“You noticed it too?”

“!”

Kevin appeared in front of Lee Gun, smelling like an angel.

Lee Gun narrowed his eyes.

‘Angel?’

There was no mistaking it. The one in front of him was Kevin. That was for certain, yet he smelled very much like Eden. Moreover, he didn’t feel like someone normal.

However, that wasn’t important right now. Lee Gun menacingly glared at Kevin. “Noticed what?”

“Why are you acting dumb? Someone like you should have noticed it. I’m talking about Hugo.”

“…”

“He’s a dirty monster. Moreover, he’s a Monarch.”

Looking ill-humored, Lee Gun glared at Kevin. “So what? What do you want me to do?”

Lee Gun was like a demon. He became on edge. It was to be expected, since the look in Kevin’s eyes wasn't normal. It was as if Kevin was treating Hugo… no, all of them as enemies.

Kevin looked at Lee Gun as if the latter had lost his mind. “What are you supposed to do? You know very well who’s in the most danger if he’s a monster, right?”

Lee Gun didn’t bother giving an answer. 

‘It’s his family.’

That wasn’t all.

“He went through the trouble of saving humanity, yet that monster will kill all of them. You’re better off killing him right now. Your friend will hurt the people around him, and he’ll be tormented by his actions. You know you don’t want to see that.”

Lee Gun suddenly burst out laughing. “Is that what happened at that moment?”

“!”

“You shouldn’t try to deceive me of all people. You smell like a chicken, yet you act as if you’re working for humanity?”

“….”

“What? You regained your old memories, so you want to help your other chicken comrades?”

“!”

Quick on the uptake, Lee Gun had realized what had happened to Kevin. 

When Raphael had been killed, a lot of his feathers had fallen all around them. Clearly, Kevin had recalled the memories from his soul when the feathers had touched him.

Lee Gun had heard about it when he visited the Divine world. Not all humans were like this, but the awakened beings with the more special abilities had a high chance of having a past life.

That made it obvious what was going on.

Kevin was very talented. He was ranked first or second amongst the Zodiac Saints. He was an awakened being who was called the genius swordsman.

Yet, he had never won against Lee Gun.

‘Anyway, it seems he’s an archangel.’

All of a sudden…

[We are here to escort you.]

[Our commander.]

Unfamiliar voices came from Kevin’s shadow.

At these angels’ urgings, Kevin snorted as he turned around. “Yes. It’s as you’ve said. I have no unresolved feelings toward humans now. It’s a relief.”

“Is this how you truly feel?”

“Yes. I will return to the place where I used to belong.”

Lee Gun contemptuously laughed. “Where you used to belong? Are you talking about the chicken coop?”

“What if I am?”

Lee Gun laughed when he saw the subtle look in Kevin’s eyes. “I have only one answer.”

Lee Gun took up Heaven’s Punishment.

Kwahng!

[Construct Pushover has awakened to his lost instinct.]

* * *

Around that time…

“You look happy.”

“!”

The look in Hugo’s eyes turned violent when an angel appeared before him. “You!”

The one to appear before him was Archangel Michael, who had lost an arm. “This is baffling. You’re a trash beast that should be gone from this world, yet you’re grinning like an idiot here.”

What the hell?

Hugo immediately brought out his flame. This angel was like Raphael, who had taken Hugo’s wife hostage. “How dare you invade someone else’s house?”

The powerful flame attacked Michael as if it was trying to bind him. However, Michael’s eyes flashed. Then something surprising happened.

Zzuh-uhng!!!

The archangel could also control fire. The flame missed him.

“!”

Michael laughed. “I also rule over fire. Do you think Olympus’s fire will work against me?” 

He leisurely got rid of the fire and sat on the sofa. “The proxy for a Great Spirit came to visit you, yet you treat your guest like this? Since a precious guest is here, you should bring out some tea—”

Suddenly, a chain made out of light flew toward Michael and choked him around the neck.

“Koohk!”

It was one of Hugo’s skills. Michael ground his teeth when couldn’t break the chain with Divine power.

‘Is it the snake god’s technique?’

It seemed Hugo was indeed the Serpent Bearer’s Construct.

When Michael glared at him, Hugo snorted. “Gun loves chicken. Do you think chicken can put up a fight against him?”

Michael was dumbfounded. He broke out laughing. “Did you forget that you’re a Cluder? You’re a Cluder, yet you follow the snake god? You mated with a human and had children with her? Is that how you’re living now?”

As if to dismiss him, Hugo choked him more violently. In truth, he remembered the sensation he had felt when he killed Raphael and the goddess of birth. He was in a state of turmoil, but it didn’t matter right now.

“I chose Gun and my wife because I like them. I will continue to protect them from bastards like you. If I’m a Cluder like you guys say, do you think I’ll be capable of feeling such emotions toward them?”

Michael couldn’t hold it back in. He burst out laughing. “Protect? Did you just say they are people you want to protect?”

“That’s right. Do you know what percentage of Faith I have toward the snake god? It is …!!”

Hugo massaged his forehead as if he got hit with a dose of reality. However, he soon said, “Ha… Yes, 60… No, it is 600%!!! There is no way a Cluder would pick a god and a human wife—”

Before Hugo could finish, Michael laughed like a madman. However, his laughter stopped soon. “Hey.”

“?”

“That’s the reason you chose the two of them, idiot.”

“…!”

Hugo furrowed his brow.

Michael said as if that was the crux of his point, “Creators are gods of technique. They possess a crazy offensive ability akin to that of fighting-type gods. Lee Gun must have developed these powers by himself when he faced the Cluders. However, half of his soul is divine. He’s of mixed blood.”

When Hugo still didn’t get the implication, Michael continued, “Cluders like the gods as prey the most. That’s the reason you liked Lee Gun at first glance.”

“…?!” Hugo looked like he had been punched in the gut. He was having a hard time believing those words.

Why did he endure being beaten by Lee Gun to have him as a teacher? Was that the reason? No, the fact that he had developed loyalty toward who he considered prey messed with his mind more.

Hugo looked out of it, but he soon came to an acceptance. It was plausible with Lee Gun. However, it was different with his wife.

“Gun is a god, so I get that I could be drawn to him. But my wife is different. I love her. That is why I chose—”

“It’s the same for your wife, idiot.”

“What?”

“She’s a Secretary, who has a special ability to threaten even the Zodiacs. Did you really think such an ability would appear within a normal human?”

This time Hugo was unable to laugh. He understood the implication behind Michael’s words.

“Secretaries used to be low-rank gods who managed the records of the Divine world and the Achievements of the zodiacs.”

Michael smirked. “It means your wife is a nameless, low-rank god, who was affiliated with the Divine world.”

Hugo froze. Of course, he knew what that implied.

This made Michael gleeful. “You claim to be a noble human who used your free will to choose them. However, you merely chose them using the instinct of a Cluder. The fact that you chose the two of them shows that you have a corrupted instinct….”

Michael laughed as he said all that.

Hugo was in shock. The chains in his hand started to loosen. 

Michael inwardly let out a sigh of relief as he waited for the chains to unravel faster.

Chaeng!!

“!!”

Hugo once again tightened the chains, glaring at the angel. “Why are you being like this toward me?”

Michael inwardly cursed from the pain, yet he didn’t let it show as he looked at Hugo. “That’s what you’re curious about?”

“Is it a grudge against me because I ate the gods?”

“If you know that, you should act like it. The perpetrator is living a happy life with his wife and kids? Do you even think about the victims? Moreover, you’re shameful enough to act as the hero of humanity?”

Hugo froze, and the chains binding Michael loosened. It was as if Hugo was having a complete mental breakdown.

Michael gleefully laughed. In truth, Michael didn’t care about the grudges held by the victims. He didn’t care if the monarchs ate the gods or not. The ones who had gotten eaten had been weak. Although Eden had suffered in some ways, it had also profited in others.

Michael just hated Hugo, and he had come here to torment Hugo. In other words, it was revenge.

‘He is the reason our father fell into sleep. We have no idea when he’ll wake up.’

This was why he was pissed off.

‘He’s the crude bastard that got along with the Creators.’

Creators were the gods directly under the Primordial god, called the geniuses of the Divine world. However…

‘They were mere gods of technical skills who tried to teach lessons to the gods.’

At the end of the day, the Creators had meddled with others because of the backing of the Primordial god.

Originally, Michael wanted to end Hugo, but Mahabharata had slithered away with Hugo. As a result, they were able to get rid of all the high and mighty Creators. They were able to get rid of Aslan, who had been a thorn in their side. 

‘I’m sure he got along with the Creators because he wanted to eat them.’

Why else would a first-generation monarch ally himself with the Creators? Well, the past didn’t matter right now.

‘He can’t even use his power because of his rebirth.’

Michael gloatingly cackled when he saw Hugo spaced out. Anyway, he had visited this place because he wanted to recharge the power that he had lost when fighting against the monarchs.

‘It was a good choice to use the land belonging to the god of life.’

It was only half, but he had recovered his power to a certain extent. There was no way Hugo would be able to touch him.

[Holy Spirit Transition (Transmission)]

‘It’s time. I’ll go back and assemble the gods on the earth.’

They had to quickly turn the territory of the snake god into their own. That wasn’t all.

‘If we interrogate him, we can find out how we can wake our father. We can find out where he hid the Divine status of the archangels.’

Michael felt refreshed as he was about to unfurl his wings. But…

Kwahk!!!!

“!!?”

Michael turned around when someone violently grabbed his golden hair. He felt as if his hair was about to be torn out. Then he was mercilessly dragged away.

“Wait— Kuhk!”

He wondered what was going on. 

When Michael turned his head, he was surprised. The one to grab his hair was Hugo, who was laughing with a menacing look in his eyes.

* * *

Around that time…

“It’s the commander!”

“Can it be? Is it Gabriel-nim?”

A festive atmosphere spread within Eden. It had been several hundred years since Eden was like this.

The reason was Kevin, who the angels had brought here. He was one of the five commanders of Eden, who had gone missing.

“Since we didn’t have our pillar gods, Eden suffered many indignities…!”

Several thousand angels greeted Kevin’s return.

“Do you recognize us now?”

“Yes. It took me a while to recover my memories, so I was late coming back. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, since you’re here now.”

“Michael-nim will be happy.”

Kevin had come here after leaving behind Lee Gun. He ground his teeth despite agreeing with them. “I’m embarrassed and deeply ashamed of playing human until now.”

“Yes. However, everyone will be happy.”

“You think so?”

“Yes! Everyone is inside. They have made preparations to greet you—”

Poo-hahk!!

At that moment, the angel guiding Kevin was decapitated, and Kevin leisurely wiped the blood away from his blade.

Screams erupted after several seconds.

“Kyahhhk!!!”

“Oh, archangel! What are you doing in front of Father— Kuh-huhk!!”

Another head fell to the ground. The Garden of Eden instantly turned into a place of pandemonium.

Shocked, everyone looked at Kevin.

“Gabriel-nim! What is this all about?”

Kevin let out a menacing laugh after ruthlessly decapitating another angel. “You want to die?”

“Gabriel-nim???”

“Gabriel, my ass! Fuck off, idiots! You didn’t come looking for a very long time, so why are you making all this fuss? Well, I was able to find the stronghold of the chickens. You guys did well in leading me here”

The angles turned pale when they realized what was going on. Kevin was using the power of an angel.

“Why are you doing this? That power is…!”

“Ah. Yes. Thank you for giving back this power.”

“…!!!!”

“How dare you trick the humans and attack a pregnant woman? Moreover, you sent those bastards as the new Zodiac Saints?”

The angels realized what was going on, so they quickly tried to make a defensive line. However, a light that could split the earth fell toward Eden.

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwahng!!!

[The stronghold of Eden has been turned into the territory of the Serpent Bearer.]

[EXP is heading toward the Serpent Bearer.]

The encampments of the angels were instantly destroyed. It seemed Kevin had planned on doing this from the start.