It was the day of his son’s fifth birthday.
[I’m sorry, honey. I don’t think I can make it this time either. Tell Seongjae I’m sorry.]
Cheon Ji-u. She was Hugo’s wife and a researcher at MIT.
She was so busy that after Seongjae started walking, they could only see her face once or twice a year.
Since Yi Geon’s death.
It was because she had reached the final stage of developing a weapon capable of dealing with the ever-increasing monsters.
It was a missile.
‘The weapon Mr. Yi Geon left behind became a crucial foundation.’
His wife, who was also a fan of Yi Geon and Hugo, had examined Yi Geon’s weapon and obtained clues to annihilate the monsters.
Of course, all her colleagues said Yi Geon’s weapon wasn’t worth investigating, but Cheon Ji-u believed in the abilities Hugo had told her about.
She researched relentlessly and gained hints.
[Development of a Weapon Against Giant Monsters with No Harm to Humans]
She said it was practically created by Yi Geon.
With it, her husband wouldn’t have to fight alone so painfully.
And the Tower that Yi Geon couldn’t emerge from. At the same time, it would allow the search of the Demon’s Tower that Hugo wanted to search to the end.
And then, just before the weapon’s completion, in 2015. July 15th, 1 a.m.
“Mom!”
The wife had rushed back home in one step at the call of her son, who wished to see his mother for his birthday.
It must have been because, even with her busy schedule, she couldn’t refuse the request of her young son, who never threw tantrums.
Her five-year-old son, missing his mother, went to greet her at the airport, dozing off while nodding.
Since his dad was out on mercenary work, he asked his dad’s close subordinate to take him.
And as the three of them were driving back home.
“Mommy. Hungry.”
“Seongjae, let’s hold on a little until we get home.”
“But I’m hungry…”
“Seongjae.”
“It’s fine, ma’am. Seongjae didn’t even eat dinner waiting for you to come. No wonder he’s hungry. We can just stop at the drive-thru up ahead for a moment.”
“But I’m already sorry just for bringing Seongjae out at this hour…”
“Haha, it’s fine. I brought him because I wanted to. No worries.”
The accident broke out at the fast-food place where they briefly stopped.
“Ma’am!”
It was a major incident that the news heavily covered at the time.
It was unbelievable.
By the time Hugo heard the news and rushed over, it was already too late.
Seongjae was simply dazed by what had unfolded before his eyes. Fortunately, he wasn’t hurt, but Hugo lost his most cherished subordinate and his beloved wife.
The unknown monster that took them both got away without being caught.
The weapon his wife had been developing was handed over to Capricorn.
That was already ten years ago.
Commonly referred to as the Incident.
But now that monster has appeared here?
At the cry he couldn’t forget no matter how hard he tried, Hugo shot up from his seat.
Thump!
His expression filled with murderous intent was a bonus.
The EU representatives in the meeting were flustered.
“Lord Otterus?”
Hugo’s fierce green eyes were staring out the window.
This was Flanders, north of Belgium.
The Netherlands and Germany above were Red Zones, making this effectively humanity’s front line city.
Because of that, the dome walls of the human territory were visible right outside the window.
The monsters’ cry was coming from outside the dome.
“The monsters that have appeared here.”
“Excuse me?”
“I was told that Virgo commissioned Yi Geon for a subjugation.”
“Pardon? Ah, yes…!”
“They said Virgo came to report the situation first. But they said these enemies are incompatible with Virgo…”
“And this time, with the Bridge of Heaven matter, Sir Yi Geon’s achievements were remarkable.”
“Virgo also brought that up when requesting a subjugation from Sir Yi Geon through us…”
Crunch.
Hugo ground his teeth.
At that fury, the government officials were bewildered.
Even though Hugo often showed a prickly side in public, it was the first time they saw him exude such killing intent.
But Hugo was more furious than ever.
He couldn’t help it.
The monster that took his wife and subordinate. And at the very fact that they were handing this over to Yi Geon, Hugo was convinced.
‘They’re trying to kill Geon.’
What high praise for Yi Geon’s achievements?
Not only were they not the type to say such things, but if they had come to report the situation first, it was even more certain.
There was no way they didn’t know about that monster.
‘All twelve Saints know about that monster.’
That was understandable, because the Blood Mist was a creature that had tried to capture even himself and the Saints, only to be crushingly defeated.
Of course, to be precise, the one who was crushingly defeated and shattered was himself.
And though the other Saints had come to watch, saying they’d help or whatever, even they ended up panicked.
They came to watch with light hearts, but everyone’s expressions changed, and they were busy fleeing.
It had to be.
‘A monster that even devours gods.’
There was no other way to describe it.
It wasn’t simply a monster that ended with being called strong.
Something on a different dimension.
Moreover, a monster that devoured even the power of holy gods.
‘In a different sense from Red Eyes, an entity we couldn’t do anything about.’
Because of that, over 30% of the Archer Constellation’s power was stolen at that time.
Even he himself would have died on the spot if one of the Saints hadn’t risked his life to save him.
After returning, the stolen power never came back.
‘The stronger the opponent, the more it obsesses over that magical power and steals it.’
Having experienced absolute helplessness before it, Hugo was certain.
Yi Geon was in danger.
* * *
Wahh wahh-
It sounded just like a baby’s cry.
Yi Geon narrowed his brows.
‘First a cow’s cry, now a baby?’
It was definite.
The cow’s cry was new to him, but this baby’s cry he remembered hearing in the Tower.
At moments like that, the fog grew denser.
Wooosh-
It was a fog that appeared blood-red.
That fog erased the city outside the dome in an instant.
No, not just the city.
“Aack!”
“S…save me! Kyaak!”
The blood-red fog blanketing the city assaulted the people within it.
It wasn’t just a physical attack.
“Hey! Snap out of it! Hey!”
“What, what are you doing?! We’re on the same side! Hey!”
One by one, the people engulfed in the blood-red fog collapsed.
As if their very souls were being stolen.
The screams grew louder. The Virgo defense forces guarding the dome were bewildered as well.
“Commander! Contacts from other teams are cutting off!”
“How can it already reach the 3rd dome…!”
This was humanity’s last line of defense.
The dome was made of five layers in total. The innermost was the human city, and usually at 50km intervals, there were double, triple, quadruple, quintuple domes.
Simply put, it was like five Great Walls.
You could think of it as a giant defensive wall separating the zones of humans and monsters.
Though some distance from the deepest center of the unknown civilization, it was a land of monsters swarming with creatures.
And typically, they called the farthest dome the 5th Dome, and the one closest to the human city the 1st Dome.
So it was often predicted that the moment the 1st Dome broke, humanity would perish.
“This is bad! The 4th Dome has already been breached!”
“They say headquarters is gathering forces toward the 3rd Dome!”
Perhaps today the 1st Dome could break.
Of course, unless it was a Red Eyes class threat, things usually ended at the 4th Dome line.
The calamities that occasionally appeared in the city were monsters summoned inside the dome via special pathways, after all.
But the speed at which the creatures were approaching was not normal.
They were closing in right before the 3rd Dome.
“Vanguard, concentrate firepower!”
Along with the shout, the fog settled thickly.
The vanguard troops on the dome were instantly erased into the blood-red fog.
“No! Save me!”
It was a terrifying speed, as if devouring prey.
[Caution. The enemy’s level is high.]
At the distant screams, the followers of the Archer Constellation urgently drew their bows.
“Quickly, pinpoint the enemy’s location!”
The two followers’ eyes turned gold.
That was the Archer Constellation’s exclusive skill
It was a clairvoyant eye skill that could not only see an ant 500 meters away but also see through the surroundings to find hidden enemies.
No matter if the enemy took the form of mist, it must have a main body.
No stealth-type monster could evade this skill.
That was the moment.
“Sir Yi Geon! Sister! I found it!”
The youngest of the Archer Constellation, Seo Ji-hun, urgently pointed at a building in the ruins.
Something glowing was visible amidst the red fog. At the same time, Eun Ye-rin and Seo Ji-hun drew their bowstrings.
[Bondage of Torment (S)]
But that was the moment.
Bang!
Their skill shattered. It had exploded from another arrow that suddenly flew in.
“……!”
Startled, they turned their heads to see Gote holding Yi Geon’s bow.
Simultaneously, Gote’s neck veins bulged.
“Do not launch any attack whatsoever!”
“Wh, what?”
“You’ll die if you try!”
“……!”
At Gote’s words, the followers were bewildered.
To be honest, it was the first time Gote spoke like that to his subordinates.
Though not SS-rank, they themselves were S-rank and A-rank. Moreover, they had the skill for Hugo to entrust them alone with the guarding of the sanctuary.
Of course, one was A-rank, but they were originally a small elite constellation.
Having rolled around on the front lines, they were practically S-rank.
Their combat power was not something to be ignored anywhere.
But Gote was sincere.
‘That thing is impossible.’
Especially because he had already experienced it once.
It was a creature that their idol Hugo had failed against.
“It tracks people by magic power, not sight! Don’t use skills, just run awa…!”
But then.
“Wahh! Wahh!”
The sound came from right next to them.
“……!”
Gote swiftly pulled out Yi Geon’s bow.
But something even more surprising was separate.
Whack!
Yi Geon kicked Gote away.
“Hand it over, you brat.”
“Cough…!”
Gote, kicked in the shin, thought he might die.
‘He pierced through S-rank greaves…!’
On the other hand, Yi Geon found it fascinating.
He hadn’t used much strength, but seeing him endure, he’s indeed SS-rank.
Yi Geon tucked his hands in his pockets and flicked his finger.
“Forget it, hand over the gear you’re wearing. If you’re going to use a weapon I made that poorly, return it.”
“So Sir Yi Geon is impossi… What, what did you say? Who made what?”
Yi Geon smiled.
No wonder they’d been having an admiring, praising debate over the bow among themselves.
It seemed they hadn’t heard the conversation with Hugo either.
Of course, to eavesdrop on whispered conversations, your ear stats would need to be high enough, but anyway.
It didn’t matter.
“That kid of mine you were praising so much. You’re not supposed to use it like that.”
The expressions of the followers were priceless.
Truly, did Yi Geon make it?
“Impossible! It was an object even greater than Capricorn’s work…?!”
“Then don’t tell me the thing pawned off because of gambling debts… Kuk!”
“That’s your house’s boss, kid.”
In the end, when Yi Geon took the bow, Gote urgently tried to stop him.
So Yi Geon kicked him again, telling him to get lost.
“That’s why I’m telling you it absolutely can’t happen!”
Gote clutched his leg that seemed about to snap and shouted desperately.
“That monster is an unconquerable creature that even deprived the Lord of the Constellation of his power! It devours the power of gods!”
“!”
Yi Geon looked at him with surprise.
Gote seemed to be confiding because the other party was Yi Geon, who was Hugo’s friend after all.
“Ten years ago, the first follower of the Archer Constellation and the Lady were devoured by that monster! And later, the Lord of the Constellation managed to retrieve their physical bodies somehow…!”
Gote squeezed his eyes shut.
During his apprenticeship, Gote still could not forget that day.
That thing devoured objects, physical bodies, souls — everything entirely.
Even gods.
“Thanks to the Scorpio Saint’s help, we were able to pull out the Lord of the Constellation… But anyway, Sir Yi Geon, seeing this incident, you’re the 13th Saint, right? That thing crazily obsesses over divine power! It has a special skill that paralyzes divine power, making it the worst compatibility for Saints!”
Yi Geon understood.
Saints, unlike ordinary followers, could be seen as fully possessed by a god.
If divine power is blocked, they’re bound to be sitting ducks. So it must have become a trauma.
Well, whatever.
“So what.”
Yi Geon drew his bowstring.
(Continued in next chapter)