The Return of the Disaster-Class Hero

Chapter 308: Death Stage 6 (2)

<Divine Status Stage 6>

It was a stage of Divine status that shouldn’t exist. Stages of a Divine status were like levels, and the final stage that the gods could awaken was stage 5.

Normal gods possessed Divine status stage 3, and the highest was stage 4.

Amongst the countless gods, only the ones called high-rank gods reached stage 5. They were candidates to become the Great Zodiacs.

While stage 6 was powerful, it was an unnatural and uncontrollable level. It was commonly designated as the Demonification stage, which was impossible to control.

At this stage, character and control didn’t matter. One moved on instinct like a monster, unable to differentiate between allies and enemies.

Confusion wanted to use this for his own end. Of course, he wasn’t afraid of facing the stage 6 power. Why?

‘I can avoid that power.’

His power was called Confusion for a reason. It could make people’s perception of him fall, allowing him to dodge attacks.

So Confusion laughed.

‘Kill them all. Kill all of humanity and Time!’

Both of their powers would become his! Naturally, Confusion didn’t even need to worry about how to get rid of the out-of-control Lee Gun.

‘Once he entered stage 6, it was game over for him.’

If Lee Gun were left alone, he would lose to his own power. He would self-destruct.

‘At most, he’ll be alive for four days.’

That was the final fate of a berserk god. There was a reason Confusion was so knowledgeable about this.

‘Monarchs and Zodiacs resemble each other.’

The reason behind it was unknown. While monarchs and Zodiacs were mortal enemies, they were unusually similar at a basic level. It was as if they had originated from the same place.

‘Anyway, once, a great monarch moved past stage 5 to reach stage 6. He died.’

No one knew this, but Confusion had witnessed the death by chance. Since he had no rational thoughts, Confusion’s power had worked well on him.

This was why Confusion’s head was full of thoughts of using his power against Lee Gun. That was what was supposed to happen.

‘Shit! What’s going on?’

Confusion stood on top of the bridge located in the Han River Park. He was observing the Lee Gun Tower when he realized something was terribly wrong.

‘Lee Gun’s hostility is directed toward me?’

Lee Gun should have no capacity for rational thought. One of Confusion’s subordinates was beside him, and he also felt the hostile energy. The subordinate furrowed his brows.

[Master, something is off. We might be in danger at this rate…]

“No. We’ll be fine.”

[Are you sure?]

Confusion used his ability more strongly as he smirked. “My power will make sure his power avoids us.”

[Then…!]

“Also, he cannot differentiate between friends and foes in his current state. It’ll be quicker for him to kill the disciples near him rather than to come after us—”

Boom!!

[Kuh-huhk!!]

“…!!!”

The subordinate’s head exploded, and the blood drained out of Confusion’s face.

* * *

Around that time, within Lee Gun’s tower…

Koo-goong!!

The enormous raging power made Chun Sungjae and the Archer disciples tremble. They couldn’t even move their mouths. No, they couldn’t even breathe.

Since the black magical energy surrounded Lee Gun, they couldn’t see him clearly. However, it was clear that his appearance had changed from normal.

‘He doesn’t look human…!’

The disciples, who were in hiding, shook in fear. This was the power of Death!

‘Can it be stage 6?’

Chun Sungjae could feel Lee Gun’s anger. He trembled as he supported his sister. Chun Yooha was the Zodiac Saint of Death, so she was receiving the power of Death from Lee Gun.

“Koo-oohk…!”

The power of Death had become excessively strong, and so, breathing had become hard for her. This was a domain that a human could never endure.

It was at this moment when Lee Gun discovered them.

“…!!!”

Having stepped into stage 6 of Death, Lee Gun approached them.

Chun Sungjae, who was propping up his sister and mother, unconsciously trembled. The person before him was Lee Gun, but he was frightening. Moreover, Sungjae felt it on instinct.

‘We’ll get slaughtered.’

The young man clenched his eyes shut when Lee Gun extended his hand toward them.

“Sungjae.”

“…!”

Lee Gun’s hand unexpectedly stroked Chun Sungjae’s head. “I want you to stay here and take care of Miss Jiwoo.”

“U-Uncle?”

“I’ll be back in no time.” After turning around, Lee Gun flicked his finger.

Lime, who had been stuck to the leg of the dining table, picked up on the cue. It swallowed the object that had fallen out of the present box. That object was none other than a decapitated head.

Lee Gun’s eyes flashed as he walked toward the door.

When Lee Gun exited the holy ground, Confusion shook all over.

‘That bastard Lee Gun…!!’

Lee Gun’s energy was on a different level compared to when he was inside the building. The energy surged into the sky. That wasn’t all.

‘That bastard is coming here!’

The monarch was sure of it. This was supposed to be stage 6, where Lee Gun shouldn’t be able to differentiate between friends and foes! Yet, Lee Gun was coming straight for him.

Confusion quickly got up from his seat.

At the same time, he remembered what Time had said before. It was a conversation from a very long time ago.

– What? The reason you stole the soul of the Serpent Bearer is to use the Cycle ability?

– Yes. It’s an existence that always accompanies life and death. This is why both Life and Death have to be used at the same time to use the Cycle ability.

– What? One of the Serpent Bearer’s two abilities disappears eventually, yet you’re saying both Life and Death have to be used? That’s nonsense…

– Yes. The original owner transferred Life and Death respectively to the Constructs that he raised. Cycle was used through them.

– That means…!

– I have Life.

Time had returned to the past multiple times and acquired Yeonwoo’s soul. Of course, both Yeonwoo and Junwoo were always at either stage 3 or stage 4. It wasn’t to Time’s liking, but what if that soul was compressed tens of thousands of times?

– If I combine all the souls we’ve collected, we’ll be able to generate a power on par with stage 5.

– !

This was why every time they went back in time, they had been tenacious in killing Yeonwoo.

Like the thirteenth original owner, they wanted to use each of the two powers, which had been separated.

The soul of Junwoo, who had been in charge of the Divine status of Death, had also been taken, but it didn’t matter since Lee Gun had shown up. This round was different.

– Lee Gun will be able to grow Death into stage 5.

Time was able to use Cycle with the souls of Yeonwoo and Junwoo, but he had failed to achieve his goal.

So he had changed his plan. Time wanted Lee Gun to reach stage 5. He planned on stealing the Divine status once Lee Gun became the God of Death. Then, he would be able to use the true power of Cycle.

– However, stage 6 must never happen. That’ll be too troublesome.

It was why Confusion had tried to make Lee Gun reach stage 6 despite ignoring the deal he made with Time. He wanted to foil Time’s plan.

‘Shit! How is he able to keep his rational thoughts!!’

Confusion had no choice.

‘I have to get out of here for now.’

Confusion thought about leaving the earth, but…

“Kuh-huhk!!!”

Just as Confusion was about to run away, he fell from the bridge. A black beam of light had traveled from afar and pierced through him. That wasn’t all.

“Ahhhhhk!!!”

The monarch screamed as he fell from the bridge. Black smoke surrounded his leg, and the leg instantly disappeared.

The pain was unimaginable. In the end, Confusion glared forward as he raised his head. Then he shook in fear.

‘That bastard…!’

Lee Gun was coming from the inland. He was walking toward the monarch on top of the river. Moreover, Lee Gun possessed an inhuman chaotic energy!

Desperate, Confusion tried to run away, but it was useless.

“Ahhhk!!”

Every time he tried to run away, the black energy took a body part. It took his remaining leg, fingers, then arms! It ate him away like mad.

“Ahhhk!!”

This was why he slowly moved toward land. He called for his subordinates as he ran away, but that was useless.

Kwah-jeek!!!

When his subordinates were about to appear, the power of Death wiped them out. Death at stage 6 was beyond imagination.

“Give me the rest.”

“…!”

When Confusion reached land, his heart almost stopped. A demonic god was standing above his fallen self. This being’s form couldn’t be seen clearly because of the black energy, but it wasn’t the form of a human.

Lee Gun spoke. “You have it, right? Taeksoo’s body.”

The bloodied Confusion smirked.

‘Now I know why…!!’

He now knew why Lee Gun was able to keep his rational thoughts after reaching stage 6 and how he was preventing himself from going berserk.

‘Yes. He thinks he can bring his friend back to life.’

Lee Gun was using his perseverance to keep himself in control. It was hanging on by a thread.

This impressed Confusion.

‘Scary bastard!’

He was suppressing stage 6 through sheer will.

Confusion laughed.

‘It’s still like a glass house that’s close to being broken. It’s tenuous.’

It seemed all his focus was needed to control Death. Lee Gun wasn’t able to make any large movements. Lee Gun’s eyes flashed. “Give it to me.”

“Alright. I’ll return it to you.” When Confusion made a gesture with his hand, a gate appeared in the sky, and a familiar body dropped out of it. It was a headless body of a human. However, the body was wearing Hugo’s clothes.

Lee Gun moved toward where the body had fallen. It seemed Lee Gun was still being patient. He planned on getting rid of Confusion after acquiring Hugo’s body. However, just as Lee Gun was about to take the body…

“Try reviving this, idiot!”

Pahng!!!

“!”

Confusion destroyed Hugo’s body in front of Lee Gun’s eyes.

Lee Gun lost his tenuous hold on his anger.

Kwahng!

The power of Death, which he had been suppressing, spread in all directions. The indiscriminate power that destroyed life tried to cover the entire world.

Confusion burst out laughing. “Yes! I never expected you to be able to control it to this extent. Did you think I’ll die by myself?! You have already reached stage 6 of Death, and Life is gone!”

Lee Gun glared at Confusion. The terrifying power of Death was about to run amok.

“!”

However, Lime suddenly jumped out of Lee Gun’s pocket. It grew its body and swallowed Lee Gun.

Lee Gun groaned after he was swallowed into a strange dimensional pocket. Something hard flew toward his head. It was Hugo’s head, which Lime had swallowed. Then he heard the notification, which he hadn’t been able to hear until now.

[Clump of Creation Clay says to check the object properly.]

Lee Gun flinched when he touched Hugo’s head. When he used the Dismantle skill, something surprising happened.

Kwah-jeek!!

Hugo’s head turned into clay as it dispersed.

“…!”

Someone had made a fake. It was good enough to fool Lee Gun.

Then, something unexpected appeared within the black space inside Lime’s body. It was Hugo’s intact body. Although its heart was pierced, the body was clean. That wasn’t all.

As soon as Lee Gun looked at the real body, information popped up before him.

[Construct: Pushover]

[Location of Soul: Underworld]

[Can be revived with Life stage 5]

Lee Gun relaxed when he saw this, but he soon furrowed his brows. It mentioned Life?

Wasn’t Life gone when Death reached stage 6?

‘It was said the other Divine status disappears once one reaches stage 5…’

[Life has fainted because of Death upgrading to stage 6. It asks you to save it.]

[Life says it feels like it’ll get swallowed up by Death at any moment.]

Lee Gun was surprised. It seemed Life was still around. He was wondering what had happened when he heard the notification.

[Stage 6 is an abnormal berserk state.]

[You haven’t been assigned as a complete god. Your other Divine status hasn’t disappeared.]

It was said that the other Divine status disappeared if one reached stage 5. But nothing was stated on what would happen if the Divine status reached stage 6. That didn’t matter right now.

[Life is about to disappear soon.]

Lee Gun’s eyes dilated.

‘I have to save it.’

At that moment, Confusion shook. He was outside of the slime.

‘What the hell…!’

The slime had suddenly swallowed Lee Gun, so Confusion tried to run away. However, the current situation was moving in an odd direction.

“Death is being held back?!”

No, this felt different from the Divine status being held back. It was as if something new was being born.

A never-seen-before light emanated from within the slime.

Confusion finally realized something was really wrong and tried to leave.

Kwah-jeek!

“!!”

However, Lee Gun’s hand appeared out of the slime’s mouth and grabbed Confusion’s head.

“…!”

Then Lee Gun exited from the slime.

At that moment, Confusion instinctively knew he was dead. Confusion’s consciousness started to fade as the strange power surrounded him. The power felt similar to Time’s, but this power was a stronger power that one couldn’t go against.

[Death stage 6 is starting to fuse with Life stage 4.]

[The power of Cycle is being used.]