rose from the sea and struck like a barrage.
Boom!
The Saints were hurled into the sea. And they regretted it.
“Insane!”
“Crazy—who said we could reenact Igeon’s video?!”
“Just trying to imitate that is insane!”
They were going to die. They might be wiped out entirely.
That thought flashed through their minds.
At that moment, the Capricorn Saint, as if waiting for this, pulled something out.
It looked like a detonator.
But right then.
A laugh came from behind the Capricorn Saint.
“Ah, you idiots. Can’t even catch one octopus?”
(To be continued...)