Return of the Shattered Constellation

Chapter 238: Star, Mimisbrunnr (3)

The primordial ocean, where lives had been created at the beginning of time, looked very different from the blue ocean that people knew. Despite the infinite possibilities it possessed, the primordial ocean was destructive and nasty, having a temperature of over one hundred fifty celsius and a muddy consistency due to the rocks that acid rains melted getting mixed into it. Through various chemical reactions, all kinds of organisms were created in the primordial ocean, but they all disappeared nearly as quickly as they came into being.

Tiamat symbolized that very ocean. According to the myth, she and Apsu had Lahmu, Lahamu, and many other children. However, when their children transcended to Celestialhood, they thought Tiamat and Apsu were blocking their path to world domination. Hence, they tried to get their parents out of the picture.

They eventually managed to kill Apsu, Tiamat’s husband, but she still tried to rationalize their rebellion as the generations transitioning from one to another. However, the rebellion kept becoming stronger, bringing destruction to the world and threatening Tiamat herself.

To retaliate, Tiamat gave birth to new children, but without Apsu’s essence, they were inevitably born incomplete. Those demonic deities were now called Tiamat’s Eleven Demonic Creatures.

* * *

[You have entered the mouth of the Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’]

Chang-Sun looked up, ad the dark space quickly brightened up. The first thing he saw was the unfathomably high brown ceiling and the vicious-looking fangs behind Chang-Sun. He then noticed that the mouth was closed. Opposite the fangs was a scary abyss.

“This place is…?” Minerva mumbled in disbelief, slicking back her hair.

As far as she remembered, she was in the middle of a fight against the children of the Emperor’s Seat when a tsunami suddenly swept her away. Chang-Sun then saved her and brought her here. She was catching up to things a little slower than usual, but that was only natural.

“It… seems we’re in somewhere quite tricky.” Mercury dumbfoundedly chuckled and looked at Chang-Sun, the one responsible for everything. Mercury already knew what happened.

Meanwhile, Moodoo and the Gray Elves blinked in disbelief, unable to even think about wiping water off them. Unable to understand what happened, they froze up.

『Gosh, what has my troublemaker made me do?』 A voice loudly echoed from the high ceiling, causing the mouth to pulsate faintly.

[The Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ grumbles in discontentment.]

“H-huh?!”

“W-we really are inside the ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’…!”

The Gray Elves turned pale upon finally realizing what was going on. They had heard about Tiamat, the notorious Evil Dragon. The Mother Terra Celestial carried lives, and Tiamat was part of her, but she ended up joining the Abslute Evil faction when her children abandoned her. Even Kali, the Gray Elves’ Guardian, was nothing compared to Tiamat, the Ancient Celestial. After all, she had a high Divine Class and had lived for so long already.

Contrary to Tiamat’s words, she didn’t sound hostile. Rather, she just seemed to find it unpleasant that her daughter had dragged her out of her nest, interrupting her rest.

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ pompously puts her hands on her waist and puffs up her chest!]

“Hahahaha!”

A burst of confident laughter could be heard from Tiamat’s throat, the abyss. Chang-Sun and the others simultaneously turned their heads toward it, finding a tanned woman with a long ponytail. Tall and had well-defined features, she looked like a brave warrior. Her cat-like eyes made her look sharp, but Chang-Sun knew what a simpleton she was despite her smart appearance.

The woman was Pabilsag, one of Tiamat’s daughters and the original owner of [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth]. She just laughed without saying anything else. However, it was obvious from the look on her face that she wanted Chang-Sun to praise her right now and earn his respect for rescuing him.

[The Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ scoffs and asks her daughter why she’s taking the credit when she is not the one who saved them.]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ timidly refutes that it was her who personally jumped into the battlefield.]

[The Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ scoffs again and says that it was all thanks to her magic spells.]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ pouts.]

Pabilsag, who had been trying to show off her greatness in front of Chang-Sun, became very sullen due to Tiamat’s interruption. The look on Pabilsag’s face changed quickly. She crossed her arms, turning her head away as she pouted. After a moment, Pabilsag glanced at Chang-Sun.

“Thank you,” Chang-Sun said. No matter her reasons and despite the fact that she didn’t directly contribute anything, Pabilsag was still the reason Chang-Sun and the others could escape from the crisis.

When Chang-Sun thanked her, Pabilsag’s lip twitched. She solemnly replied, “Cough, cough! I just did what I had to do. It’s the Celestials’ duty and virtue to save their followers from danger.”

If it hadn’t been for Tiamat’s teasing, she would’ve actually looked like a mighty Celestial.

[The Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ grins, saying her daughter is trying really hard to hold back her smile.]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ ignores her mother.]

[The Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ looks at her daughter, still grinning.]

Pabilsag’s face reddened a bit. After desperately wanting to meet Chang-Sun for so long, she finally got to meet him in person. She wished to look like a cool Celestial in front of him, so she tried to ignore her mother’s comments.

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ ignores her mother again.]

[The Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ mockingly says that it is useless for her daughter to act cool in front of that mortal.]

Her face became redder. If she was a pot, steam would be soaring from the top of her head right now.

[The Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ tells her daughter that acting cool does not suit her.]

“Ah! Mom, come on!” Pabilsag yelled, looking as if she couldn’t take it anymore.

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ strongly urges her mother to stop!]

[The Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ keeps chuckling.]

Tiamat was still having so much fun.

‘As a mother, what gives her the most fun in life is teasing her naive daughter,’ Chang-Sun thought in amazement upon seeing the notorious Tiamat’s humane side.

“I want to ask you a favor,” Chang-Sun said.

“Anyth—!” Pabilsag was about to answer, but Tiamat interrupted.

『Hahaha, you’re very wily. Rescuing you wasn’t enough?』

Pabilsag was a bit annoyed by her mother for stopping her chance to shine, but she knew it was better to leave this kind of matter to her mother.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s shameless of me, but my subordinate is dying,” Chang-Sun continued.

Although he had done first aid on the Elfin Root, it was still in bad condition due to the dreadful demonic poison.

『That’s funny.』

“… Can I ask what part of this is funny?” Chang-Sun asked politely.

『It seems you’re about to ask me for medicine that can cure your subordinate, but subordinates are merely dispensable tools,』 Tiamat commented very acrimoniously.

『Reviving a broken tool is very inconvenient. Most of them outlive their uses anyway even if you go through the trouble to save them. Isn’t it better to find a new tool instead of lingering on the old, broken tool? You happen to have a sturdier and better tool nearby.』

Chang-Sun realized that Tiamat was talking about Moodoo.

『I believe it’s because how you have lived only for a short time and haven’t learned much, but you would become a Celestial just like all of us soon. You need to have the right mindset now.』

Tiamat had likely developed that principle for having ruled over many beings. Pabilsag, who had been blankly listening to the conversation, cautiously agreed with her mother. Perhaps Tiamat was advising Chang-Sun and teaching her daughter, who was still as naive as a child, at the same time.

However, once again, Chang-Sun just asked, “Will you grant my request?”

It would’ve been understandable for him to feel humiliated, but he just looked nonchalant.

『Didn’t you listen to my advice…?!』

“Will you grant it?”

『Ha!』

“I’ll take that as a no. I apologize for my rudeness.” Chang-Sun slightly bowed.

Although Chang-Sun was acting polite, he really didn’t sound like it. Minerva tensed up, worrying Tiamat would feel offended and harm him. Meanwhile, Mars and Mercury’s jaws dropped to the ground. They never imagined anyone would behave that way in front of Tiamat!

Even Moodoo held her breath, worrying that Chang-Sun would get harmed. However, since he was doing all this in hopes of curing the Elfin, he left a strong impression on Moodoo. She finally realized why the Elfin followed Chang-Sun with trust and why Kali had believed in him even as she died.

『Hahahaha!』

At that moment, Tiamat’s laughter reverberated. Pabilsag was surprised to see her prideful mother responding like this.

『So that’s how you’ll behave in front of your subordinates and followers, huh?』 Tiamat said with amusement. 『I misjudged you. I have always thought that you would reach this level soon enough, but you’ve already gotten there. Sag.』

Pabilsag raised her head and looked where her mother would be.

『His caliber is too big for you to embrace. I think it’s better for you to give him up.』

“But—!”

『Give up. There is nothing more foolish than lingering on something that you can’t do anything about.』

Pabilsag bit her lower lip. Although she didn’t say anything else, she looked convinced. Tiamat lightly clicked her tongue. She and her youngest daughter had too many similarities. Pabilsag didn’t give up on things even if she should, and Tiamat had done the same in the past. Trying to embrace both her husband and children, she ended up losing her husband and waging war against her children.

Greed invited disasters. And at the end of disasters, one would be left only with their wounded self. It was difficult to understand that unless they had already experienced it themselves. Hence, Tiamat couldn’t say anything further.

『Your name is Lee Chang-Sun, right? You’re also doing it wrong.』

“What am I doing wrong?” Chang-Sun asked.

『You’re already the king of <Muspelheim>. Although that plane has already met <Extinction>, Celestials used to live there, which means you and I already have the same status. Kings shouldn’t act submissive. After all, kings represent their people.』

Chang-Sun’s eyes sparkled.

『So you shouldn’t ask me a favor. You demand or negotiate with me.』

Chang-Sun learned something that nobody had taught him when he was still the ‘Divine Twilight.’ Perhaps only Tiamat could give that advice.

“Then I want to make a deal.” Chang-Sun smiled faintly.

『Good.』

Contented, Tiamat smiled.

『What can you offer me, king of <Muspelheim>?』

* * *

“I’ll leave the Elfin in your hands.” Chang-Sun handed the Elfin to Moodoo, then slicked back his hair.

He could tell that his hair was turning gray like the old man in his dream.

‘His eye and hair… Am I turning into him?’ Chang-Sun wondered.

Acquiring gnosis and Li’s Fragment seemed to have caused this change.

“… Are you really going to go?” Moodoo asked.

“There is no other way,” Chang-Sun casually answered.

Moodoo quieted down, vividly remembering the conversation Chang-Sun had with Tiamat just now.

“Drop me on the outskirts of the <Star Grave>.” Chang-Sun requested.

『… You weren’t about to ask me for the antidote for the demonic poison?』

Chang-Sun shook his head. “I know that the only way to detoxify demonic poison is to kill the owner of the poison.”

『Then how are you going to do it?』

Despite everything they had gone through to escape the <Star Grave>, Chang-Sun was about to go back to that very place. The children of the Emperor’s Seat should be escaping from that location right about now as well. Those people were dangerous, but Moodoo understood why Chang-Sun was taking this risk.

“Are you trying to get the [Chunjun Sword]?” Moodoo asked.

The [Chunjun Sword] had the power of nature, having been imbued with the energy of the divine grounds ‘Cheonyeon Mountain’ and ‘Yakah River.’ Hence, it should help the Elfin greatly. If Chang-Sun couldn’t kill Agares, his second option was to help the Elfin build immunity to the poison, the process of which would require the [Chunjun Sword].

‘If I can unlock the [Chunjun Sword] and grant it Kali’s Divinity… I should be able to treat Elfin somehow,’ Chang-Sun thought.

Having learned about everything through his [Gnostic Eye], Chang-Sun thought he had to be right. The power to gain a part of the knowledge he needed just by looking at things was truly amazing. Even if he was right, however, it would still be difficult to fight the children of the Emperor’s Seat for the [Chunjun Sword].

Still, Chang-Sun thought this was for the best. He and those Celestials had bad blood, and he also had something he wanted to find out from them.

‘I have to find out how many more of Kali’s priests they have.’

Chang-Sun’s eyes sharpened. He didn’t know what their goal was, but he was at least ready to ruin their plan if anything happened.