Return of the Shattered Constellation

Chapter 229: Star, the Star Auction (4)

“…!” Joachim Wolff’s eyes widened when he woke up from his sudden daydream. It made everything else seem like a dream.

“What’s wrong?” Woo Hye-Bin asked, worried.

Up until a moment ago, Joachim had been talking and walking beside her, but his eyes had suddenly turned blank and he had stood still as if something had bewitched him.

Right after Chang-Sun and Baek Gyeo-Ul had broken away from the group to deal with the siege, the rest of the group had gotten off the next train station and were now heading to the Illuminati headquarters.

The group members had been on alert during the entire duration of their travel. Fortunately, they were finally close to the headquarters office. Shin Eun-Seo and Shin Geum-Gyu also stopped and looked at Joachim with worry in their eyes. They even circulated their manas to activate Skills if anything happened.

Their reactions were within reason. The ‘Red Eagle Duke’ Constantine Brunnit could do anything now that he had been cornered. Hence, they were worried that Joachim’s sudden abnormal behavior was caused by their enemy’s curse.

“Y-you didn’t see that?” Joachim asked, bewildered.

“What do you mean…?”

“The world around us turned white… a goddess wearing a golden helmet and armor was standing…! Ah!” Joachim rambled on but suddenly moaned.

Wondering what was going on, the Team L members stayed alert.

A teardrop rolled down Joachim’s wrinkled cheek. “It… was a revelation…!”

Just a moment ago, Joachim encountered a female warrior wearing brilliant armor and a great helm. She had eyes as beautiful as an owl’s, which could see clearly in the darkness. With those eyes, she looked at Joachim and said something. Although she definitely communicated verbally, Joachim was so bewitched by her beauty that he couldn’t properly understand her. However, he felt her whispers reach his heart and soul.

The woman held out her spear and lightly tapped the top of Joachim’s head. Even then, he still couldn’t understand what she meant. Upon returning to the real world, he belatedly realized that the woman he met just now was the goddess whose voice he wished to hear even just once in his life.

The ‘Twilight-Piercing Owl,’ the great Guardian of the Illuminati, personally showed up and performed a ceremony on Joachim. Ah, how could he have acted so impious before the great goddess? He didn’t even pay his respect. The more he thought about what happened, the worse he felt about it. He stopped regretting things for now and instead tried hard to remember her voice and understand what she said. As he did…

Woosh!

… a ray of light shone down on Joachim, its color the same as the goddess’ golden armor. It looked as if an owl was quietly landing on the top of Joachim’s head.

[Congratulations! Your Guardian has chosen you as her apostle.]

An apostle selection—Joachim realized that the goddess had chosen him to become her most loyal subordinate.

“Thank you, my goddess. I’ll devote myself more to spreading your doctrines in this evil-filled world.” Joachim went down on one knee and held his hands up close to his chest to pray.

Hye-Bin and the others took a step backward. The air around Joachim had clearly changed. His aura now resembled a holy saint from old scripture.

“Th-this is…!”

“The light of glory!”

“The goddess has finally answered our call!”

“She has bestowed us with an apostle to lead us!”

The nearby believers gathered around Joachim upon recognizing the light enveloping him. The Illuminati’s headquarters was located in Frankfurt, so their religious order was the most influential within this place. There were so many Illuminati members in this location that there was even a saying that two out of three pedestrians in Frankfurt were members of the Illuminati or related to it.

The people naturally recognized Joachim’s sacred light, and the news of the Frankfurt Saint appearing quickly spread throughout the area. Eventually, a swarm of people surrounded Joachim, some of which were pedestrians, the Senators heading to the Senate meeting, the Illuminati members on their way to the headquarters to see the Senators, and the believers that had been captivated.

The Illuminati headquarters staff who came to find out what happened hurriedly notified their superiors. One after another, those staff also joined the crowd until more people were around Joachim than inside the headquarters. With them, Joachim prayed to the goddess and thanked Chang-Sun several times, knowing he was behind this miracle.

“If the seat of the apostle has to be filled first, then don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

Joachim didn’t know how Chang-Sun had done it, but he was sure that his goddess, who had an iron will, trusted Chang-Sun enough to grant his request. Taking that into consideration, Joachim thought he could put his faith in Chang-Sun as well and follow him as the goddess’ servant.

“Become a king, Joachim. Isn’t a king’s friend also a king in the end?” Chang-Sun said.

‘You… will become someone more than that, Mr. Lee,’ Joachim thought.

Joachim continued praying.

* * *

[The Celestial ‘Malignity-Drinking Saturn’ bursts into laughter, unable to believe that the picky, cocky Celestial has chosen an apostle!]

Seeing Joachim and tens of thousands of Illuminati members praying together was a truly majestic sight. They resembled an owl’s nest. Jacque Valentine had once been a devout believer, but he had become detached from his emotions over time, not remembering what it felt like. Nevertheless, the sight touched his heart.

[The Celestial ‘Malignity-Drinking Saturn’ tilts his head in confusion, asking his apostle why his face has darkened.]

‘My face… darkened?’ Jacque felt his face with his hands upon reading the message.

He had been alive for so long, but he still couldn’t get used to his face. His skin was firm like a turtle shell, and his lips… drew a straight line and froze up that way, which made him look as if he was discontented with something. As someone who had thought he lost his emotions, he was surprised.

[The Celestial ‘Malignity-Drinking Saturn’ asks you if it is because of the key.]

Jacque finally realized why he had been having mixed emotions. The key that Chang-Sun used to escape the <Purple Star Astrology> Celestials’ siege was unsettling him. Chang-Sun had it tucked away under his top, preventing Jacque from noticing that he had the key all along. Aside from its flashy appearance, it didn’t look anything special, but Jacque was extremely familiar with the symbol on it.

[The Celestial ‘Malignity-Drinking Saturn’ says that there has to be a reason Peter the Apostle’s key has been found now.]

Jacque nodded in agreement. Peter the Apostle had been Jacque’s teacher and someone he had respected. However, the apostle was also the reason Jaque ended up making a contract with Satan. Still, he was a prophet who could see the future. Even if it looked as if Chang-Sun had found [Peter’s Key] coincidentally, Peter the Apostle had actually planned everything in advance, including Chang-Sun finding it, to prepare for the future.

‘Maybe… his plan includes me staying around Lee Chang-Sun,’ Jacque thought.

[The Celestial ‘Malignity-Drinking Saturn’ says that he cannot miss such a fun opportunity.]

“What are you going to do?” Jacque asked Satan about his plan, breaking away from his own thoughts.

[The Celestial ‘Malignity-Drinking Saturn’ smiles in delight and says that someone will really love this.]

“…?”

As always, Satan didn’t give Jaque a proper answer.

* * *

An eight-wheeled carriage quickly crossed a rainbow bridge that connected one nebula to another. Every time the horses galloped on the rainbow bridge, the scenery around the carriage changed quickly.

“We’re arriving at the <Star Grave> soon. Hold on tight, everyone,” Serena, who was today’s coachwoman, said.

Chang-Sun turned his head to look outside the window. In the hazy background, a brilliant giant nebula could be seen down below. Chang-Sun marveled at the sight, but for some reason, it also gave him an ominous feeling. It was as if he would disappear into the nebula if he kept watching. It seemed there was a reason the <Star Grave> was called a huge, beautifully decorated tomb.

‘Come to think of it, this is my first time visiting this place,’ Chang-Sun thought

He had actually only visited two of the <Seven Wonders>. He couldn’t afford to have the luxury of traveling in the first place, and he didn’t have a hobby of visiting tourist spots either. Nevertheless, the <Star Grave> was charming enough to intrigue Chang-Sun, who was emotionally detached on some level.

[The disrupted connection has been restored!]

…

[The Dungeon Channel KR-9,721 is now online.]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ shouts hooray because she finally got to enter the channel.]

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ enters the channel, grumbling that he was really bored while waiting for the channel to be online again. ]

[The Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ quietly enters the channel.]

…

[Current number of Celestials in this channel is ????.]

While Chang-Sun was in Minerva’s divine ground, the channel was automatically disconnected, but it was now online again. Familiar Celestials, like Pabilsag, and other Celestials that had been waiting for Chang-Sun quickly entered.

‘There’s a lot more of them,’ Chang-Sun noticed.

Much to his surprise, the number of viewers had now reached four digits, multiplying the previous number multiplied several times. In other words, a lot of Celestials were paying attention to Chang-Sun right now. The incident in the ‘Owl’s Nest’ had to have spread. From Chang-Sun’s perspective, it also meant that the number of sugar deities who would supply him with Authorities had increased.

“You’re quite popular. Someone might snatch you away if ‘I’ don’t hurry.” Minerva chuckled quietly, noticing many Celestials watching him.

Mars frowned and crossed his arms in discontentment. With an amused look, Mercury watched Chang-Sun.

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ hops in surprise, wondering why the owl is with you!]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ jumps around in anger upon finding out that you are with two other Celestials!]

After reading the funniest message, Minerva uncharacteristically smiled mischievously and leaned toward Chang-Sun. “Chang-Sun.”

“Yes?” Chang-Sun turned his head.

“I have to tell you something in secret.” Minerva gestured at Chang-Sun to come closer.

“…?”

Chang-Sun didn’t understand why she was trying to whisper to him instead of telepathy or the message system, but he thought that Minerva had to have a good reason. As Chang-Sun tilted his head toward Minerva, she looked in the air and smiled faintly.

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ yells at the top of her lungs to step away from her apostle candidate!]

[The Celestial ‘Twilight-Piercing Owl’ smirks at a certain Celestial, calling her a loser.]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ roams around the room to find arrows she can use to hunt the owl!]

[The Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ uses her pinky claw and subdues her daughter with ease, telling her to stay still because she is acting crazy.]

“Minerva?” Chang-Sun tilted his head in confusion. Minerva didn’t really say anything.

Minerva chuckled. “Let’s talk about it later.”

Chang-Sun’s confusion deepened, but they were about to reach their destination, so he couldn’t really pay much heed to it.

The carriage was now entering the nebula that made up the <star Grave>. Shortly after, vast land resembling Laputa from 《Gulliver's Travels》[1] showed up. Many complex buildings stood on the land, sparkling like stars. It looked like…

‘An amusement park?’ Chang-Sun thought.

Rides like a Ferris wheel were located in one section of the land, and numerous resorts with beautiful landscaping were located in the other section. The pedestrians were wearing casual clothes. Chang-Sun could now see why he had heard about the cities in <Star Grave> being called ‘Star Vacation Spots.’

Minerva’s carriage stopped in a huge train station, which was like the port of this vacation spot.

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ licks his lip, saying that you went to a very interesting place.]

“Do you remember the masks I gave out before we departed? Put them on and never take them off. Otherwise, things can become really troublesome,” Mercury said.

Before everyone had gotten on the carriage, Mercury had handed them masks that he said were essential in <Star Grave>. The masks not only had the ability to distort others’ perceptions but also hide the mask users’ Classes. However, Chang-Sun had one little problem.

‘… It looks like he gave me this mask on purpose.’ Chang-Sun reluctantly pulled out his mask.

The cream-colored mask’s eye holes were heavily decorated, making him think of a Siamese cat. The patterns on the mask’s cheeks were so gold and flashy that it looked as if it should be used in a masquerade.

Chang-Sun glanced at Minerva’s and Mars’ masks as well just in case, but they obviously didn’t like their masks either. Minerva was even glaring at Mercury as hard as she could. Minerva’s lace mask had a feather that covered half her face. Meanwhile, the nose part of Mars’ clown mask was unusually red.

Looking at everyone, Mercury rolled on the ground, laughing.

1. It’s a floating island. ☜