Return of the Shattered Constellation - Chapter 203

Chapter 203

Woosh, woosh, woosh…!

As Joachim’s decision turned into a resolution, Chang-Sun’s [Tiger Kill] instensified so much that it was almost lethal. It seemed as if he would activate [Tiger Chaos] any minute and rip all the Revenant Players apart.

Just then, the purple Giant transformed into a several-meter-tall tiger. Seemingly protecting Chang-Sun, the tiger stood beside him like a guard. The moment it looked at the Players with its navy-blue eyes, they all froze up.

“If you still intend to fight me, then I have no intention to surrender. What do you plan to do?”

“… Threatening us could create an in-international dispute could rise between the French and Korean governments…!”

“Didn’t I tell you that I don’t care? The result of all this depends on your choice now,” Chang-Sun smirked. “Are you going to fight me or retreat?”

Pierre Dugal clenched his teeth. ‘Shit! Of all the Players in the world, why did we have to go up against this man?!’

Pierre had nowhere to fall back to because if he retreated right now, news about the Revenant Clan vice-leader being defeated by a rookie Player named Chang-Sun would spread. If that were to happen, he would never be able to hold his head high again.

However, fighting Chang-Sun head-on scared Pierre. He knew it would bring them catastrophic casualties and damages. Those called ‘kings’ had far surpassed the level of humans and were now basically walking disasters. Taking that into consideration, the Revenant Players could get annihilated. The soldiers and Revenant Players looked at Pierre with pleading eyes, wishing he, as the man-in-charge, would make the right choice. Having made a decision, Pierre was about to issue an order when…

“Let them go.”

… he suddenly heard a nonchalant yet loud voice from the sky. It sounded as if the person was speaking quietly, but their voice was so charismatic that all the Players and soldiers, including Pierre, ended up instinctively turning their heads toward the voice.

“Clan leader!” Pierre shouted.

Tap!

An animal made of light landed on the ground. It had a very unique appearance that made it difficult to tell if it was a wolf or a lion. Although it did have the body of a lion, it also had the face of an old man, draconic wings, and the tail of a snake that could fire poisonous stingers.

The Manticore, known to be a part of the Immortal Overlord Jacque Valentine, howled, letting out a sound that was like an out-of-tune instrument. This highly intelligent and sly demonic creature was considered a special-rank disaster.

Everyone had heard of the Manticore, the very reason other ‘King-Class’ Players were reluctant to fight Jacque Valentine head-on. The moment it appeared, it nullified the overwhelming [Tiger Kill], making it seem as if it was never activated in the first place.

Grrr…!

Cadmus, who had been sleeping on Chang-Sun’s shoulder, suddenly raised its head and growled, expressing its hostility. Chang-Sun was a bit surprised. Cadmus remained relaxed when it met the Hellserpent, but it became vigilant when the Manticore showed up.

When Cadmus scowled at the Manticor, the latter turned its head toward the Dragon in return. Its face was covered in light, preventing Chang-Sun from seeing where exactly the Manticore was looking. However, Cadmus seemed to have met the Manticore’s eyes, considering the Dragon stood up, its scales bristling up.

The Manticore soon lost interest and turned its head away. As the light particles scattered, the Manticor disappeared, leaving behind the expressionless middle-aged man who was now standing in the sky.

「H-he’s here! I knew I that scent was familiar!」

Simon Magus snarled inside Chang-Sun’s head, sounding as if he would’ve pounced on the middle-aged man already if he had a body.

‘Do you know him?’ When Chang-Sun asked him.

Simon bit on his lip, then explained, 「He’s Jacque Valentine, the Immortal Overlord! He has been tormenting me for hundreds of years. That bastard Peter was still around when he started!」

Now that Chang-Sun had thought about it, Simon did mention that Jacque Valentine was Peter the Apostle’s descendant. However, Chang-Sun found it odd. ‘Would Peter the Apostle’s descendant really choose to become a wizard who controls a demonic creature?’

Chang-Sun now knew that [Peter’s Key] belonged to the famous Peter the Apostle, the only person to receive blessings from <Maleakhe[1]>, the protector of the Absolute Good faction. Peter the Apostle’s known achievements were all so miraculous that people still couldn’t verify them to this day.

Before Simon even became a demon king, he already shared bad blood with Peter the Apostle. Hence, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Peter the embodiment of nobility and holiness. In other words, anyone related to him would have killed demonic creatures like Manticores, not used them as pets.

‘I can smell traces of black magic from him.’ Chang-Sun observed. He could also sense all sorts of energies from Jacque, but none of them was divine..

Jacque, who remained nonchalant, didn’t exude an evil aura, though.

「Well, to be exact, he’s the descendant of Peter the Apostle’s hidden side, whom he created before he received his blessing. His descendants actually learned numerous kinds of magic that were practically heresy…」Simon trailed off in irritation for a moment, not wanting to recall his past. However, he soon continued,「He was also my student once.」

‘What?’ Chang-Sun asked, certainly not expecting to hear that Simon’s enemy, the very person he hated with all his heart, actually used to be his student.

However, Simon stayed silent, not wanting to speak any further on the matter.

‘There’s more to this story,’ Chang-Sun thought.

Meanwhile, Pierre protested, “But Clan leader! Those men…!”

“I already checked. The Killer Overlord and an inquisitor put the volunteer Players in danger. The Tyrant has nothing to do with them.” Jacque shook his head.

Pierre opened and closed his mouth several times to say something, but he couldn’t speak up. There were too many people around them. He wanted to tell Jacque that they had to use Chang-Sun and his group as the sacrifice for the restoration of France’s tarnished reputation and that it didn’t actually matter whether or not they were guilty. Even if Chang-Sun was stronger than Pierre expected, he believed Jacque would be more than capable of subduing him.

“… Yes, sir. I’ll withdraw the men, then.” Pierre nevertheless nodded. He sighed, realizing from Jacque’s emotionless eyes that he was no longer interested in this matter.

Pierre knew that no matter how much he persuaded Jacque, he would never listen once he had entered that state.

“You heard the Clan leader. Stand down, everyone,” Pierre instructed.

Just in case the government officials threw a tantrum, Pierre used Jacque’s name to make the Players and soldiers stand down. Even the high-ranking officials wouldn’t dare defy the Immortal Overlord.

‘I feel like I instantly aged ten years.’ Pierre sighed once more.

* * *

<The Tyrant has cleared the ‘Wuthering Stone Desert’!>

<France has fallen into shock.>

<The Tyrant made another miracle.>

<Even though the French volunteer Players were annihilated, the K-Dungeon Raiding technique proved itself brilliantly.>

Baekje[2] Newspaper Reporter Oh Soo-Hyun.

“The Dungeon had such a horrible environment that I felt as if I stepped into the fiery hell of Dante’s《The Divine Comedy》,” Guy de Mussot, the most famous first-generation French Player, said in an interview as soon as he returned after his failure to clear the Dungeon. That was how horrifying the Dungeon was. Over the past 42 years, France and many other European countries tried to clear the Dungeon, but they failed every time.

That very Dungeon had finally been cleared. Led by ‘Tyrant’ Lee Chang-Sun(26), Team L (White Tiger Clan)—no, the K-Dungeon Raiding technique made such a splendid achievement.

…

―Trianglebot: Oh, my gosh, ‘K’-Dungeon Raiding? Lololololololol, they really put K before everything, huh?

↳But isn’t this K worth it this time?

↳Bartender! Another bowl of makgeolli please!

↳The French were annihilated, and Koreans are the sole survivors? Wow, I wonder how rough it was in the Dungeon.

―FreshlyBakedArrogantBread: I heard the French are really depressed these days.

↳Why? Because they weren’t the ones who cleared the Dungeon?

↳French people have always been known for their pride. They hate it when tourists use English.

↳I don’t think that’s the case. They’re trying to keep it under wraps, but I heard that the Crna Ruka and Illuminati were in the Dungeon.

↳Huh? Why mention them out of nowhere? The Crna Ruka usually works in Poland, and the Illuminati stays in Germany or other southern European countries.

↳I don’t know, but from what I’ve heard, those two Clans committed terrorism that resulted in huge casualties. The French government is furious about it. They will make a big announcement or something soon.

↳Should I trust this or not…

↳But I think it’s true that everyone is in chaos after this Dungeon. There are all kinds of rumors right now. The French government had an intelligence leak, and the International Council is stepping in…

―ILikeSeaweed: Everything aside, is Lee Chang-Sun even really human? Gosh, it hasn’t even been a year since he became a Player, but he has already cleared a supposedly unclearable Dungeon…

↳My oppa is handsome, tall, cool, smart, has a rich family, and is a good fighter! (Scream) >.<//

↳Gosh… the Tyrant fans again. I heard Lee Chang-Sun is a King-Class Player now, though. I wonder if it’s true.

↳Aren’t you the Tyrant fan? More importantly, how can you compare him to a King-Class Player?

A Dungeon that had remained uncleared for forty years finally being cleared was certainly monumental, but the French government and international Council weren’t exactly delighted. The media started to act cautiously as a result, but even that wasn’t enough to calm down the uproar caused by the Tyrant.

“Where is Lee Chang-Sun heading next?”

The Hellfire Club[3] in England.

“The Tyrant was supposed to get on a plane to the U.S., but he just took a plane to Frankfurt, Germany. Find out why! Come on!”

The Vikings in the Scandinavian Peninsula, northern Europe.

“I heard the Blue Wolf Duke is with him. Find out if the Illuminati is involved!”

The famous Thule Society[4] in Germany, although it was less popular than the Illuminati.

“How can there be so many talented Players in Korea when their land is that small?! Find out every detail!”

Even the Green Gang and Heaven and Earth Society[5] of China, which were very far from Chang-Sun’s current location, quickly started investigating what happened. Things were turning out the way Chang-Sun wanted before he left for France, and just like everyone, America reacted the same.

“The White Tiger Clan trained a very interesting Player. I thought he was just a rookie, but he’s a dragon—no, a tiger.”

The Gold Overlord Crimson Bromwell felt contended after reading his secretary’s reports in his office. He stood up from his seat, his hands clasped behind his back. The sunlight shining through the window felt warmer today for some reason, and the dozens of factories along the horizon also seemed to be running harder than before.

“I didn’t give much thought to it when ‘that’ first reacted, but I think I can tell the reason now. There is definitely something about him.” Smirking, Crimson looked at the scroll on his desk.

Pzzz.

Black ink was randomly moving around in the wide-open scroll, sending a clear message.

—Please don’t come.

Crimson’s smile deepened.

* * *

Although Chang-Sun was found not guilty, the French couldn’t welcome Chang-Sun and the Team L members because they were related to the terrorist attacks and many incidents. Hence, they had to leave immediately after the French government officials said thank you.

Having spent a long time in the Dungeon, the Team L members were currently wounded and fatigued. They were in dire need of rest, but they were forced to continue their travel, making them furious. Fortunately, Chang-Sun gave each of them a [Large Healing Potion], which cost over a hundred million won per bottle, and Cadmus healed them with its magic, healing most of their wounds.

However, the potions and Cadmus’ magic couldn’t elevate their mental fatigue, leaving them quite tired. To make matters worse, they still couldn’t let their guard down after all that had happened due to an uninvited guest. The Immortal Lord Jacque Valentine had come to see the Team L members at Charles de Gaulle Airport.

“Got something to say?” Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes at Jacque.

Simon grumbled that Jacque was an eyesore, and Cadmus became vigilant. Chang-Sun had no reason to pick a fight with Jacque, though. Besides, he had to be in America in five days. Considering he had to take care of the Illuminati and turn Joachim into Minerva’s apostle first, Chang-Sun was on a tight schedule.

Chang-Sun wouldn’t bring Jacque harm unless the latter picked a fight first. However, Chang-Sun couldn’t help feeling irritated because Jacque kept following the Team L members even though Chang-Sun had already talked to the French officials and gotten to the airport. Jacque was observing Chang-Sun’s every movement, making him feel as if Jacque wanted something. However, he couldn’t tell what it was since Jacque wasn’t talking.

“Many people are curious about you,” Jacque said curtly and unsociably after Chang-Sun put his suitcase on a conveyor belt.

“I know.”

“I’m not talking about humans.”

“I know.” Chang-Sun pointed to the sky with his index finger. “You meant them, didn’t you?”

[The Celestial ‘Tsunami Bringer’ is observing you.]

[The Celestial ‘Antlered Animal King’ is observing you.]

[The Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’…]

[The Celestial ‘Taurus’…]

[The Celestial ‘Aquarius’…]

…

[A total of 309 Celestials are currently showing deep interest in you, saying that they are preparing an offer to make you their apostle or give you an equally high position!]

‘The number increased by over fifty.’ Chang-Sun observed.

The Celestials interested in him numbered around two hundred and fifty Celestials yesterday, which meant they had increased by over fifty in less than a day. They were all offering Chang-Sun the seat of their apostles or subordinates. Moreover, that number was still increasing.

[The Celestial ‘Plague Monarch’ offers you the seat of his highest subordinate, persuading you that your abilities and his Authorities will be a good match.]

…

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ hops around in anger, saying those flies keep seducing you, whom she called dibs.]

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ shakes his head, asking the Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ how she can still believe you are hers.]

…

[The Society <Horoscope> watches you.]

[The Society <Purple Star Astrology> doubts you.]

“Those Celestials want to observe you properly,” Jacque said.

“Aren’t they watching me now?” Chang-Sun asked.

“They want you to test your skills, to be precise.”

The Celestials wanted to see how much stronger Chang-Sun had become now that he had acquired Surtr’s power.

Jacque’s eyes turned cold. “If you say yes, they’ll immediately dispatch their apostles to spar with you.”

1. It means angel in Hebrew ☜

2. An ancient Korean kingdom. ☜

3. The name has been used by several exclusive, high-society clubs. ☜

4. The German occultist and Völkisch group. There are many conspiracy theories that this society was related to Nazi Germany ☜

5. It’s also known as Hongmen and Tiandihui. The Green Gang and Heaven and Earth Society were some of the Triad’s foundations. These organizations and the Triad didn’t always use to be criminal organizations. Rather, their original goal was just to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty. ☜