Kwahng!

When Lee Gun gave the signal, the Pisces Saint fell into the blast furnace.

Hugo screamed, “Gun!! What are you…!”

He opened and closed his mouth as if he wanted to ask what Lee Gun was thinking.

Lee Gun whispered to him, “Don’t overreact. She won’t die from this. She’s already dead.”

“!”

Lee Gun knew Liv had nothing to do with his death. However…

‘The Zodiac knew about the real culprit, right?’

The Zodiac knew the culprit, yet she hid the truth from Kevin. Moreover, she was shameless enough to call Lee Gun for help in defending her holy ground. 

The Zodiac might have had good reasons for doing so, but there was no way Lee Gun would look kindly on such actions. Also, the Zodiac was close to Liv, so Liv might have known about that incident.

‘Despite being in her soul state, she can still use magic. She had plenty of ways to send a message to Taeksoo.’

Well, Lee Gun could see the writing on the wall.

It had probably been too troublesome, so Liv had decided to sleep within the body of the Abundance Monarch. In reality, that was the truth. 

Liv fell toward the blast furnace, and frightened by the sight, she screamed.

[Kyaaaaa! Zodiac Saint-nimmmmm!]

Splash!

The sound of Liv falling into the molten steel within the blast furnace rang out clearly!

The flustered Zodiac emitted her power.

Kwah-jeek!

In front of this power, Hugo and Kevin flinched. This power was so strong that it made the Zodiac Saints shake in fear.

[The Zodiac of the Pisces Temple is the ruler of the sea creatures. Her abilities have increased.]

[The Pisces has activated the Sea God’s Instinct.]

Her eyes flashed as her frightening divine status exploded forth. The Serpent Eater skill had trapped the Zodiac, yet she escaped in an instant.

[Warning! The Pisces’s energy is threatening the Serpent Bearer’s holy ground.]

Kwahng!

Flustered, Kevin quickly raised his sword. The Virgo Constructs, who had been secretly hiding within Kevin’s shadow as they thirsted after Lee Gun, ground their teeth as they popped out.

[Baby snake-nim has yet to fully recover his power!]

[How dare you do this inside Baby snake-nim’s territory!]

They weren’t Constructs of a battle-type temple without reason. 

Kevin was surprised to see the goddesses appear. “What the hell? When did they hide there… Koohk!”

In a flash, five battle goddesses showed up and raised their blades.

[Kevin! What are you doing? Hurry up and activate Master’s Winter Frost!]

[She’s Baby snake-nim’s precious ingredient— No, I meant to say that you’re about to lose the enemy!]

“I told you guys not to follow after me— Ahhhk!”

A light arrow almost grazed past the side of Kevin’s face. 

Hugo was the one who had shot it. The sun’s arrow shot forth like a laser and headed toward the Zodiac, who was moving toward the blast furnace.

The Zodiac’s eyes flashed.

[Illusion Alteration (SSS)]

- Changes all attacks.

The Zodiac’s technique turned the Archer Saint’s arrow into flower petals, which dispersed into the air.

“…!”

[Saint-nim!]

The Zodiac disappeared through the flower petals and landed on the blast furnace.

Boom!

[Saint-nim! Where are you?]

The Zodiac desperately looked for Liv, but Liv seemed to have already fallen into the blast furnace. 

The sight of the back of Liv’s head as she floated in the molten steel proved this to the Zodiac. The freaked-out Zodiac was about to scream when…

“What are you doing? Hurry up. You go in too.”

[Kyaaaaa?!]

As if he were waiting for this moment. Lee Gun jumped and kicked the Zodiac.

Bbah-gahk!

The flying kick felt like it was faster than light as the foot slammed into the Zodiac’s back.

[Kyahhhhk!]

The Pisces followed Liv into the blast furnace.

Splash!

[The ingredients that have entered the Blast Furnace will be disassembled.]

[Ahhk. No… Kyahhk!]

Kevin and his Constructs had a realization.

Lee Gun had purposefully let the Pisces escape the Serpent Eater skill.

Hugo grabbed the back of his neck. If a human soul had fallen into the blast furnace, it wouldn’t do much. Lee Gun had tossed Liv into the blast furnace to lure the Zodiac. That was why Hugo found Lee Gun’s move problematic.

“Damn it! It seems he won’t really use it as an ingredient to make my weapon.”

On the other hand, the Virgo Constructs started entering Kevin’s shadow after they had accepted the situation.

[Go help Baby snake-nim make his weapon, Kevin.]

[Ah! You should go wash yourself with Baby snake-nim!]

[Since you are guys, you can wash each other’s backs. Why don’t you get closer to him? Hhmm!]

It seemed they planned to stay hidden and peep on Lee Gun.

Kevin’s eyes flashed at their hidden agenda.

[Poo-hahk!]

Suddenly, the Pisces was tossed out of the blast furnace.

“!!”

Everyone was surprised by the sight.

[You are alive?!]

However, Lee Gun seemed to have been aiming for this. “It’ll be troublesome if they die already.”

Yes, he was the one to fish out the Pisces from the blast furnace. Of course, it wasn’t just the Zodiac.

[H-Huh-uhk! Saint-nim!]

Liv was still tied up by death as she was dragged out of the blast furnace.

However, the appearances of the Zodiac and her Zodiac Saint differed had changed a little. The Zodiac’s divine status was disassembled, and half of her arm was gone. Liv’s hair had vanished too.

However, Liv was afraid of something more than being tossed into the blast furnace.

[Wow! The blast furnace has piranhas like Lee Gun within it.]

[Saint-nim! You aren’t supposed to be afraid of them!]

It was understandable.

When Liv had entered the blast furnace, she had realized it was full of steel fish that melted down the ingredients. And these fish were letting out grotesque smiles. They were the tools that would break down the ingredients brought inside the furnace.

The Zodiac looked relieved when Lee Gun had fished them out. Liv was merely a soul, so she couldn’t feel pain. There would be no big setback. However, the shock to her mental state would be a problem.

The Pisces was fine since she had innate magic, but she didn’t like the blast furnace at all.

‘It broke down my divine status…!’

Half of her arm was gone, and mysterious sky-colored rocks were floating on the top of the molten steel.

The Zodiac reared back in fright.

‘Did my arm turn into ingredients?!’

Even she would die if he used this method!

While the Zodiac was in a state of panic…

Flash!

Lee Gun unexpectedly used Super Regeneration on Pisces and Liv. He regenerated them.

The blast furnace grumbled at this sight.

[Blast Furnace is sullen]

[Blast Furnace is sad that the ingredients for the spicy fish stew are gone.]

This overjoyed the Zodiac She seemed to have a realization.

[Saint-nim! Rejoice! Fortunately, the Serpent Bearer will show us generosity…!]

In truth, the Pisces temple was the only one that could stop the Zodiac of the Gemini temple as it was a magic temple. The Gemini temple was one of the top three temples that Lee Gun was wary of.

‘If I go head-on against a god of magic, there is no way my body will survive the encounter.’

Lee Gun was an intelligent person, so he naturally knew this.

‘Basically, he’ll be the most inconvenienced one if he kills us.’

So the Pisces smiled as she lowered her head.

[I won’t forget this favor— Kyahhhhk!!!]

The Pisces once again fell into the blast furnace like a stone.

Splash!

The flustered Zodiac floundered about as she yelled at Lee Gun.

[Why are you doing this? Why do this after you healed me?]

Lee Gun stood atop the blast furnace. He laughed when he heard those words. Why? “It’ll be a loss if I boil you only once, right?”

[?!!]

“If the ingredient is good, steeping it as much as one can is the best course of action.”

[What?!]

“Why have one when you can get another? Also, you won’t die easily since you are a Zodiac.”

When the Zodiac was put in the blast furnace, a random body part of the god turned into an ingredient.

Lee Gun wasn’t going to miss this opportunity.

Taken aback, the Zodiac shouted.

[What about Saint-nim?]

“I’ll treat your Zodiac Saint well instead of you. You don’t have to pay attention to her.”

Liv got more frightened by those words. She yelled.

[Just put me in the blast furnace and kill me!]

However, Lee Gun’s eyes flashed as if to tell them off. “Both of you knew, right? You knew about what happened on the day of my awakening.”

[!]

Since the other half of the Pisces had committed the act, there was no way these two were unaware of it.

“At the very least, you should have spoken up about it when we met in the old days.”

[!]

“You have a choice. Either you go in, or your Zodiac Saint goes in.”

[!]

Liv did feel sorry when she heard those words, and she would rather go to her final resting place than get involved with Lee Gun. So, she opened her mouth.

[I will—]

However, the Zodiac reared back in fright. She then put on a resolute expression.

[Saint-nim! Even if it is annoying to live, you shouldn’t give up on life! I’ll go instead of you!]

“Great.” Lee Gun immediately tossed both of them into the blast furnace once again.

[Kyahhhk!]

[Kyahhhk! Serpent Bearer-nim!! If you planned on doing this, you should have just— Pffft!!]

He continued to put them in and take them out as he regenerated them. It was quite the mess.

The blast furnace was happy since the spicy fish stew had turned into a Shabu-shabu. 

[You have acquired data.]

[You have acquired data.]

[Death has grown.]

Hugo let out a sigh.

‘I have to restrain myself for a bit. I’ll unleash myself when I receive a hundred pieces of equipment.’

On the other hand, it seemed all the enemies would eventually enter and exit that place.

‘I’ll make a body for Liv as slave 2… No, I’ll bring her in as a subordinate.’

Hugo couldn’t watch anymore. 

However, when Hugo approached him, Lee Gun spoke proudly.

“Thank you hyung. These are all the ingredients for your weapons. I’ll put all the extracts into your weapon.”

“I’m so thankful.”

“What? You’re a fire type, so you suck at aquatic battles. I’m trying to fortify your weakness.”

According to Hailey, one of the monarchs ruled over the deep sea.

‘The oceans are that bastard’s territories.’

Lee Gun had another reason he was using this pair of Zodiac and Zodiac Saint like this. He wanted to draw out the other sibling Zodiac.

“Gun?” Hugo was about to say something when…

Something flew toward Lee Gun.

* * *

Around that time, deep within the ocean near the lands of humanity.

Someone’s eyes flashed within the darkness of the deep ocean.

[Abundance fell?]

[Yes. He fell to a camp belonging to humanity’s side.]

The being lagged when it heard its underling’s words.

[That idiot finally got into an accident.]

Laughter rang out, and the ocean depths shook along with it. At the same time, a menacing magical energy emerged from the ground. It gave a mass death to the fishes that were intermittently swimming around.

The being didn’t care as it continued to let out the joyful laugh.

[I knew this would happen when that bastard trusted its proliferative power too much.]

The monarch of the Deep Ocean wasn’t sad about the death of another monarch.

[This is inconvenient. This means we won’t be able to increase the number of our soldiers.]

Of course, they could increase the number through normal means, but that would take time.

[The humans didn’t venture out of their domes because of Abundance.]

No matter how much the humans had killed, the monsters had continued to increase in number. That was why humanity had lost the will to fight.

[Yes. In fact, the territories occupied by Abundance have returned to the humans. They are starting to crawl out from their domes.]

Humans were food, yet they didn’t know their place. That was why the underling furrowed its brows. Of course, there was no way they would give empty land to food.

[This must be a predicament for you…]

Deep Ocean laughed.

[Predicament? Did you just say a predicament?]

[!]

The monarch burst out laughing and completely revealed itself from the ocean's depth. It was an enormous beast. 

Chaotic magical energy flowed out from the depths of the ocean. Sensing the magical energy, the monsters causing trouble in the ocean ran away in fright.

It was the Deep Ocean monarch. Normally, it didn’t swim within humanity’s oceans. It swam through an ocean called space, where it caught and ate the gods from the divine world.

[The humans are coming out of the dome on their own. I welcome it.]

[!]

Since humans didn’t venture out of their domes, Deep Ocean had been getting bored within the ocean.

[This is great. I was getting bored of eating the gods of the pantheon.]

Deep Ocean’s eyes flashed.

[I heard snake meat is popular these days. I’ll have to find him.]

The Serpent! The Time monarch had put in a lot of work, yet had failed to capture the serpent.

‘Time never does something that would cause him a loss.’

Time wouldn’t move unless there was a significant upside to its move. Deep Ocean wasn’t interested in such a crafty bastard. However, it was interested in the prey.

When Deep Ocean laughed, the underling also laughed as it lowered its head.

[We’ve already infiltrated them.]

Humanity had run away into the sky, which the Deep Ocean was afraid of. It was the flying castle called Drachma, the sky castle where all of humanity would gather. 

[Finally, humanity will gather all the divine treasures in one place. Moreover, the energy of the twelve Zodiacs is accumulated within Drachma. It will be of great help to Monarch-nim.]

* * *

Drachma’s small stadium!

Cheers filled the stadium. The reason was simple.

“It’s the Zodiac Saints!”

“What the hell? What about Lee Gun? Where is Lee Gun?”

“Wow! Chun Yooha and Carly are so pretty!”

“Sign this for me!!!”

“The Chun siblings are damn pretty!”

The Zodiac Saints had gathered there for the Temple Conference. The Serpent Bearer, the Leo, the Aquarius, and the Scorpio had sent their Zodiac Saints. The rest of the Zodiac, except Gemini, Taurus, and Pisces, had sent their Ten Stars as stand-ins for their Zodiac Saints.

Normally, these figures wouldn’t gather in one place. There was only one reason they had today.

The talk about the preparations for the Raid was done. However…

“That Sacred Place is ours.”

When the land ruled by Abundance had become empty land, a great change had occurred in the sky.

Nameless Land! With Abundance’s death, Abundance’s “rights” had been canceled. Then, a hidden land possessed by Abundance had appeared. Not much about the land was known, but an incredible life energy was flowing through this land.

“The observatory says an incredible amount of energy is appearing from it.”

“If a country uses this, they would have an endless energy source. If a temple uses it, it could be the source of a power-up.”

It was a land of such stature.

‘Any temple possessing that land would become the number one temple.’

Even the bottom temple would acquire enough power to dominate the other temples.

“Anyway, the Capricorn Temple found it, so we’ll be entering it.”

“What are you saying? The Aries temple observed it first! We will be able to retake territories from the unknown civilization with it!”

This made Chun Sungjae pound the table. “What? Lee Gun-nim got rid of Abundance. Of course, that land belongs to the Serpent Bearer!”

“What?”

Naturally, it had been decided that the Abundance’s territory would be taken by the Serpent Bearer. The problem was the Nameless Land. Of all the places it could appear, the land had appeared in a common area shared by the twelve Zodiac temples. It was a land that Lee Gun couldn’t claim ownership of.

However, Chun Sungjae wanted that land for a reason.

With this land, he could gather EXP for Life. It would also be helpful to Lee Gun in various ways. Above all else…

[Egg of the Serpent Bearer’s Construct (SSS)]

- Reward given to Lee Gun for passing the Trials of Strength, Wisdom, and Reputation

‘With that land, we’ll be able to hatch that egg.’

Yes, the egg was a reward given to Lee Gun for going through his awakening trials. He had given this item to “Disinfectant” Iaso, who was now the Zodiac(?) of the Aquarius temple. It was left in the care of the goddess of healing.

Since she was a medicine-type goddess, Lee Gun had thought having her hatch the egg would be safer. However, the egg had refused to hatch no matter what, so Lee Gun had given up on it. That was why he had aimed for the Libra’s Constructs.

However, Iaso had unexpectedly grabbed Chun Sungjae’s hand and said.

[Oh, holy man of the Serpent Bearer. My power is a bit lacking. If you gain powerful Life energy, you might be able to hatch it.]

She thought Chun Sungjae could hatch it after awakening as the Zodiac Saint of Life. Of course, she wasn’t wrong.

The egg had twitched.

[The egg is showing a reaction.]

[Warning! Its abilities will change according to its prenatal care.]

Since the notification had said prenatal care was important, Sungjae had read his uncle’s hero stories for eight hours. He had even sung hymns of his uncles. He had tried all kinds of things.

However, the level of his Divine status of Life was too low. His power fell short.

[Hatch Status: 23%]

It had increased by 20% in his care. However, the progress had stalled there.

‘With that special land, I can hatch it in no time.’

Even without that reason, the location would be helpful to his uncle. That was why Sungjae had come here with his sister instead of his uncle.

‘I just have to acquire it. That is all there is to it.’

At that moment…

“That land is ours.”

“!!”

When a third party appeared aiming for the land, everyone was thrown for a loop. 

Chun Sungjae, Carly, and Chun Yooha were surprised. It was to be expected.

“That’s the Gemini Saint!”

“The Taurus Saint is there too!”

There was no way these two Zodiac Saints should be here, so Chun Yooha glanced at her brother.

The Gemini Saint was a Lee Gun figurine now. The Taurus Saint was the highest-quality cow leather chew toy for the Red Eye, and he was being chewed like gum.

Chun Sungjae’s eyes turned round from surprise when he used his Eyes of Discernment.

‘Zodiac?’