Return of the Shattered Constellation

Chapter 313: Star, the Last Cryptical Book (5)

Some time ago, Thanatos told Chang-Sun something.

“While we’re taking a break, let me ask you one thing,” Thanatos said.

“What is it?”

“Do you know about the Ancient Rulers?”

Chang-Sun shook his head. “I’ve heard about them, but I’ve never met them.”

“Of course, you would. They like to observe this place and prefer not to interfere in our affairs.”

Much to Chang-Sun’s surprise, Thanatos sounded very cautious while talking about the Ancient Rulers. This was his first time seeing the ever-confident Thanatos being vigilant. No, he wasn’t just being vigilant.

‘He’s afraid of them,’ Chang-Sun thought.

Thanatos was reluctant to talk about the unknown.

“Those Ancient Celestials witnessed the creation of universes. Conceptual Celestials, who volunteered to be Idea’s main laws, don’t call them rulers. In an attempt to degrade the Ancient Celestials however they can, Conceptual Celestials call them Celestials of the Otherworld. I do the same,” Thanatos explained.

“Otherworld?”

“It means that they’re from a totally different world from our universes. They observe our Worldlines from far away.”

“That means they’re free from all restrictions of laws too.”

“Yes, that is exactly what I want to tell you! They’re also far from Idea, the laws that makeup universes. That is why we can’t and don’t have to understand them. However, that also means…”

“They’re dangerous.”

“Yes, they don’t think and act like us. The Ancient Celestials’ origin is unknown, and their desires sometimes differ from one another. The moment you get involved with them, you’ll notice everything swiftly turning into a mess.”

Thanatos sounded very serious.

“Hence, I sincerely ask you not to get entangled with them.”

After his warning, Thanatos added that it was highly unlikely for Chang-Sun to encounter the Ancient Rulers, so he didn’t have to worry much. The Ancient Rulers existed outside Worldlines and weren’t affected by time. They sometimes observed Worldlines as entertainment, but they usually couldn’t care less about Worldline affairs, so Thanatos thought that Chang-Sun wouldn’t really get a chance to be involved with the Ancient Rulers.

Chang-Sun didn’t run into a single Ancient Ruler even as he wreaked havoc during the <Myth War>, so Thanatos seemed right at the time.

However, Chang-Sun and Thanatos’ predictions proved wrong. As soon as Chang-Sun regressed, he caught the attention and even became the student of Mephistopheles, one of the high-ranking Ancient Rulers. Thanks to Mephistopheles, Chang-Sun gained a rough idea of who the Ancient Rulers were. For one, they could never be defined by names.

Names were made to give existences an exact definition, but the Ancient Rulers superseded concepts, making them impossible to define. That was why Mephistopheles’ real name remained a mystery and why Minerva and other people called him the Pale Star, Faust, or Goethe.

The Ancient Rulers used names to represent and distinguish themselves from others, so those names held their symbols in some ways. ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ used the name of Mephistopheles, which meant a devil from primordial times. An Ancient Ruler’s personality and goal could be speculated through the name they used.

However, Hsan was different. No matter how much Chang-Sun learned about him, he could not decipher his name’s meaning. Even Mephistopheles and Thanatos didn’t know much about him. That led Chang-Sun to believe that Ancient Rulers had different origins. After all, there were countless Wordlines as well.

However, seeing Hsan’s made Chang-Sun realize what his name meant and that his approach was wrong from the beginning. He shouldn’t have looked for the meaning of Hsan’s name.

‘I should have looked for where the name Hsan came from,’ Chang-Sun thought.

In Arcadia, Chang-Sun was called ‘Divine Twilight’ or Twilight for short. Eventually, he started using that name as if it was his real one. However, Ithaca called him with a totally different name, Sun.

‘Sun… Sun… San… Hsan.’

As a word spread, its pronunciation changed over time based on the location it reached. Chang-Sun didn’t believe he was stretching the truth. In fact, he had a feeling that it was Hsan’s hint for him, although he never expected one of his six hundred sixty-six past lives to be an Ancient Celestial.

‘Maybe he’s my reincarnation after my death.’

An Ancient Ruler was completely free from the flow of time, so if one of Chang-Sun’s past lives or reincarnations escaped from Idea, it was more than possible. At least that was how he made sense of the shocking reality about Hsan possibly being his other self.

Badump, badump, badump!

Of course, that didn’t mean that he completely understood and embraced the fact.

[Caution! You are about to enter the ‘Panicked’ state!]

“Phew…!” Chang-Sun exhaled deeply, trying to regain his composure.

[The Authority ‘Kalokagathia’ has been applied, canceling the ‘Panicked’ state!]

Chang-Sun focused on his breathing for quite some time to organize the chaos in his head. Unfortunately, he couldn’t do anything about his mouth drying up and his blood rushing through his veins. He wasn’t aware of it, but his eyes were bloodshot now as well.

―How…?

―You want to ask me how it’s possible?

As he calmed himself, the mirrors just kept playing Ithaca and Hsan’s first direct encounter. Just like Chang-Sun, Ithaca was immensely shocked. She chose Hsan out of the numerous Ancient Rulers because he was the biggest and strongest, not because he was closely related to Chang-Sun.

Seemingly understanding her surprise, Hsan stroked his chin as he continued.

―Hmm! If I cut to the chase, I….

However, he couldn’t.

Boom―!

Rumble…!

A thunderous noise echoed from afar, the shockwave causing the entire maze to shake. Numerous cracks spread over the mirrors, increasing the number of Chang-Sun’s reflections dozens of times.

[The Player ‘Munseong’ is on a rampage!]

[The old Celestial is slowly awakening in response!]

Ithaca seemed to be fighting Munseong.

Paaah―!

Gritting his teeth, Chang-Sun ran toward the shockwaves’ source.

[The Skill ‘Wind-Stalking Tiger’ has been activated!]

Old <Myths> continued to play on the mirrors.

* * *

Boom, boom, boom―!

“For goodness’ sake.” The force pushed Cha Ye-Eun back quite a distance, creating long furrows on the ground.

Mirror fragments were now scattered all over the ground, reflecting Ye-Eun, who was gritting her teeth. She could use a cigarette right now. It had been a while since she completely unlocked her mana—no, unlocked her divine power and used it to its full potential, so she was having a hard time making accurate calculations.

Smoke came out from her magical gun as magic circles below her feet continued to be destroyed. Her eyes shone and dimmed whenever a magic circle was restored. With the smoke blocking both her view and senses, Ye-Eun had to predict where Munseong would appear next based on her instincts. The situation required her utmost focus, but part of her mind was on one of the mirror reflections.

‘You’ve gotta be kidding me! Why is the Tyrant here now?’ Ye-Eun shouted frustratedly in her mind.

Ye-Eun was still confused about everything. The existence of Ithaca alone already baffled her, but now one of the mirror reflections showed Ithaca meeting Chang-Sun. She had no idea what was going on right now.

‘Was the Tyrant a Celestial before…?’

However, Ye-Eun was sure that the Chang-Sun in the reflection was both him and not him. It sounded bizarre and confusing, but Ye-Eun believed in it. Hsan, who looked like Chang-Sun, had a different way of speaking from Chang-Sun. No, that wasn’t it. The direction of his gaze, his behavior, his habit… Everything Hsan revealed indicated that he and Chang-Sun were different people.

―I’m someone you know yet someone different from him.

Hsan confirmed Ye-Eun’s guess.

―It has been so long, so I’m not sure what from the inner universes I should use to explain… A point of deviation? I’m basically your lover who made a different choice in a certain section of time.

At that moment, Ye-Eun almost yelled, ‘What the hell are you talking about, nerd?!’

Fortunately, although it took quite some time, he managed to hold herself back. Someone had to explain to her what in the world everyone was talking about and what was going on. Ithaca acted as if she had something to say, but she vanished when Munseong showed up. The disappearance of the only person who could help Ye-Eun make sense of the situation only frustrated her more.

[Synchronizing the Celestial’s old Myth and current Myth!]

“…!”

At that moment, all sorts of raw memories and information indiscriminately poured into Ye-Eun’s head like a flood. Lightheaded and dizzy, she gradually lost consciousness. From deep in her subconsciousness, she could hear a voice gradually overlapping with Hsan’s voice from the mirrors.

―Let’s just skip over unnecessary explanations. You must be curious about why I made a deal with you.

Ye-Eun soon realized that they were memories she forgot when the being named Ithaca reincarnated as someone called Cha Ye-Eun. Submerged deep in her soul’s subconsciousness, these memories waited to be unlocked.

―I want to send you back to the inner universe you were in.

Confusion, doubt, sadness, hope… As her memories gradually returned, Ye-Eun felt every emotion that Ithaca had during the moment. Each emotion was so vivid that Ye-Eun felt as uf she was going through that exact situation right now. The thoughts Ithaca had at the time also resurfaced.

Right now, Ye-Eun was completely infused with Ithaca—no, synchronizing was a more apt description, as the system message said. Ye-Eun was Ithaca, and Ithaca was Ye-Eun. Thanks to the synchronization, Ye-Eun swiftly learned why Ithaca got involved with what was going on right now.

‘Sun’ was always at the center of every incident. Sun. Lee Chang-Sun. ‘Divine Twilight.’ The person she loved more than anyone else in the world.

―From this point on, you’ll be going through samsara countless times and eventually meet me—no, me before the point of deviation again.

The part about the point of deviation echoed in Ye-Eun’s ears.

[Synchronizing.]

―Of course, it won’t be an easy journey. It’ll mentally and physically tire you out.

Hsan continued, but Ye-Eun didn’t listen. Hsan was going to send her back so she could also meet Chang-Sun again. Those two facts overwhelmed her mind.

―There will be so many times when you’ll want to give up. Maybe it’ll be more difficult than the hardships you’ve ever gone through. This whole thing may even end up hurting your lover more.

Ye-Eun’s heart sank when she heard the journey wouldn’t be easy. Although she could endure any difficulties if necessary, the fact that her choice could hurt Chang-Sun more terrified her the most.

[Synchronizing.]

Although Chang-Sun had already gone through so many hardships because of her, Hsan just told her that she could put him through even more hardships. No, she didn’t want to. As much as she wanted to be reunited with him, she couldn’t put him in a crisis again out of her selfish desire to see him again.

―Choosing to go back will put you on a difficult journey, but you’ll be able to meet your lover again. It’s basically your second chance. However, if you want, you can choose to stay here.

[The synchronization has been completed!]

―What is your choice?

‘Sun…!’ Ye-Eun, Ithaca, couldn’t bring herself to answer.

Hsan was forcing her to make a decision, but she couldn’t even meet his eyes anymore. Hence, she shut her eyes tightly. No matter what choice she made, she would regret it, but she had to make a decision. In the end, she did—and that led her to this moment.

Having regained all her memories and personality from her past life, Ye-Eun became Ithaca. The only thing she could think of right now was one person.

‘I want to see you again, Sun.’