CH 301

A while after Lee Jaewon made himself scarce and well before Chun Sungjae became cognizant of Confusion…

‘Shit!’

Lee Jaewon ground his teeth as he followed Confusion. He was currently inside a ten-story building.

Monsters had attacked the building, so most of its large windows were broken. It was an office building that was a mess inside too.

Lee Jaewon was alone, and he was dying.

‘Shit…!’

A large hole bigger than his head was present in his abdomen, and his right arm was gone. Of course, he couldn’t use his skill and magical energy. None of his blessings and skills worked in this building. It was all because of Confusion.

“I took my eyes off you for a second, yet you disappeared. You came this far?”

“…!!!”

A familiar voice rang above the head of the dying Lee Jaewon. It was Hahn Jimin.

Lee Jaewon turned the floor bloody as he moved. 

Seeing this, Hahn Jimin laughed in satisfaction. “It took me a while to find you. Did you perhaps try to go outside to tell the others about me?”

Hahn Jimin’s eyes turned cold in an instant.

“Kuhk!”

Hahn Jimin stepped on the wound in Lee Jaewon’s stomach. “I can’t have you do that. You might prevent Lee Gun-nim from awakening as the god of Death. Will you take responsibility if that happens?”

“Koo-oohk—”

“I’m complimenting you. That attack was supposed to kill you in an instant, yet you survived. As expected, you’re amazing, Jaewon hyung!”

When he saw the bright smile, Lee Jaewon bit his lips hard enough to almost draw blood.

‘Damn it! I can’t believe I fell for such a tactic.’

Of course, he had been cautious since Hahn Jimin was letting out unusual energy. Moreover, Lee Jaewon was like a steel wall. He wasn’t a good-for-nothing who would fall for a monster’s trick.

“Ahhhk!!!”

“Young Master!”

However, he had entered this building before he knew it when he saw Sungjae getting beaten by Hahn Jimin.

“Sungjae!”

“Hyung…! Help m…”

It was a rational move, one to be expected since Lee Jaewon cherished and had helped raise Sungjae instead of Hugo, who had been busy. 

Moreover, Lee Jaewon had made an oath that Hugo and his family would never be sent to their death, like Lee Gun-nim.

This was why he had moved reflexively.

‘I knew he was your weakness.’

‘…!!!’

And Confusion had defeated him in a flash.

Normally, Jaewon wouldn’t have fallen for a trap like this. He would have immediately realized this was an enemy’s plot. Him failing to realize it had to do with his enemy looking like Hahn Jimin.

Lee Jaewon had thought anyone, including Sungjae, would be deceived by that face. However, he was the one who had been deceived.

‘Shit.’

Lee Jaewon gnashed his teeth as Confusion stepped on him.

Of course, he didn’t care if he died here. When Lee Gun and Hugo had saved his life, he had considered himself to be on borrowed time. However…

‘I have to notify everyone.’

But when Lee Jaewon tried to use his skill…

Kwah-jeek!

“Koohk!”

Hahn Jimin crushed Lee Jaewon’s legs with one blow. 

Hahn Jimin seemed to find him contemptible. “That surprised me. You can use your magical energy in this building? That’s crazy.”

Confusion had developed this building himself. It was a place where he would kill the others.

He had designed it so that the connection to their Zodiac would be severed and made sure magical energy wouldn’t work in here.

“Is it because you developed a little bit of Divine status?”

Confusion laughed as if Lee Jaewon should do nothing since it was futile. “You don’t have much power you can use. You should focus on keeping yourself alive instead of wasting it.”

“Koohk…!”

Lee Jaewon was better off dead than feeling this pain. In terms of mental and physical pain, it was getting to be too much, and his consciousness was about to fade.

Lee Jaewon wasn’t as strong as Lee Gun, who could maintain his consciousness through extreme pain. His younger subordinates told him that he was a powerful hero, but he was merely a miscellaneous worker who looked up to Lee Gun more so than anyone.

Just when Lee Jaewon was about to die…

“Hyung-nim!!”

“Jaewon oppa!”

“!”

He heard familiar voices from outside the building.

Confusion laughed as if he was having fun. “Ah! They are here. It’s as I expected.”

“…!!!”

Lee Jaewon was surprised. The voice that he could hear from outside belonged to Goat and Yooha.

Lee Jaewon miraculously regained his consciousness and glared at Confusion.

Confusion didn’t care as he laughed. “Did you wake up when you heard the voices of your younger colleagues?”

“You!”

“Why are you getting so angry? After I killed you, I sent the two of them a message using your voice. Of course, I didn’t realize you were still alive at that point.”

The message was simple.

[I found someone strange, and I’ll be going after him. Help me.]

Lee Jaewon ground his teeth. He considered the safety of humanity to be as important as Lee Gun and Hugo.

However, he wished for the happiness of the heroes protecting humanity more than anything.

He had felt this to the bone after Lee Gun’s death. He had seen Hugo cry in sadness. It was as if the world was crashing around them.

Then he saw his younger brothers cry when their comrades died. This was why Lee Jaewon was someone who always looked after his younger brother, Lee Gun, Hugo, and his comrades around him.

Pah-jeek!

Therefore, Lee Jaewon squeezed his magical energy out of his body. There was barely any left.

At the same time, a strong light surrounded Chun Yooha and Goat. It was none other than the evacuation skill.

This surprised Confusion. “Bastard! You are close to death, yet you are doing this!”

While Confusion’s gaze was on the others, Lee Jaewon used his trembling hand to write characters on the floor.

He stamped the message on his palm, then got up, making it look like he was going to run away. However, he used his remaining arm to unsheathe a Lee Gun-made dagger from his waist!

Like a suicidal moth flying toward a flame, he madly dashed toward Confusion. He had no plan.

Kwah-jeek!!

“Koohk!!”

Lee Jaewon bum-rushed the monarch and stuck the dagger in his neck.

Confusion became angry as blood flowed. “Do you think I’ll die to a mere dagger!!”

Of course, he wouldn’t. Lee Jaewon knew this well. However, Lee Jaewon used the opportunity to place his palm on Confusion’s shoulder.

[9999]

He was doing his best to buy enough time to leave this behind.

‘If it’s Sungjae, he’ll recognize it.’

That was all he wanted.

Even if he died, he just wanted Lee Gun-nim, Hugo-nim, and his other younger siblings to be safe. He no longer wanted others to die. He wished no one would cry.

The angry Confusion let his fist fly. Lee Jaewon knew he would die because of that fist, yet a faint smile appeared on his lips.

‘My work here is done.’

He’d leave the rest to Lee Gun-nim, who he had admired the most since he was young.

Finally, the dying head of life was destroyed.

That was the end.

* * *

[You have become level 20]

[You have awakened as a Construct]

Accompanying the notification, Hugo’s body emanated a holy light. It was as if he was molting. Hugo’s skin started shedding slowly, as he emitted golden light.

The light was clearly divine power!

This was why everyone was surprised, Confusion especially so.

“No way! He’s a Construct?!”

A human could never become a Construct. However, it was clear that Hugo was no longer human.

His son, who governed over Constructs, knew better than anyone. “D…Dad??!”

Moreover, Hugo wasn’t the run-of-the-mill Construct.

‘H…High rank…?’

Sungjae was in charge of low-rank Constructs like Pixiu and Cloth. He also was in charge of high-rank Constructs like Disinfectant (Iaso) and Berserk. He had seen them all. Hugo’s energy was similar to that of the high-rank Constructs, but…

‘No, he’s different from them.’

Was it because of the difference in faith? Hugo felt like a mutant who was a bit different from the other Constructs.

‘He’s stronger.’

Was it because Hugo had just become a Construct? His inclination hadn’t developed, so his body started to distort in a dizzying manner.

[Warning! Depending on your inclination, you may change into virtuously inclined or evilly inclined.]

[If you’re swept up by emotion like rage, you may become an evil god.]

[The power of Death is reacting to your enormous rage.]

Hugo didn’t care if everyone was surprised or not. He immediately grabbed Confusion by the neck. “You dare lay your hands on Jaewon, and now you want to cause harm to my son?”

“!!”

It seemed numerous attributes had increased when he became a Construct. He seemed to recognize the smell of the disciple’s blood.

After being caught by Hugo, Hahn Jimin made a face as if he was going to cry from pain. “U-uncle Hugo…! H-Help me! Can’t breathe— Huh-huhk!”

“How dare you try to pull this nonsense!!” Hugo became more violent as he tried to twist Hahn Jimin’s neck.

Hahn Jimin clicked his tongue. “Damn it! It doesn’t work against you.”

Of course, it would have worked 100% if Hugo were still human. Hugo was a parent raising his kids. He would inevitably flinch if someone of the same age as his son was in pain.

However, after awakening as a Construct, Hugo could clearly see what was going on. “Don’t try that nonsense with me. I can feel the wicked power of the monarch emanate from you.”

“Really? A Construct of the Serpent Bearer temple can see that?”

Of course, Hahn Jimin hadn’t been trying to hide his magical energy after he had killed Lee Jaewon and got revealed by Chun Sungjae.

As proof of this, Confusion’s eyes flashed. Then, an enormous pressure destroyed the city. Buildings fell, and thick dust covered the entire city.

After sending his enemies flying, Confusion erased his presence and tried to leisurely exit the city.

It was a shame that he couldn’t kill Chun Sungjae, but he had already accomplished his goal. That wasn’t all.

‘It is troublesome to fight a high-rank god’

If he killed a divine rank, the law of cause and effect would skew too much.

When it skewed too much, it became dangerous for him.

‘It doesn’t matter since all of them will die if Lee Gun is awakened as the god of Death.’

Confusion laughed in derision as he was about to disappear.

Flash!!

“!!!”

Suddenly, an arrow came flying at him from behind. However, the arrow didn’t find its target.

Kwahng!!

“…!”

The arrow missed by a lot, but Confusion flinched and trembled. The arrow had flown in the exact direction he was headed in.

If he had moved one second early, he felt as if he would have been hit by the arrow.

‘It was an attack that was meant to keep me in place.’

Was he mistaken? Confusion used instant teleportation within the smoke. He moved to a different building. 

“…!!!!”

As if he had been waiting for him, Hugo sent an arrow right in front of Confusion.

Kwahng!!!

“Ahhhhk!!”

Confusion ground his teeth. He was sure of it now.

‘After awakening as a Construct, is he now able to see the future…!’

It was as expected. Hugo sent arrows flying in a sharp manner.

Confusion tried to move, but it was useless.

“You won’t be able to run away!”

“!!”

It was as if Hugo knew Confusion’s movement beforehand. Hugo grabbed Confusion in a headlock.

Confusion furrowed his brow.

‘It’s as I expected!’

Hugo was someone with the ability of Foresight. He sometimes saw future events through dreams. He also saw futures abruptly. However, things were different.

[Precognition (F)]

- You can see five seconds into the future of your target.

- As your level rises, the unit of time that you can see into the future changes.

Confusion laughed. “It’s already game over. Death is ready to awaken.”

“What are you talking about?”

Instead of answering, Confusion pointed at the electronic display placed at the heart of the city.

The display had a crack from the monster invasion, but all its circuits were working. It was showing the news.

Hugo’s face froze when he saw it.

- H…How is this possible?

- S-Suddenly, three corpses fell in front of Lee Gun!

- There are three!

- Uh…! One of them had his faced smashed, but those clothes… They belong to the Sagittarius temple! Isn’t that general Lee Jaewon?

- The other person looks to be Benjamin Goat…! He’s the current Archer Saint, and the other is Chun Yooha…!

Hugo’s eyes became bloodshot.

Confusion laughed. Killing a Zodiac Saint of the Serpent Bearer in Yooha and an affiliate in Goat hadn’t been easy. 

Thankfully, his plan had worked against them. Of course, he had suffered significant damage because of their power, but he wasn’t outwardly showing it.

‘Those maggots…’

“I’ll say this. Those aren’t fake.”

Hugo didn’t need Confusion to say anything. He knew it. Yooha was thankfully still alive, but the other two were a different story.

Hugo was gnashing his teeth.

The chaotic power was trying to make Hugo’s power go berserk too.

Confusion laughed since it had succeeded. “He’ll flip out since his niece is in that state! Go for it, Lee Gun! Hurry up and awaken the stage 6 of Death! Do it…!!”

However…

“Uh?”

Confusion’s expression became a bit odd as he looked at Lee Gun. No, it was completely frozen.

Hugo wondered why that bastard was acting that way when…

As shown on the TV, Lee Gun approached the three of them.

[Serpent Bearer has used stage 4 of Life.]