Return of the Shattered Constellation

Chapter 283: Star, Doomsday City (3)

Chang-Sun and the Gray Elves drove their cars down Olympic Boulevard. The long river flowing beside them was definitely the Hangang River. The roads were all cracked like turtle shells, while all sorts of trash filled the Hangang River, making it look very different from the Seoul Chang-Sun remembered. However, ‘Doomsday City’ looked so similar to Seoul that anyone who had spent time in Seoul would instantly recognize it.

‘What happened?’

That was what Chang-Sun could not help but wonder. According to the Dungeon Quest description, this was the city of a civilization that had faced its doom, which meant that it had actually existed.

‘The other worldline that crumbled… Is this Seoul from that parallel universe?’

Chang-Sun had a feeling that he was right. There were numerous worldlines in the universes, so it would not be odd to find one that was similar to the one Chang-Sun was in. Thus, there were naturally worldlines that had met such an end. In that case, however, there was another question to ask.

‘...Why did Earth fall into ruins in this worldline?’

Thoughts swirled chaotically in Chang-Sun’s mind.

* * *

Beep.

『We have control over this area, sir.』

Beep. Beep.

『Group 2 has cleared the target.』

Beep.

『Groups 3 and 4 have also cleared the target.』

The radio rang continuously with all-clear reports, indicating that the groups had completed their goals without difficulty. Branch Manager Lee Sang-Su became anxious, however. Munseong, the Council of Elders, and the entire Raid Department members had headed to ‘Doomsday City’. Thus, the White Tiger Clan’s headquarters in Chicago was left open for the taking.

Director Gwon Hyo-Hae had not entered the Dungeon, so he was supposed to be leading them. However, he had abruptly gone radio silent, leaving the remaining members of the headquarters helpless against Executive Director Oh Shi Hwan’s attack.

“Do you really think you can walk out of this unscathed, Executive Director Oh?!” Sang-Su shouted, threatening Executive Director Oh in an attempt to stop him.

Executive Director Oh, however, was not even listening. He just sat in the chair that had once been Sang-Su’s and quietly waited to hear the result.

At that moment, the door to Sang-Su’s office opened wide, and Seo Jeong-Gwon walked in, his eyes filled with a ferocious gaze. The sight of him covered in blood was more menacing than ever,

“We successfully subdued everyone,” Jeong-Gwon reported.

“Casualties?” Executive Director Oh asked.

“Zero. The child named Woo Hye-Bin, who was with Lee Chang—no, him—did a remarkable job,” Jeong-Gwon said with a shrug.

‘Him’ was the term Jeong-Gwon had to use; as Chang-Sun was a human deity, mortals did not dare to speak of his name and Divine Name.

Meanwhile, Sang-Su turned pale. Jeong-Gwon’s report meant that he, a few of the Future Strategy Department agents, the Raid Team 2 members, and the Team L members had completely taken over the Chicago Branch.

The White Tiger Clan’s members were scattered all over Korea, the United States, and the rest of the world. The Chicago branch was in charge of leading them, so many of the Clan’s executive members were assigned to it. As a result, control of the entire White Tiger Clan was basically in Executive Director Oh’s hands. In other words, Executive Director Oh’s coup had succeeded, but it was only possible because he had been in charge of the White Tiger Clan’s affairs for over twenty years.

The White Tiger Clan had recently become the leader of the the Five Great Clans, the best Clans in the world. However, the ownership of the number one Clan in the world had suddenly changed. Just as expected…

[The Guardian of the Order ‘White Tiger Clan’ is changing!]

[The Faith ratio of ‘■■ne ■■’: 47%]

[The Faith ratio of the Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’: 53%]

“…Hup!” Sang-Su gasped as he read the messages that appeared in front of him.

The White Tiger Clan’s Guardian was changing. Although Clans were similar to mercenary groups, they were supposed to have the characteristics of a religious order on some level. Thus, the messages came as a great shock to Sang-Su; they were beyond his wildest imaginations.

However, Executive Director Oh seemed to take it in stride. He berated Jeong-Gwon, yelling, “When did I ask about our casualties?! You should be reporting any casualties in the Chicago branch, such as whether any of the executive members are injured or dead!”

Jeong-Gwon’s neck shrank back, like a tortoise retreating into its shell. Although he wanted to snap back at Executive Director Oh and say that one had to ask a question properly to receive the right answer, Executive Director Oh’s gaze was very sharp at that moment, making him feel that it was unwise. Whenever his cousin’s eyes looked like that, it was always better to lay low.

“Umm, that’s…!” Jeong-Gwon trailed off. The problem was that he was not particularly good at making systematic reports, so he just smacked his lips, unable to say anything. Executive Director Oh raised a brow.

Just then, Moon Yi-Byeol showed up beside Jeong-Gwon and bowed at Executive Director Oh. Yi-Byeol answered on Jeong-Gwon’s behalf.

「Among the branch employees, twelve employees have died, and six were wounded. Four of them are critically injured, so they’re currently receiving treatment. The nine directors in the branch were secured before our operation commenced, so they’re unharmed. We isolated Director Hong, who was in charge of managing the Ghost Soldiers, from the group and are monitoring him.」

After becoming a Changgwi, Yi-Byeol’s face was pale, but her identity was intact—no, her ego had only become stronger due to her previous Traits as a Ghost Soldier.

Executive Director Oh finally nodded in contentment, making Jeong-Gwon smack his lips again. Executive Director Oh pointed at Jeong-Gwon with his chin and said, “I assume that idiot is responsible for the dead and critically injured.”

Yi-Byeol glanced at Jeong-Gwon, who quickly shook his head. Executive Director Oh had given them instructions in advance to subdue the branch employees with minimal casualties, but Jeong-Gwon had forgotten about them when they attacked the branch in his excitement.

Yi-Byeol looked at her superior with contempt for a moment. She soon let out a sigh and answered.

「He ordered me to say he’s not responsible, so as his subordinate, I’ll say he’s not responsible.」

“Hey, hey!” Jeong-Gwon called out to Yi-Byeol in surprise, but she paid him no heed.

Executive Director Oh clicked his tongue, making Jeong-Gwon act like a tortoise again. It was always unpleasant to hear that sound, but fortunately, Executive Director Oh did not say anything further. Instead, he looked to the side and said, “Branch Manager Lee.”

“…Yes, Executive Director Oh,” Branch Manager Lee replied.

“What do you think? I don’t think you have to worry much now. In addition, my side is taking the lead in the Faith ratio,” Executive Director Oh continued.

Sang-Su bit his lower lip, unable to say anything else.

[The Faith ratio of ‘■■ne ■■’: 48%]

[The Faith ratio of the Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’: 52%]

The other Guardian’s Faith ratio had increased by one percent in mere minutes.

‘■■ne ■■’. The Divine Name was censored… Who in the world was this Guardian? The new Guardian had made the people before Sang-Su convert to new beliefs and offer up their Faith. On top of that, the Guardian had infiltrated the White Tiger Clan very quickly… How could they have done such a thing?

Sang-Su could not help but feel pessimistic about the White Tiger Clan’s future. Although Heoju’s Faith ratio was higher, it would not last long now that Executive Director Oh and Jeong-Gwon had seized control of the executive board. That meant change was just on the horizon.

That was why it took Sang-Su a long time to break his silence and begin, “…Can I ask you a question?” He could not possibly fail to realize which side was winning at this rate.

“By all means,” Executive Director Oh replied.

“Who is this new Guardian of yours?” Sang-Su asked.

“Who is the Guardian, huh?” Executive Director Oh repeated.

“You spent all your life serving the Clan leader, so changing sides this easily… must mean that you have a good reason,” Sang-Su said.

After pondering the question for a moment, Executive Director Oh quietly chuckled and replied, “Well, I don’t know.”

“…What kind of an answer is that?” Sang-Su asked.

“I genuinely don’t know what kind of person he is, or if he’s really a god. In my eyes, he sometimes looks more like a devil,” Executive Director Oh answered.

“…?” Sang-Su frowned, thinking Executive Director Oh was mocking him.

Noticing Sang-Su’s expression, Executive Director Oh waved his hand and said, “I’m not joking. I was actually also forced to convert in order to survive. I only got this far because I rode on a charging tiger, but I can tell you one thing for certain.”

“…?”

“They’re someone you should never defy,” Executive Director Oh said gravely.

“…!”

“Just as you said, I spent my entire life serving the Clan leader. Even while the Clan leader was in seclusion for over three decades, I remained loyal and led this Clan,” Executive Director Oh said as he leaned closer to Sang-Su.

“But…” Sang-Su began.

“But I chose my Guardian because I know that no one else, human or Guardian, can be compared to them,” Executive Director Oh said, his gaze turning sharp. “Branch Manager Lee, don’t agonize anymore and join my side. You know how much I adore you, don’t you?”

Sang-Su looked up at the ceiling instead of answering, but he was looking at someone who was not present right now. Executive Director Oh could tell who he was looking at.

“Clan leader…” Sang-Su began.

That person was Munseong, the White Tiger Clan leader who was now more popularly known by his title of Sword Overlord.

“…Your disloyal and foolish subordinate has failed to follow you down the path you’re walking down until the end, so please don’t forgive me, and…”

However, Munseong was not just an ordinary superior or Clan leader to the people who had been with the White Tiger Clan for a long time. He was their king, the one who led and protected them.

“...Fulfill your great cause,” Sang-Su finished as he shut his eyes tightly, and…

Thump―!

Drip!

The sound of something being destroyed filled the room, and blood dripped out from Sang-Su’s nose and ears. His powerless corpse soon collapsed to the side. Sang-Su had voluntarily reversed his mana circulation and destroyed his heart to kill himself.

“…The main principle that drives the twenty-first century is rationality, so did you really think what you said made sense?” Executive Director Oh remarked as he clicked his tongue again, looking down at Sang-Su’s rapidly cooling corpse. He continued, “You were even a demonic being, no less.”

His expression was very different from the discontented look he had given Jeong-Gwon.

“But that’s the scary part about the White Tiger Clan.”

It was impossible to tell whether he was muttering to himself, or talking to Jeong-Gwon and Yi-Byeol.

“I might also have ended up like that if I hadn’t met my Guardian, despairing in the fact that the king stopped turning back to watch us.”

Perhaps it was both.

“The… king… made us feel that way,” Executive Director Oh finished bitterly.

There was one thing the public did not know about the White Tiger Clan. It was a major Clan filled with united and loyal employees, but it had never been because of Executive Director Oh, the man in charge of the Clan’s affairs, or Heoju, their Guardian. It was because their leader was Munseong. Although barely anyone remembered it, Munseong had caused a sensation when he first appeared in the world.

‘It wasn’t just a sensation. Many people turned into his fanatics,’ Executive Director Oh thought. He could still picture it vividly as he closed his eyes. He had been quite young, drowning in a pool of despair. That was when he had met his salvation.

“You’re Oh Shi-Hwan, right?”

Executive Director Oh recalled Munseong’s voice from back then. When they had first met, Munseong had held out his hand and spoken to him.

“I heard you’re handy with a sword. Can I see just how good you are?”

At the time, the sword had been everything to Executive Director Oh. Due to his small physique, he had been looked down upon, so the only thing the human named Oh Shi-Hwan could rely on was the sword. As the world had turned upside down after the appearance of Dungeons and Gates, he had thought it was the only way to prove himself.

That was when he had first met Munseong. With his back against the sun, Munseong had beamed as he observed Executive Director Oh with a gaze as sharp as a sword. Executive Director Oh had fought Munseong and lost, then volunteered to become Munseong’s loyal subordinate. The only reason was that he liked being with Munseong, and had felt that he could do anything if he followed Munseong, the Sword Sky Tiger. Executive Director Oh had believed that he could shred this annoying world apart someday if he became one of the Sword Sky Tiger’s claws or fangs.

All those who had volunteered to be Munseong’s claws and fangs had come from similar backgrounds. Having been raised in a troubled family, Jeong-Gwon had always caused trouble. Meanwhile, Director Gwon Hyo-Hae had been an orphan who handed out advertising brochures for brothels in the criminal underworld to make a living. The other Raid Team leaders, Future Strategy Department key members, and the Council of Elders… All of them had been criticized by others for becoming demonic beings, but each of them had experienced their own tragedies.

They had been abandoned by the world, leaving them with nowhere to settle down and giving them no choice but to wander for a long time. After going through many difficulties, however, they had finally found their home, the White Tiger Clan.

“Shi-Hwan, you asked me about the world I dreamed of before, right?” Munseong suddenly asked.

“…Come on, I asked you when I was drunk, so please don’t mention it again. I was teased a lot for it,” Executive Director Oh said.

“No, no, I’m serious. I hadn’t actually given it much thought, but I’ve recently been mulling it over,” Munseong said with sparkling eyes.

If Executive Director Oh could meet with Munseong again, there was a question he wanted to ask.

“As you already know, our guys are all low-lives. We’re doing a good job hiding it right now, but people could find out at any moment. It’s like walking on a tightrope. If we fall, we’re going skydiving.”

Did Munseong remember the conversation he had with Executive Director Oh?

“It’s really dangerous, but I think I’ll probably continue doing this. If I don’t protect them, they’ll have no one to help them.”

Before going into seclusion to cultivate, Munseong had told Executive Director Oh about his hope and promise, swearing an oath.

“So…”

So…

“I’m going to become a wall that will continue to protect them. That means I have to become such a strong wall that no one will dare to climb over me, don’t I? I really have a long way to go, a long way.”

Did Munseong’s hope, promise, and oath remain the same?

Ding!

[The Guardian of the Order ‘White Tiger ‘ is changing!]

[The Faith ratio of ‘■■ne ■■’: 49%]

[The Faith ratio of the Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’: 51%]