“What the hell? An awakened middle schooler?”

Three years ago, Gemini’s <Awakening Ceremony>! It was the entrance ceremony that determined the levels of Gemini temple recruits. 

The crowd murmured amongst themselves.

“He’s Chun Sungjae?”

The older Gemini disciples and the generals had gathered there. Chun Sungjae was the topic of conversation in many ways. His age was a factor, but he had aced the entrance test as well. So this awakening ceremony was special. Why?

[Soul Invocation, Spirit Summon Contract]

The Gemini temple decided their ranks depending on the rank of the summoned spirits. The recruits summoned spirits in the awakening ceremony, and this determined their ranks within the temple.

“You said the spirits were divided into slave rank, normal rank, knight rank, high-rank, and lord rank, right?”

“Yes. All the generals(S-ranks) can summon nobles, the high-rank spirits.”

“From what I’ve heard, you need to summon at least a knight-rank spirit to become a high-rank disciple…”

“That’s right. Although it’s not a 100% correct, it’s a good indicator. Last year, a kid summoned a great noble spirit, and it became the hottest topic.”

“Oh! A lord-rank spirit might show up today!”

“!”

The generals burst out laughing at the reporter’s words.

“Only Saint-rank awakened beings can pull the lord-rank spirits!”

“Even the generals are incapable of that!”

“Uh… I thought you said Spirit Summon has nothing to do with one’s current rank and that one’s potential determines what comes out.”

“You’re correct. However, the spirit that showed up last year was too powerful.”

“I doubt any rookie this year could beat that…”

Chun Sungjae had indeed rewritten the history of the Gemini temple on that day. But not in a way everyone expected. So what had happened?

“How could someone fail to summon a spirit?”

“He really failed?”

“He failed! Nothing appeared!”

Yes, Chun Sungjae had failed to bring out a spirit.

“My god! He must have no talent! Even the least talented person can summon a normal rank…”

“How did he get first place in the entrance test?”

“Well… He did get a hundred points in the written test.”

Of course, Chun Sungjae had worked hard to reach the A-rank in the next two years, but….

“Since he is smart, he can use a different form of magic. However, he has reached his limit.”

“He’s a talentless pipsqueak that can’t even summon a spirit.”

Everyone had made fun of him.

However, right now, a solemn man had appeared in front of that very same Chun Sungjae.

[It has been a long time.]

The Gemini disciples foamed at the mouth.

“A spirit!”

They had made fun of Chun Sungjae more than anyone else, so this development shocked them.

“What the hell? I thought Chun Sungjae was incapable of summoning a spirit. That’s not true?”

“I guess not… It seems he succeeded in summoning it in the past.”

“What… what rank is that?”

The Gemini disciples snorted.

“I’ve never seen it. I bet it's some lowly spirit.”

“Right? General-nim?”

The disciples turned to look at the generals. However, the expressions on the generals' faces were off. For some reason, their faces were pale.

“General-nim?”

Their reactions were understandable.

“F-Fairy Monarch!”

“What?”

“Lord-rank!!!”

“What?!”

The generals were sure of it. The magical energy and the presence emanating from the spirit confirmed that. This spirit was a rank above the spirit summoned by their Saint Heiji; it was a spirit at the pinnacle rank, a Lord-rank spirit that no Gemini disciples could summon! 

Only Saint ranks could call out spirits of this rank. However, there was a bigger problem.

“That’s the Primal Fairy Monarch!!”

“What?!”

Yes, this was the spirit that Heiji had been yearning for! It was the strongest existence amongst the generations of Fairy Monarchs. The Primal Fairy Monarch was capable of making all fairies and Fairy Monarchs submit to it.

Even the Gemini Saint had been unable to summon this Fairy Monarch. It was unparalleled, the lord amongst lords!

Moreover, it was the only Spirit King who could remove the restrictions over the Prison Magic Tome that Yoon Taewoo had stolen!

Such a being had descended in front of their eyes!

[My name is Elysion. I am the first and the last Fairy Monarch. Tell me your name, Contractor.]

The generals felt the strength leave their legs. They sank to the ground.

“I’m sure of it! I’ve seen that face in books!”

“Even Heiji-nim couldn't summon it…”

The situation was serious. Of all the people, Chun Sungjae had called forth this spirit.

Choi Sunghyuk’s mouth fell open. He had thought that Chun Sungjae had a talent beyond that of an S-rank, but he had never expected this! Suddenly, a thought came to his mind. 

‘In the future, he might be able to become a Saint.’ The Korean Gemini general trembled as he felt a chill. However, that wasn’t important right now.

“W-We have to recover the magic tome and that spirit!”

Hearing this, the Primal Fairy Monarch turned its head with a displeased expression. Then…

Kwahng!!

The Gemini magicians were sent flying.

“Huhk!”

“Kuh-huhk…!”

[Mere humans dare talk about retrieving me!]

Shit! It was on a different level. 

In fact, even the other fairies that the Gemini disciples had called forth with Soul Invocation were shaking in fear even though they were all noble-rank spirits at the least.

At that moment, the Primal Fairy Monarch entered Chun Sungjae, and Chun Sungjae’s eyes turned golden.

“!”

The power it used wasn’t even a greeting. It didn’t rise to that level. After entering Chun Sungjae’s body, Elysion lifted his hand. Magical energy gathered around Chun Sungjae’s arms.

“Kneel, savages.”

Kwahng!!!

“Ahhhhk!”

The Gemini magicians, who had been using Soul Invocation, were sent flying, their Soul Invocation instantly canceled.

The Primal Fairy Monarch’s power was overwhelming. However…

“Kuhk…!”

Chun Sungjae vomited blood. At the same time, the Spirit King was pushed out of him.

[Unlike how you were three years ago, you're now qualified to call me. However, your body is still too weak. It needs to grow further.]

At that moment…

[You have killed your enemies!]

[You have completed the Serpent Bearer’s mission requirements.]

[Would you like to become the Serpent Bearer’s disciple?]

A green light fell on top of Chun Sungjae’s head.

This made the fallen generals apoplectic.

“He has completed his missionary work!”

All of them were familiar with this sight. As awakened beings, they had to go through a similar process to become disciples.

It seemed Chun Sungjae was about to join some unknown Zodiac as a disciple…

“Wait a moment! Doesn’t this mean he won’t be able to take the Fairy Monarch if he does a transfer?”

“That’s right… If he does transfer, he’ll only be able to take his normal skills!”

<Transfer> was the act of changing one’s Zodiac. Even if one transferred to another Zodiac, the skill one developed remained with oneself.

Although the unlocking of the skills happened due to the Zodiac’s power, the skills’ development was considered the disciple’s domain.

Transfer erased only the skills unique to the Zodiac and the skills that were a threat to the Zodiac. This was the price of doing business with a Zodiac.

If a disciple ran away from the temple, the Inquisitors would track them down and put them on trial.

The Fairy Monarch spirits were the unique treasures of the Gemini temple. The temple could not lose them to outsiders.

Therefore, the deserters hadn’t been a problem. The Gemini temple hadn’t paid attention to those who transferred to the Criminal Saint’s Cancer temple.

However, it didn’t seem Chun Sungjae was willing to return that spirit.

The subordinates gulped when they realized this.

“Isn’t this a precarious situation?”

Nevertheless, Choi Sunghyuk snorted. “While the Fairy Monarch is linked to the Gemini skill, it is also a Construct under a special contract. There is no way we will lose it.”

As if to prove this point, Elysion spoke.

[Oh, Contractor, I belong to the Gemini. Only those affiliated with the Gemini can be with me.]

Choi Sunghyuk laughed as he had expected this. “See. There is no way it’ll betray the Gemini….”

However…

[A magical energy surrounds your body. I don’t know who it is, but it’s a very powerful Zodiac. Alright! I’ll transfer with you.]

“?!”

Magical energy emanating green light exploded forth.

[Chun Sungjae and the Fairy Monarch Elysion became the disciples of the Serpent Bearer.]

The generals were shocked by what they saw. Of all the things Chun Sungjae could take, he had to take the treasure of the Gemini! Then…

[Let’s continue. Let’s make our contract.]

The generals' eyes flashed.

“This is our chance! We have to steal his power before he makes a contract with the spirit!”

“If we kill Chun Sungjae, we can recover the Primal Fairy Monarch!”

Boom!!!

“…!”

The generals tried to move, but a fire arrow blocked their path. Surprised, they looked in the direction where the arrow had come from.

“That man…”

The one who had made and shot the flame arrow was Lee Jaewon.

Everyone’s mouth fell open.

“I’m pretty sure he was the general of the Sagittarius!”

Having taken off his respirator, Lee Jaewon glared at the generals as if he wanted to kill them.

“If you don’t want a hole through your heads, get the fuck away from Young Master.”

“…!!”

This development surprised everyone. 

“He was in bed until a moment ago, so how…”

“Is it possible to move like that after waking up from a ten-year coma?”

Unlike everyone else, Chun Sungjae knew the reason for that.

[Achievement no. 0 - ”Returned” is in effect.] 

[Effect: Temporary Super Regeneration. The body will recover to its optimal state in short order.]

[Achievement No. 2 - A great Saint called the Archer Saint was deeply moved by the Serpent Bearer.]

[Effect: Power is borrowed from the Sagittarius]

The Gemini generals instinctively felt the difference in power, so they surrendered.

Chun Sungjae laughed as he took out his phone. “I’ll contact Uncle—”

When he saw his phone, however, his face turned pale.

[20 Missed Calls]

[Sungjae]: 13:01

[Chun Sungjae]: 13:04

[Hey]: 13:06

[Answer me]: 13:30

[I’ll buy you lunch]: 13:31

[Please Sungjae!]: 13:32

[Sungjae ♡]: 13:33

[I’ll kill you if you become Uncle’s disciple before me]: 16:48

(No Name left the chat room)

Fear struck Chun Sungjae, and his phone fell out of his hand.

* * *

“Anyway, that was how I came here. Young master has become very strong.”

Lee Jaewon's words left Hugo speechless. This man who looked to be in his late thirties was his first disciple. He was the general of the Archer temple. Of course, Lee Jaewon could come here because he had used a unique skill only received by a Saint's first disciple.

[Return], this skill allowed him to return to where his Zodiac resided. Normally, the Saint was connected to their Zodiac, so of course, Lee Jaewon had arrived near Hugo.

“Also, Young Master has left the Gemini temple.”

Hugo let out a sigh of relief. It seemed his son was finally going to listen to him and give up on being an awakened being. Even if that wasn’t the case, he just had to stop his son from joining a different temple.

“What about Jiwoo?”

“Ah! Madam hasn’t opened her eyes yet, but she can breathe without a respirator. If things progress well, she’ll wake up later today.”

Hugo discreetly wiped his wet eyes. This was enough.

At that moment.

“Ha ha ha! It seems the Eunuch Saint’s holy ground is overflowing with ingredients!” 

Lee Gun was hunting down the Constructs within the Virgo Saint's fallen holy ground, and it seemed he was thoroughly enjoying himself. “Ha ha ha! One, two, three! These are the highest-grade clothes!”

[Kuh-huhk! The human is killing the familiars!]

[This is crazy!]

[Ahhk! Help me!]

Hugo pinched the bridge of his nose. In the end, he yelled, trying to tell Lee Gun that it was enough. “Gun!”

Lee Gun finally appeared in front of Hugo, his eyes round. He had also caught sight of Lee Jaewon. It surprised him quite a bit. “You were the one who was comatose for the past ten years?”

In the past, whenever Lee Gun teamed up with Hugo, Lee Jaewon had acted as their mule.

“You shook in your boots every time you saw a monster, yet you became a general?”

Lee Gun was speaking very disrespectfully, but Lee Jaewon was used to this. He got on his knees and bowed to Lee Gun. “It has been a while, Lee Gun-nim. Thank you for saving me! I will never forget this boon!”

Lee Gun snorted. “It’s fine. If you're thankful, just be good to my friend.”

Hugo was deeply moved. “Gun….”

“Or you can abandon this guy and become my disciple.”

“Hey!!”

Suddenly… 

“Dad!”

Hugo was surprised to hear a familiar voice. When he turned, he saw a familiar face running toward him.

“Yooha!”

Chun Yooha seemed to have run straight over here. She was out of breath. The girl looked relieved when she spotted Lee Jaewon. She had already received a call from Goat about what had happened.

“I heard you woke up…”

Lee Jaewon laughed. “I’ll guide you to where your mother is.”

Chun Yooha nodded. Then she started looking at her surroundings. “What about Sungjae? Isn’t he here? He hasn’t been answering my calls.”

“Ah! Young master is next to Madam. He's also tired from using a large amount of magical energy.”

“Is he ok?”

“Ah, yes. He became an S-rank when he became Lee Gun-nim’s disciple. He’s fine.”

“I see. There should be no problem since he became Gun’s disciple. Disciple—”

They suddenly had a realization. Hugo and Chun Yooha turned their heads around at the same time.

What? He became whose disciple?