Return of the Shattered Constellation

Chapter 221: Star, the Fog of War (1)

The Nine Heavens Palace, the residence of many <Purple Star Astrology> Celestials, was mainly divided into three sectors—the Left Palace, the Center Palace, and the Right Palace. The Right Palace used to belong to the ‘Tian Shi Yuan,’ previously the strongest of the Three Enclosures.

However, the Right Palace changed ownership when, for the first time, a new victor—Richardus—rose up in the power struggle against one of the Three Enclosures. Richardus was more famously known by his divine name, the ‘Iron-Blooded Lion,’ which led to him now being called the Lion King.

“Father was really great at beautifying this garden,” Richardus muttered to himself.

Richardus was as bulky as most monster deities and had ragged hair that resembled a lion's mane, making him look feral. He also had a royal robe clumsily hanging on his shoulder, revealing various scars all over his tanned, muscular body whenever it fluttered in the wind like a cape. Something about him made people looking at him hold their breaths.

That man was smiling innocently while observing the garden that the Emperor’s Seat used to own. With his bear-like hands, he stroked the petals and carefully picked up a flower to smell it. In some ways, the sight looked harmonious and discordant at the same time.

“Hehehe! I knew you would be here.”

At that moment, Richardus heard bizarre laughter that seemed to come from neither a man nor a woman. It was somewhat lilting, yet it echoed so sharply that it could give anyone goosebumps. Turning his head, he saw a small man in peculiar clothing.

The man’s makeup was far from ordinary. He had thick eyeliners, black lipstick on, very rosy cheeks, and had powdered his face so white that it looked like a mask. All sorts of heavy-looking accessories hung from his neck and ears, and flashy bracelets and rings covered his fingers and wrists, making it impossible to tell what accessories he was wearing.

Named the Eunuch Star, this man and Richardus were the main perpetrators behind the uprising that caused the downfall of the Emperor’s Seat. The Eunuch Star also had bad blood with Chang-Sun in the past.

“Hey.” Richardus lightly waved his hand at the Eunuch Star. Richardus was a king now, but he still acted like a thug in the streets.

The Eunuch Star frowned. “I am your older brother—no, should I say sister? Anyhow, I am older than you, so isn’t it wrong to call me ‘hey’? I talk formally to you, you know.”

“You can talk to me casually if you don’t like it.”

“Hehehe, I cannot do that. Unlike you, my dear brother, I have manners.” The Eunuch Star dramatically giggled.

“Just as I told you before, I don’t want any of this. They’re all too bothersome, so take them if you need them.” Richardus was ready to hand the Eunuch Star his royal robe.

The Eunuch Star quickly waved his hands. “No, no, you should be the one who wears those clothes, brother.”

“So you can use me as your shield?”

“Nonsense. You are our symbol. My looks make people feel uncomfortable, and you look far more dignified than I do, brother. You are well suited to be king. Hehehe!”

The Eunuch Star knew how the others thought of him better than anyone else, which was why they had made Richardus the leader of the rebellion. Richardus possessed great dignity and came from a good family. On top of that, he was more talented than the Eunuch Star.

“Why are you here anyway? Didn’t I tell you that I want to take a break?” Richardus frowned a little.

“Even a lion, despite how powerful it is, has to take a break to save up its energy, huh? I had no intention to interrupt your rest, but I believe the matter I bring requires your immediate attention.”

“What is it?” Richardus asked.

“The ‘Tian Shi Yuan’ has just plummeted.”

“… What?” Richadus asked again in disbelief.

“Hohohoho! Congratulations, you are now the real ‘Tian Shi Yuan’!” The Eunuch Star giggled.

However, Richardus’ expression darkened.

Woosh!

[The ‘Lion’s Fighting Spirit’ is raging!]

Richardus’ divine class was unlocked at that moment, creating clouds of dust. Famous for being a germaphobe, the Eunuch Star’s smile disappeared as he wiped off the dust on his sleeves.

“My, my, did I not ask you repeatedly not to cause a mess without prior warning—!”

“Stop joking and start explaining,” Richardus instructed.

“It is just as I told you.” The Eunuch Star smirked. “Among the Stars that participated in building a World Net, three of them plummeted, and four of them frantically fled. From what I have heard, the Azure Dragon is gravely injured too, so people are in chaos.”

The longer Richardus listened, the more expressionless he became and the more the Eunuch Star’s smirk deepened.

“So you’re still his son after all, huh? Do you feel guilty that your father passed away?”

“... Who’s responsible for this plummeting? Those stars were trying to find out who was supporting that mortal named Lee Chang-Sun or something, weren’t they? Are the <Horoscope> Celestials behind this?” Richardus asked instead of answering the Eunuch Star.

Although the Eunuch Star knew what Richardus was doing, he let it slide and just answered, “Yes. Right now, we assume that they are behind this. Since those stars were led to the divine ground of a Celestial of <Olympus>, it seems like they do have something to do with this… Things are becoming complicated. Hohoho.”

Despite the Eunuch Star’s very casual tone, the <Purple Star Astrology> was in chaos right now. Even though the Emperor’s Seat had no longer been a part of the Three Enclosures, he still had influence within the <Society> when he plummeted along with Suo Chao, the Heavenly Spirit demonic deity. Considering a pillar of the <Purple Star Astrology> had been ripped out, this matter was incomparably more serious than Xue Yong’s disappearance.

The incident made the ‘Tai Wei Yuan’ issue to the <Purple Star Astrology> a <Pursuit and Execute Order> for Chang-Sun. While the World Net was meant to capture Chang-Sun alive, the <Pursuit and Execute Order> was meant to hunt down and kill Chang-Sun using any means necessary.

However, the <Purple Astrology Celestial> hadn’t taken any actions yet. It was still unclear who was behind Chang-Sun, so moving hastily could just result in an even bigger catastrophe. Hence, they focused on observing the status of many other <Societies> like <Horoscope> and <Olympus> for now.

“The postponed suppression of our siblings has now begun. Well, most of them have already run away. It’s as if they have seen it coming,” the Eunuch Star added.

The Eunuch Star believed that Richardus had to reestablish the Tian Shi Yuan Army to legitimately become a part of the Three Enclosures. He also had to teach their stupid siblings that the owner of the sky had changed.

‘Especially Nu Chuang[1]… I have to capture that wretched woman no matter what. She is responsible for everything.’ The Eunuch Star’s eyes turned cold as he remembered the daughter of the Emperor’s Seat, the main reason why the Eunuch Star and Richardus started the rebellion.

Richardus quietly sighed and slicked his hair back. Looking at the Eunuch Star, Richardus’ eyes were sharper than ever. “He was a good father, wasn’t he?”

“Hehehe, of course, he was.”

“But his greed ruined everything and made even his loyal children turn their backs on him,” Richardus continued.

“Hehehe.”

“I’ll avenge Father. That’ll be enough atonement.”

“Then I’ll make preparations accordingly. ‘The lion son avenges his father…’ It’s a cause justifiable enough to make even this monstrous <Society> take action.” The Eunuch Star nodded.

Richardus didn’t like how the Eunuch Star treated everyone like chess pawns but chose not to bring it up. “Then what about all the works Father has been doing? How will they be taken care of?”

“They have been postponed for now since everyone is busy taking care of the incident regarding Father.”

“Then let’s take care of those ourselves too,” Richardus said.

The Eunuch Star narrowed his eyes. “Are you planning on hunting down Kali’s old priests?”

“It has been bugging me anyway, so this is for the better. I started this, so it’s only right that I see this to the end.” Richardus looked away from the garden and slowly stood up, resembling a lion that was waking up.

The king of all animals and the ruler of savannas… Feeling as if his ideal ruler was right in front of him, the Eunich star got goosebumps all over.

‘Ahhh! This is why I cannot stop doing this!’ the Eunuch Star thought in excitement.

The Eunuch Star symbolized a eunuch, an official that aided a king as his shadow. The first king that the Eunuch Star served was the Emperor’s Seat. However, the second king he secretly wanted to serve was…

‘... Twilight.’

The Eunuch Star and the ‘Divine Twilight’ had sadly drifted apart due to a small conflict, and the ‘Divine Twilight’ had plummeted because of his stubbornness. However, the Eunuch Star still sometimes imagined how the <Purple Star Astrology> would have turned out if he was beside the ‘Divine Twilight’ and led him down the right path.

The <Purple Star Astrology> would have likely surpassed the level of <Horoscope> and ruled the entire <Heaven>. The ‘Divine Twilight’ and Eunuch Star could have completed the Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido[2], the legendary <Star Map> that even the old stars had only ever heard in myths.

“From what I’ve heard, Lee Chang-Sun recruited one of Kali’s old priests, so there is a high chance that he’ll appear nearby. Find out what Father discovered,” Richardus instructed.

However, the ‘Divine Twilight’ had fallen. Fortunately, the Eunuch Star still had Richardus, whom he wanted to serve as his third king, by his side. The monstrous, invincible lion should be more than capable to show the Eunuch Star the sight he wanted to see.

“Yes, sir. Maybe that wretched Nu Chuang will come out of hiding now.” The Eunuch Star bowed. Richardus still had a dark expression.

* * *

[You have successfully completed the quest…]

[Choose Authorities…]

…

When Chang-Sun slowly opened his eyes, numerous system messages chaotically popped up before him.

‘Where am I…? Urgh!’

Lying down, Chang-Sun tried to find out where he was. However, the horrible headache stopped him, making him frown. It wasn’t just his head. He was aching badly all over because he forced himself past his limits.

Thinking he had to get moving anyway, Chang-Sun calmed his breathing. His favorite part about the Secret Darkness Techniques was that he could draw up any kind of energy through [Stigma] without using his mana.

Badump! Badump!

Feeling his heart racing, Chang-Sun gradually infused his energy into [Stigma]. Distinct divinities soon appeared.

Woosh, woosh, woosh…!

The Celestial Fire of the ‘Gemini’. Xue Yong’s evil energy. Bo Du’s Martial Karma. Suo Chao’s Big Dipper Handle Light. And…

‘The Enclosure Element of the Emperor’s Seat.’

All those divinities were exceptional since they came from stars, but Chang-Sun desired only one of them: the Enclosure Element, which was the primordial substance that led to the founding of the <Purple Star Astrology>.

‘... I have to learn how to master this in the future.’

Chang-Sun didn’t intend to waste material that could be used to get an endless amount of power, so he decided to try controlling it somehow.

‘I can probably start by melting it in <Darkness>...’

Chang-Sun drew up the <Darkness> that had settled in the corner of his [Stigma].

Woosh.

He felt a navy-blue flame blazing up in his chest. At the same time, his [Stigma] and the core of his [Integrated Magic Circuit] also heated up.

[The Skill ‘Integrated Magic Circuit’ has been activated, converting your ‘Darkness’ into mana. Your HP is gradually increasing.]

[Your status has changed to ‘Severely Injured’!]

Chang-Sun slowly circulated his mana and got rid of his fatigue. His <Darkness> created mana, which then created <Dusk Lightning>, triggering his every electrical impulse. With his cells and nerves gradually recovering, he began to regain control of his body. He opened his eyes slowly when he felt the fog in his head clear up.

Woosh!

However, [Stigma] suddenly heated up further. Utilizing <Darkness> probably triggered the other divinities, which were running wild, especially the Enclosure Element of the Emperor’s Seat.

No, the Enclosure Element wasn’t just running wild. Its size had increased, and it was now quickly circulating inside [Stigma], absorbing other divinities. The divinities that Chang-Sun had absorbed from the <Purple Star Astrology> Celestials—the evil energy, Martial Karma, Big Dipper Handle light—were smoothly absorbed into the Enclosure Element. It was as if the people were having an audience with the king.

Chang-Sun didn’t expect this to happen. However, he could at least hypothesize the reason behind it.

‘Is it because they all originated from the Enclosure Element?’

All the monster and demonic deities in the <Purple Star Astrology> had to have complete authority over the Enclosure Elements that they had received from the Three Enclosures before they could shine on their own. Hence, it wasn’t surprising that these divinities returned to the Enclosure Element.

In the end, only the Enclosure Element and the Celestial Fire, which Chang-Sun had extorted from the ‘Gemini,’ were left within [Stigma]. However, despite its potential, the Celestial Fire was incomparably weaker than the Enclosure Element. Hence, even the Celestial Fire was eventually absorbed.

[The Divinity(Attribute: Enclosure Element) is shining brilliantly!]

[Stigma] was now full of the Enclosure Element, which was about to move to find another prey. Thinking he should subdue it if it tried to harm him, Kang Chan made preparations.

Paah!

However, the Enclosure Element completely vanished when it grew bigger again. Confused, Chang-Sun wasn’t sure about what was going on. However, messages soon popped up in front of him.

Paaaah!

[The Divinity(Attribute: Enclosure Element) has been absorbed into your Darkness!]

[The level of the Skill ‘Stigma’ has increased.]

[The level of the Skill ‘Stigma’ has increased.]

…

[Your ‘Ferocious Heart’ has transformed the absorbed Divinity and has merged it with your body.]

[Your body is changing.]

‘My body is changing how?’ Chang-Sun’s eyes widened.

He tilted his head in confusion, unsure what the messages that popped up before him meant. At that moment, he noticed Cadmus, who was sitting on the table in front of him and stuffing its mouth full with cookies. Cadmus met Chang-Sun’s gaze. Although Chang-Sun wasn’t sure what cookie or how many cookies Cadmus had eaten, its white belly had become really round.

Kiyoo?

Cadmus tilted its head, silently asking if there was any problem.

1. This constellation is part of the ‘Tian Shi Yuan.’ It’s known as Woman’s Bed in English. ☜

2. It’s the ancient Korean star map that was created in Joseon Dynasty. ☜