Return of the Shattered Constellation - Chapter 341

Chapter 341

“What do you think is our chance of survival, Director?” Yang Hyo-Jin, Woo Yeong-Geun’s secretary, asked.

Yeong-Geun smiled bitterly. “Below ten percent.”

[The Celestial ‘Nameless Giant’ yells at you not to make such a foreboding remark!]

Ueopwang became furious, denouncing Yeong-Geun’s claim as nonsense, but Yeong-Geun stood by his word. In fact, he was already being quite generous with that estimation.

“… You certainly seem like a chaebol whenever you’re this frank,” Hyo-Jin said.

“False hope puts people in more despair. It’s best to look at reality objectively.”

“On the contrary, I think it would be best not to tell others about it…”

“Why?” Yeong-Geun looked back at Hyo-Jin.

“Everyone would run away.”

“No. No one would.”

“Pardon…?” Hyo-Jin blankly asked back.

“Look at the eyes of the people around you.”

Following Yeong-Geun’s instructions, Hyo-Jin couldn’t help but be surprised. ‘Their eyes… are different.’

“What do you think?”

“… They’re unusual.”

“Everyone is prepared to die.” Yeong-Geun watched the draconic army assemble in the distance.

Their enemies’ number grew endlessly larger, increasing the tension around the barricade so much that they began having difficulties breathing. Nevertheless, no one abandoned the frontlines.

“People they care about live here… people whose lives they value more than their own,” Yeong-Geun added.

Hyo-Jin nodded in agreement. In truth, she also wanted to run away but forced herself to stay for her parents and brother. She had to stop the draconic troops from reducing the Korean Peninsula into ruins using any means necessary.

The same was true for Yeong-Geun. This was the home of his family and Woo Hye-Bin, his dear niece. He would protect it no matter what.

“So let’s bet on that less than ten percent chance. Who knows?” he shrugged.

Rumble….

At that moment, the ground shook. The draconic army had begun its march.

[The monster wave has been reinitiated!]

“Who knows, some sort of miracle could suddenly drop from the sky.” Yeong-Geun beamed as he slowly pulled out his weapon.

Hyo-Jin thought his shadowless smile was quite cool. With a resolute nod, she drew her weapon and prepared to fight as well.

* * *

On a ridge overseeing the battlefield of the draconic army and the Korean Players…

“… So it begins.” Masa Yamamoto smiled bitterly.

With his fellow Japanese volunteer Players, Masa watched the Korean force. Their fate here was already quite obvious, so the Koreans were likely aware of that as well. Nevertheless, for their country, families, and relatives, they chose to stand their ground.

Masa couldn’t help sympathizing with them. After all, he also came here for his country’s glory.

Koshi Yamamoto, Masa’s older brother, thought differently of it. He telepathically spoke to Masa without even a hint of emotion in his voice.

『We won’t have to worry about Korea rising back up for the next decade. If we can take out the Terrible too, then their country will completely crumble down.』

Up until now, Korea was Japan’s neighboring nation that they couldn’t help feeling bothered about. After all, Korea had many strong Players and even produced the best Players like the Sword Sky Tiger and the Terrible.

That was why the public opinion that they would lag behind Korea prevailed in Japan. To finally put a stop to it, the Japanese government gave their volunteer troops a secret order before their departure.

―Maximize Korea’s casualties and damage.

Japan’s goal wasn’t to actively increase its influence within Korea like China. Hence, the Japanese volunteer Players could easily step aside and let the Chinese and Korean Players take all the credit. They could join in on the fight and fish in troubled waters later if the two countries suffered heavy casualties, but until then, they planned to just be a bystander in this battle.

Korea and China would likely complain later, but… what could they do by then? After this fight, Korea would be in no state to retaliate, and China would back down if Japan let them have the rights to the South China Sea.

However, Koshi had one other goal.

―I’ll use this opportunity to bring down the Terrible.

To prove that Koshi was superior to the Terrible, he devised countermeasures against Chang-Sun. He planned to ambush him at the right moment using his [Night Step], which allowed him to freely move in darkness. It was similar to magic, but it was more fatal since it had the [Ninjutsu] characteristic.

Chang-Sun would likely be gravely injured after his fight against the Dragon Monarch, so Masa wasn’t sure if it was still necessary to corner him. Nevertheless, Koshi remained firm with his decision.

『Masa, don’t forget what we—no, what our clan has to accomplish.』

Masa clenched his teeth. Koshi could read his mind.

『I also have a line that I won’t cross, so I won’t kill him, but we should be the ones crowned as the best. That is the only way we and our clan can survive. Don’t forget about our priorities right now.』

Their parents and relatives were being detained right now for being branded as traitors. To save them, Masa had to be more merciless. With a heavy heart, he nodded in acceptance. “… I’m sorry. I didn’t think it through.”

『It’s fine. You being soft-hearted isn’t new. Get ready to withdraw—!』

Koshi’s message was cut short.

“Brother?” The sudden turn of events made Masa abruptly stop before he could go to Koshi. “Brother…?”

A shiver suddenly ran down Masa’s spine. He reflexively drew his katana and turned around. Koshi should have been hiding in the shadow of dense leaves using [Night Step], but he was out in the open, covered in blood.

“Run… Masa…!”

Splash!

Koshi’s upper body was torn away.

Slurp, slurp―

It was like a scene from a horror movie. A giant book opened its ‘mouth’ and ate the Japanese, creating a scene both bizarre and terrifying.

‘Sayuri, Makoto, Kisaragi, Minoru….!’ Masa realized that Koshi, whom he had spent his entire life with like a shadow, wasn’t its only victim.

It had killed many others, all of whom were the Yamamoty Brothers’ comrades.

Spit!

The grimoire spat out what was in its mouth.

『This one doesn’t taste good either,』 the Dragon Monarch, the grimoire’s owner, calmly said.

[The Boss Monster ‘Dragon Monarch’ has appeared!]

Kieeeeeeh!

『Hold on. Your next prey is right there, and he looks like he has a lot of Karma.』The Dragon Monarch tried to grab Masa.

‘I have to flee!’ Masa instinctively retreated as far as he could.

Paah―!

Getting revenge for his brother? Holding a grudge for his comrades? Now wasn’t the time to think about any of those. To get revenge, he had to survive first. He had to run away as quickly as possible.

Masa had no idea why the monarch was here or how they approached him without getting detected by his [Presence Detection]. They should be fighting the Koreans right now.

To make matters worse, the Dragon Monarch seemed way stronger than the Yamamoto Brothers and the Japanese government previously assessed.

『Are you trying to run away, human? Ridiculous. You’re a mortal nowhere near your <Exuviation>. Do you really think you can escape from me, a being on the verge of becoming a true god?』

‘Behind me?! When did they—!’ Detecting the Dragon Monarch behind him, Masa spun like a top and unleashed the full force of his Authority.

Clang!

His flower-patterned katana shattered, its pieces beautifully sparkling in the air,

Slash―!

Masa felt as if the world around him was turning as the grimoire devoured his upper body.

Slurp, slurp… Spit!

『Not that one either? You’re getting trickier to deal with over time,』 the Dragon Monarch mumbled in annoyance. After a moment, they began searching for their next prey, eventually finding a group of humans who didn’t look that bad.

* * *

The Chinese volunteer troops went through a similar situation as the Japanese volunteer Players.

“W-why is the Dragon Monarch here…!”

“Shit! What in the world is Korea doing?! This isn’t part of the plan—!”

Slurp, slurp―!

Spit!

Once the dominoes started falling, there was no turning back. The same applied to the Chinese Players. Although confident with their equipment and willpower, they were helpless against this overwhelming disaster.

[The Boss Monster ‘Dragon Monarch’ is rampaging!]

[Warning! Your enemy’s level is significantly higher than yours. Please leave the area immediately.]

[Warning! Your enemy’s level is significantly higher than yours. Please leave …]

…

“B-boss…!”

“Everyone, stand behind me. You have no chance of winning against that monster.” Jun Tao came forward as he drew his zhanmadao.

He then activated his Authority. Although he wasn’t sure how the Dragon Monarch got here, now wasn’t the time to seek answers.

[The Player ‘Jun Tao’ has activated the Authority ‘Violent Wave Sword’!]

Pzzzzz―!

Jun Tao began to glow and transform. His head split into three and arms into six, resembling the legendary monster Asura. At the same time, his energy raged as strong as his ferocious desire to kill.

Paaaah!

[The Celestial ‘Asura King of Violent Waves‘ opens his eyes!]

Balin[1] was one of the four kings who reigned over Asuras, the divine race that sought battles. The moment he descended into Jun Tao, he released divine power.

『An Asura King?』the Dragon Monarch beamed instead of trembling before the Asura King’s murderous intent.『All that effort was worth it!』

The Dragon Monarch left the frontlines and visited the volunteer troops to replenish their Karma. The grimoire in their hand was a parasite that helped them operate on Earth despite not having a soul, but it would eat its owner unless it was regularly fed Karma.

Using the Accomplishments that their victims’ souls accumulated while they were still alive, the grimoire could cast magic, and the Dragon Monarch could create miracles using those magic spells. The grimoire used to be fine being fed ordinary souls, but it became picky when the Dragon Monarch became a Celestial.

Almost out of Karma, the Dragon Monarch hwas forced to head out and look for some quality nourishment. Fortunately, it seemed they had finally found one. The apostle whom a Celestial had descended into should satiate the grimoire’s hunger on some level.

Kieeeeee! Kieee!

The grimoire made a fuss, urging the Dragon Monarch to feed it. Finding it quite cumbersome, the Dragon Monarch tried to grab Jun Tao.

『Come, human.』

Woooosh―!

“… Hup!” The strong wind current made Jun Tao feel as if he was being sucked in, making him lightheaded. Realizing that getting swept away by the winds would allow the grimoire to devour him, a shiver ran down his spine.

Jun Tao quickly swung his zanmandao. If he couldn’t stop the current, then he would use it to slay his enemy instead.

Woosh, woosh, woosh…!

He fired several Aura attacks above the wind current.

‘My Guardian said that a notorious fiend in <Heaven> left this sword behind. If I can awaken it, I’ll be able to wield the power of a Celestial.’

Jun Tao was confident that with the combination of a fiend’s sword and an Asura King’s Authorities, he would be able to rip the Dragon Monarch into shreds.

Thump!

Unfortunately, the Dragon Monarch closed the grimoire and then successfully stopped Jun Tao’s zanmando attacks.

『Crude.』

‘Why can’t I move it?!’ Jun Tao was dumbfounded. His zhanmadao refused to budge. He couldn’t even defeat the Dragon Monarch in a battle of brawns.

『You have a fine sword and power, but you are not ready to use them. You’re like a pig wearing lipstick.』

Another shiver went down Jun Tao’s spine. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t raise his head. He knew better than to let the Dragon Monarch’s spirit overwhelm him, but resisting it proved difficult.

『That power is wasted on you. I’ll take it and put it to good use.』

The Dragon Monarch could freely reprocess the Karmas of those whom the grimoire had eaten. However, before they could activate a magic spell to finally end things and acquire the fine Karmas within their new prey…

『… What?!』

Sensing danger, the Dragon Monarch quickly looked up in the sky. Thousands of ice arrows were falling on top of them.

Boom, boom, boom…!

The Dragon Monarch twisted his right hand to create a barrier while they retreated into the distance. The volley of arrows pulverized the barrier in a flash, reducing the area where the Dragon Monarch had been into ashes and covering it with a thick layer of frost.

「I came running because I was ordered to spare as many people who would make good followers as possible… But I still haven’t found any. What are we supposed to do with these?」

‘Wh-where did he come from?!’ Jun Tao’s lips trembled. The ice energy the man standing before him emitted suited his pale face. It brought Jun Tao back to his senses.

The man looked at Jun Tao with contempt, while the latter couldn’t help but deeply admire him. He couldn’t even begin to fathom the man’s power.

[New Faith has been created!]

Kieeeeh! Kieeeeeh!

Meanwhile, the Dragon Monarch’s face crumpled up. If they responded just a moment later, they could have been in danger. That alone evidenced how much of a threat the man who summoned that ice storm was. As if to agree with them, the grimoire insisted on eating the man instead of their original target.

『Who are you?』 the Dragon Monarch asked. 『I have never heard about anyone like you living on Earth.』

「Who am I?」Jin Prezia looked away from Jun Tao and rested the [Frost King’s Greatsword] on his shoulder. 「Your Grim Reaper.」

『You arrogant…!』

The Dragon Monarch opened up their grimoire again. At the same time, Jin sprang forth.

* * *

“What in the world—?!” Yeong-Geun felt as if he would never be able to close his mouth again because of what he just witnessed.

Up until a moment ago, he had been ready to lay down his life protecting the homeland of his family and niece. However, a miracle occurred before the draconic troops crashed into the barricade.

「Descendants of Giants and warriors! Those miscreants dared desecrate our master’s land! Tear them apart for our master’s glory!」

A three-meter-tall Giant wearing a bizarre lizard mask flew down from a mountain ridge and instantly crushed a Drake’s head. She then roared a battle cry, signaling a twist in this battle.

「Follow Sinmara!」

「Trample over the enemies!」

「Tear them apart!」

Warriors wearing bizarre masks like the Giant jumped out from various places. They charged past the Korean forces and immediately began obliterating the draconic army.

Boom, boom, boom!

Rumble―!

「Kill, kill, kill!」

「Haha! Hahahaha!」

They ripped off the monsters’ wings, smashed their heads, severed their legs… Yeong-Geun and the rest of the Korean forces were stunned. The draconic army was losing so one-sidedly that the Koreans couldn’t help but question if it really was the enemy that had been tormenting them. Yeong-Geun even wondered if he was dreaming.

“… Director Woo? What just happened?” A Council agent asked, bringing Yeong-Geun back to his senses.

“What? They’re not from the Council?”

“… Huh? I thought you were the one who brought reinforcements.”

“No, I didn’t. I thought it was the Council’s…!”

Yeong-Geun and the agent’s eyes widened. Something odd was going on.

“If so, then…”

“Who in the world are they…?”

Yeong-Geun and the agent were baffled.

“Let me explain,” a voice behind them said.

The two simultaneously turned back.

Surprised, Yeong-Geun shouted, “Hye-Bin!”

Hye-Bin, the Team L members, and Captain Park Hae-Seong were approaching them with some White Tiger Clan Players.

1. This Asura King and the three Asura Kings are mentioned in the Lotus Sutra. ☜