Return of the Shattered Constellation

Chapter 318: Star, the Door (3)

[The Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ widens his eyes upon witnessing his student’s sudden move!]

In Mephistopheles’ Divine Name, ‘Abyss’ referred to <Dull Darkness>. Thus, it seemed that his student was trying to harm his master. Yes, his master’s ego had disappeared from his body, leaving only a meaningless shell; despite that, it still seemed like an act of blasphemy. However, Mephistopheles did not stop Chang-Sun, as he knew what Odin was trying to do in Chang-Sun’s body.

Paaaah―!

As [Gungnir] flew forth like a ray of light, it broke through the <Darkness> of the <Abyss> beyond the door. Its destination was the body of <Dull Darkness>, which was pinned down by a golden spear that looked like a tower. And…

Boom!

With an immense explosion, a pool of light violently shook the body of <Dull Darkness>. The explosion was so destructive that it could have destroyed four civilizations at least, but the impact it had on <Dull Darkness> was minuscule relative to its gigantic body. It was akin to a certain unique creature known as the Titanic Demonic Dragon being hit in a single scale. Nevertheless, even being pricked by the smallest needle still hurt; thus, [Gungnir] was able to affect the body of <Dull Darkness> at least as much as a needle.

Paah―!

From the point where [Gungnir] struck, a band of giant rune letters appeared, trying to bind the body of <Dull Darkness>.

『Lock.』

Odin spoke as he clenched his outstretched hand.

The band of runes was made up of [Restriction Runes]. As going beyond the door was like voluntarily walking into a tiger’s jaws, Odin intended to manipulate the body from a great distance.

Squirm!

At that moment, the tightly shut eyelids of <Dull Darkness> trembled faintly. No matter how deep a slumber one was in, it was uncomfortable to stay asleep with a fly buzzing nearby. The body of <Dull Darkness> looked uncomfortable with the situation; at the same time, a powerful gale started to blow around it, causing a vast outpouring of <Darkness>. The door shook so violently that it seemed as if it could shatter at any moment.

Rumble…!

The <Abyss> rippled powerfully, and all of R’lyeh shook violently with an earthquake so powerful, it seemed as if every part of it would crumble.

It was hard to maintain footing in such a situation, but Odin did not even blink. Although his wide-open [Gnostic Eye] was shining more radiantly than ever, it trembled violently as if the whole eye could pop.

A little more… Just a little more…

Despite the burning sensation in his [Gnostic Eye], Odin held out. His eyes gradually turned bloodshot, and he soon felt his capillary veins snapping with audible pops. He began shedding bloody tears, but he was still smiling as if he were having a great deal of fun.

[You have successfully witnessed the dormant <Dull Darkness>!]

[Encountering the source of the universes.]

[Observing the <Darkness>.]

[Looking into the <Abyss>.]

…

[You have acquired new gnosis.]

[You have acquired new gnosis.]

…

Gnosis was knowledge about the connections between the inner and outer world, between souls and the universes. Naturally, the best way for Odin to acquire a massive amount of gnosis was by facing <Dull Darkness>, who was the origin of universes, just as he had always desperately wanted. In other words, Odin was becoming stronger just by managing to stand before <Dull Darkness>.

Using the accumulating knowledge, Odin reinforced the [Restriction Runes]... The ends of the expanding band eventually met, successfully binding the entire body of <Dull Darkness>. By that time, Odin’s [Gnostic Eye] was so red that it seemed about to burst.

[Recovering using an ‘Elixir’!]

Fortunately, the [Elixir] was still effective. Otherwise, even Odin would not have taken such a risk.

Clink!

With the sound of links connecting to each other, Odin clenched his fist and spoke.

『Close.』

At the same time, the band of runes shone brilliantly. Then, the gale that had been shaking the entire <Abyss> and R’lyeh raged in the opposite direction; all the <Darkness> that had leaked out from the door returned to where it belonged.

Crack, crack.

Cracks also spread across the mirror maze, and the mirror fragments were swept away, entering the door. The Dungeon was closing.

[The Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ chuckles dumbfoundedly as he observes his student.]

Odin did not let his guard down until the end. If the door were opened completely and R’lyeh emerged, this Worldline 801 could instantly face <Extinction>. As he believed that he had finally found a way to reach the seat of an Emperor, he had zero intention of being annihilated in vain; that was why he was forcing the door shut.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh―!

Just like that, all the remaining spatial wreckage was wiped away, passing beyond the door.

Thud…!

As soon as the spatial collapse finished, the door closed, and…

『It’s done.』

Odin spoke with a contented tone, his head powerlessly drooping afterward. He had risked being swept away by the spatial wreckage and drifting into the hidden regions of the universe. Nevertheless, he had succeeded. Right before he lost consciousness, he looked at Mephistopheles, who was observing him, as if he knew very well that Mephistopheles would save him.

[The Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ clicks his tongue, muttering that his student is troublesome.]

[The Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ stands up.]

…

[The Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ reaches his hand out in a direction!]

* * *

“…Fuck. Mirrors that reflect one’s <Myths>? This is really unpleasant!” Lie Si exclaimed, wincing.

His discomfort was extremely clear, but it was understandable. Ever since he entered the mirror maze, he had been forced to wander in it for a very long time. Every single one of the mirrors had shown him unpleasant memories, making it hard to focus.

At first, he had been fine with the mirrors. His <Myths> from the time he had traveled all over the world with the Emperor’s Seat were glorious, so he had been delighted. However, all the <Myths> afterward were exhausting, as they had been formed after he ran away from <Purple Star Astrology> and founded the <Troop>; thus, watching them only triggered his trauma.

Lie Si belatedly realized that the requirements to exit the mirror maze were facing and overcoming the <Myths> one saw, and thus finding one’s true self. It was ridiculous. Celestials could become free of their past through their <Exuviation> and <Transcendence>, but they would be forced to face their past once again here.

It was truly unpleasant, but Lie Si could not stay here forever. In the end, he decided to take a different view of the situation. ‘Still, I also took a peek at the <Myths> of those who came in here before me… I’m going to be the victor of this fight.’

Taking a look at one’s <Myth> was the same as getting to know the Celestial from head to toe. Their <Myths> not only contained their strengths, but also their weaknesses. Thanks to those <Myths>, Lie Si had been able to quickly find out Chang-Sun and the other Celestials’ weaknesses. As he had believed that the <Shining Star> had been annihilated, it was surprising to find out that she had reincarnated, but he thought it was for the best.

‘If I can devour Twilight and Ithaca… I can become the new <Shining Star>!’ Lie Si thought in delight.

The thought of how he would be able to absorb the <First Star’s Fragment> made all his displeasure go away. In fact, he became elated as he looked forward to his rosy future. Becoming a <Shining Star> was very significant; perhaps Lie Si would be able to rise as high as Qi Gong, the leader of the <Troop>. No, once Lie Si successfully obtained the Divine Class of ‘Divine Twilight’, he could aim even higher…!

Full of hope, Lie Si was about to check the locations of Chang-Sun and the others.

Whoosh, swoosh, swish…!

“…What is this?” Lie Si wondered, fully on the alert due to the earthquake that had suddenly begun shaking the entire maze.

At that moment, he was overwhelmed by a strong premonition. Feeling a strong gale blowing in his direction, he tried to head to the source of the earthquake to see what was going on.

Crash!

The ceiling suddenly crashed down. Before Lie Si could do anything about it, a rockslide struck him, and the whole area also crumbled completely. And…

Whoosh―!

Just then, the gale blew once again, and Lie Si was helplessly swept away into the place beyond the door with everything else.

[The Celestial ‘Silk and Jewelry-Wrapped General’ has been trapped in the collapsing space!]

[The Celestial ‘Silk and Jewelry-Wrapped General’ has been banished beyond the door of R’lyeh.]

[The Celestial ‘Silk and Jewelry-Wrapped Genera’ has been incarcerated in the <Abyss>.]

…

[Unable to locate the Celestial.]

[Unable to locate the Celestial.]

…

[The Celestial has been annihilated!]

Lie Si had died quite vainly for someone who had been an executive of the <Troop> and filled with hope of becoming a <Shining Star>.

* * *

[The Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ has helped to rescue you from the collapsing space!]

…

[You have returned to reality.]

…

[All your Channelings have been restored!]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ logs into the Channeling first.]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ screams after seeing her apostle candidate’s condition.]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ pesters the Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’, urging him to tell her what happened!]

[The Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ ignores her.]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ jumps up and down in anger, shouting at him to not ignore her!]

[The Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ ignores her once again.]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ yells at the top of her lungs!]

…

[The Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ assesses you and concludes that your current condition is mainly due to your weakened stamina, so you will be okay once you receive treatment.]

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ notices that your Divine Class has been restored completely, and he wonders how you unlocked your shackles.]

[The Celestial ‘Twilight-Piercing Owl’ heaves a sigh of relief after confirming your safe return.]

…

[The Celestial ‘Tsunami Bringer’ says that the progress of the battle is intense, so he asks you to join in on the United Army’s battle if you are done with your business.]

[The Celestial ‘Plague Monarch’ fiercely protests that it is not an appropriate demand for the wounded.]

[The Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ nods in agreement.]

[The Celestial ‘Tsunami Bringer’ explains that he is talking about what you should do after you get treated, sweating.]

…

[The Celestial ‘Antlered Animal King’ reveals his desire to fight upon witnessing the famous fiend’s return.]

…

[The Celestial ‘Garden Gatekeeper’ is unhappy to see your safe return!]

[The Celestial ‘Malignity-Drinking Saturn’ bursts into laughter, saying that you and he will finally be able to get started!]

…

[The Celestial ‘Taurus’ laughs!]

…

* * *

“…Urgh.” Chang-Sun groaned as he opened his eyes with difficulty, not feeling good. The world around him spun, and his head hurt so much that it felt as if someone were pricking his brain with needles.

[The ‘Elixir’ is in effect!]

Before long, Chang-Sun felt a refreshing sensation from the corner of his chest and became alert. He had not recovered fully yet, but he was able to move around on some level. At the same time, he remembered everything he had done as Odin.

It… was a strange feeling. Odin seemed to have made decisions, while Chang-Sun’s ego remained. However, it did not feel as if Chang-Sun had contributed to making the decisions, perhaps because his ego had been combined with Odin’s.

‘It’s not a good feeling,’ Chang-Sun thought.

Although he had released Odin out of necessity, he really did not feel like doing it again. The feeling of being himself yet not himself was wholly unpleasant. Of course, there was an upside. Odin’s leftover memories still remained in Chang-Sun’s head; thus, he not only had more advanced knowledge regarding rune magic, but also had a different view of the world.

It had to be the perspective of a Celestial King. Now, Chang-Sun could feel deep down in his bones that he had been looking at the world through a very narrow lens.

‘…Sorting through the gnosis Odin accumulated will take a while,’ Chang-Sun thought, taking a look around the surroundings. It seemed he was lying in a hospital; thus, he felt that he had to find out why he was here first.

[The Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ remarks that you are finally awake, raising one of his eyebrows.]

Just then, a message from Mephistopheles popped up. He had rarely expressed any emotions, but his response was more emotional than usual. Chang-Sun could tell how much Mephistopheles was worried about him.

[The Celestial Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ snaps back at you, asking if you are seriously smiling right now.]

‘...I’m smiling?’ Chang-Sun thought. He reflexively felt the corners of his mouth; only then did he realize that he was, indeed, faintly smiling.

[The Celestial ‘Abyss-Chasing Great Devil’ grumbles that he does not know why he decided to go this far.]

Thinking it would be good to say something, Chang-Sun was about to speak, but someone suddenly showed up in front of Mephistopheles' message.

“How are you feeling?” Cha Ye-Eun asked as she looked at Chang-Sun.

Chang-Sun was rendered speechless.