Return of the Shattered Constellation

“Arrgh…!”

“K-Kill me…!”

All that remained of the Players were smoking lumps of coal scattered across the ground. As they no longer had the energy to speak, it took the last reserves of their strength to utter two words—a plea to end their misery as soon as possible.

As soon as Chang-Sun had leapt onto the battlefield on wings made of [Single Eon Fire], he had turned the tables by sinking [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth] into the necks of the instructor and the surviving demonic Players, killing Park Gi-Pyo. Afterward, he had used [Black Mountain King’s First Claw] to tear apart the female Jigwi, cleaving through her like a tornado. Naturally, he made sure to absorb every last ember while absorbing her fire. In the end, he was left holding another Jewel Eye.

Crack!

Chang-Sun once again bit into the Jewel Eye like a piece of hard candy; it quickly melted, and he swallowed it.

[You have absorbed the ‘Jigwi’s Right Jewel Eye’!]

[Your Magic has increased.]

[Your Magic has increased.]

[The ‘Eon Fire of the Eight Trigrams Brazier’ has been strengthened.]

[The spirits and the Eon Fire under your control have been enhanced.]

[‘Poltergeist’ has been enhanced.]

...

[The ‘Single Eon Fire’ has been enhanced, allowing you to control it more precisely using your energy.]

[Current Magic: 287 (+60)]

‘I guess I’ve reached the limit because it’s my second time eating one,’ Chang-Sun thought.

This time, he had gained a total of 66 Magic points. It was less than half of the stats he had previously gained, but he was not disappointed, as his mana control had also been enhanced and he had hit Level 35.

When the Dungeon Ranking updated, Chang-Sun unlocked an achievement.

[Achievement unlocked!]

“The Mythical Bird Couple Hunter.”

Effects: Magic +10. Willpower +15. Title ‘Jigwi’s Phantom Body’.

[Jigwi’s Phantom Body]

You can become the living cluster of spirits and fire known as a ‘Jigwi’, and use its abilities as much as you want.

With the fire of death, you can scorch the earth and cause chaos in the sky. As you have swallowed two Jeweleyes, your fire has become fierce enough to automatically cause disasters such as forest fires and droughts.

· Type: Title.

· Effect: Activation of the Eon Fire in the Eight Trigrams Brazier. Advent of Disaster.

[The title ‘Jigwi’s Phantom Body’ has been applied.]

[The characteristics of a Jigwi have been applied.]

...

[The Dungeon Ranking has been updated!]

[Dungeon Ranking]

First Place: Munseong

Second Place: Oh Shi-Hwan

...

Ninth Place: Lee Chang-Sun (New!)

‘It has to be chaos down there now,’ Chang-Sun thought.

He had consecutively killed not one, but two Jigwis, the rulers of the ‘Black Blood Mountain Range’. It was only natural for his name to be recorded high up in the Dungeon Ranking.

After wrapping things up, Chang-Sun looked down at Bae Woo-Gyeong and the instructor as they writhed in agony on the ground. The two ‘lumps of coal’ had attempted to crawl away from Chang-Sun, but it was impossible for them to move without any limbs

Chang-Sun had let them live for a very simple reason: He wanted to hear the secrets of the White Tiger Clan and the Highoff Clan. If he let only one survive, he would run the risk of hearing only one side of the story, which was why he had allowed one person from each clan to live in order to cross-reference their answers.

“You said you wanted to die, right?” he asked.

As if to say yes, the demonic Player from the Highoff Clan squirmed. What was his name? Was it Bae Woo-Gyeong? Although he initially feigned hesitation, his demonic nature could not help but reveal his strong desire to kill Chang-Sun.

“Urgggh…! Please…!” Woo-Gyeong fervently nodded in assent.

“Then I want you to answer my questions properly,” Chang-Sun replied.

It was said that the pain of burning alive was the most excruciating in the world. As Woo-Gyeong was in the grip of that very pain, he felt that he could even sell out his parents if it meant escaping from his hellish torment.

“Tell me everything you know,” Chang-Sun said without specifying a question.

He wanted to dig up every single scrap of information he could, even if it seemed irrelevant or nonsensical. Sometimes, it was possible to acquire useful information by looking at such things. Besides, he had all the time in the world.

In the end, Woo-Gyeong had to squeeze all the information he could out of his mind.

* * *

Baek Gyeo-Ul blankly watched Chang-Sun, whose energy now resembled a barely-contained explosion after consuming two Jigwi’s Jewel Eyes.

‘A fireball… It’s as if the sun’s core is inside him,’ Gyeo-Ul thought.

Although their first encounter had left him with the impression that Chang-Sun was a highly perceptive individual, Gyeo-Ul now felt that Chang-Sun looked downright dangerous. Chang-Sun was like a blazing fire that seemed as if it could explode at any moment. At times, his eyes shone and the air around him heated up, making him even more intimidating.

It would be no exaggeration to call Chang-Sun a beast at the top of the food chain. Even though he seemed calm on the surface, his true nature was one of unparalleled savagery. Gyeo-Ul felt as if he would be torn apart if he opposed Chang-Sun, but paradoxically, seeing that side of the other man only made him feel safer. He would have felt only fear if Chang-Sun had been his enemy; however, as they were on the same side, he simply felt as if he were the safest person in the world.

Perhaps sensing Chang-Sun’s dangerous aura, Woo-Gyeong talked about a great many things, each of which filled Gyeo-Ul with shock.

“…So based on what you said, the White Tiger Clan joined forces with the Highoff Clan to open something called the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan[1]], right?” Chang-Sun asked, crossing his arms.

“Y-Yeah…!” Woo-Gyeong answered with great difficulty.

The [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] was a relic that had been discovered in some unknown dungeon by the White Tiger Clan twenty years prior. It consisted of seven scrolls, but the White Tiger Clan had only acquired three of them. However, those three alone had such extraordinary powers that the White Tiger Clan had achieved remarkable results after putting a great deal of effort into translating the encrypted texts within.

‘Didn’t the White Tiger Clan show exponential growth thirteen or fourteen years ago?’ Chang-Sun thought, stroking his chin.

The White Tiger Clan’s leader, Sword Sky Tiger Munseong, had been the best swordsman in the world; however, his followers were not as talented as him. In fact, the White Tiger Clan had failed to rank among the top five Clans in Korea, and the public had sarcastically commented, ‘Sword Sky might be strong, but his Clan certainly isn’t.’

It had not been long since the White Tiger Clan began growing exponentially, gaining fame all over the world. According to Woo-Gyeong, they had achieved all that after acquiring the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan].

“What are the books about?” Chang-Sun asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“I… don’t know… the details…!” Woo-Gyeong protested weakly.

“You can just tell me what you know,” Chang-Sun said.

“If I tell you this, then please…!” Woo-Gyeong begged.

“I’ll decide whether or not I grant your request. Talk,” Chang-Sun replied, staring at Bae Woo-Gyeong.

“Urgh, argh…!” Woo-Gyeong groaned in agony, but he began to explain what he knew.

Each of the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan] explained a different subject, describing how to summon and use the power of ‘primordial constellations’ that had been forgotten long ago.

‘Primordial constellation?’ Chang-Sun thought, his eyes shining coldly. ‘<Forgotten Stars>!’

After the ‘Light’, when the universe had first been created, there had only been a few constellations engraved among the stars. Although they had been as weak as the newly-created universe, they had contained immense Divinity within them.

After countless years, the constellations had settled into being the laws of the various planes, leaving behind traces all across the universe and the planes. They were the mechanisms that embodied planes, fundamental laws, and concepts.

Thus, they had come to be known as <Forgotten Stars>... And the White Tiger Clan was trying to gather their powers? Chang-Sun had never heard of Heoju seeking the constellations’ powers—no, he had never even seen a trace of any such activity taking place in the <Society> Heoju belonged to.

‘Is Heoju doing this on his own?’ Chang-Sun wondered.

He needed to dig deeper into the subject. Meanwhile, the new information allowed him to sort out many things that had been at the back of his mind very quickly.

“But… The White Tiger Clan only deciphered…two scrolls among the three… The most important one remains encrypted…!” Woo-Gyeong added quickly.

‘[Peter’s Key] must be the key to open the locked divine scroll,’ Chang-Sun realized.

Secretly touching the key necklace beneath his shirt, Chang-Sun asked, “Then why are you guys here? It doesn’t look as if you came here to commit terror or take revenge.”

“I-It’s…!” Woo-Gyeong stuttered.

“It’s what?” Chang-Sun repeated.

“It’s to find the [Dream Sphere]…!” Woo-Gyeong answered.

Chang-Sun’s eyes shone once again when Woo-Gyeong mentioned the opaque marble he had found in the Jigwi’s nest. He had thought the marble was suspicious because it held the grudge of a Hohwan Mama, and just like that, it had been mentioned again. Thus, he asked, “What is that?”

“The Clan got it… from… the first divine scroll… The method to create an invincible soldier… is recorded… inside…” Woo-Gyeong explained slowly.

Among the ]Cryptical Books of Hsan] that the White Tiger Clan had acquired, the first scroll described ‘one who lost their soul and was possessed by starlight.’ One who lost their soul would also lose their ego, leaving behind their body as an empty vessel. However, that vessel could be filled with starlight, creating a powerful, invincible soldier. The way it worked was unknown, but that person would be reborn as a loyal champion that would only follow the orders of the star who created it.

In order to create such invincible soldiers, the Seocheon Flower Garden’s flowers, such as the Crying Flowers and the Laughing Flowers, would be needed; a [Dream Sphere] was the final result of the process.

The White Tiger Clan had been secretly manufacturing such soldiers and using them to fight for the Clan.

‘So there was a reason why the Clan created the training institute here,’ Chang-Sun thought.

The ecosystem of the ‘Black Blood Mountain Range’ resembled the Seocheon Flower Garden, which meant it was the perfect place to manufacture [Dream Spheres]. On top of that, it contained many kinds of monsters that could not be seen in other dungeons. Thus, it was not only good for testing trainees, but also for picking good candidates to turn into invincible soldiers.

‘They just covered up the missing person incidents by saying the trainees were killed after leaving the Safe Zone without an instructor’s permission.’

Chang-Sun also assumed that Executive Director Oh, the White Tiger Clan’s second in command, was the man in charge of the project.

‘But he’s now in trouble after ‘Bestla’s Tomb’ disappeared overnight, along with [Peter’s Key].’

Executive Director Oh had no doubt been perplexed to see the situation turning messy right when he thought things were going his way. No, it was more than a mess; it was a total disaster. The Highoff Clan, with whom the White Tiger Clan shared many secrets, had been exposed. Thus, the White Tiger Clan had tried to silence the Highoff Clan’s members, worried that the connection between them would be exposed. The suspicion Chang-Sun formed after reading the news articles had turned out to be true.

“So you guys thought you could expose the White Tiger Clan using the [Dream Sphere] or something, am I right? You guys must have gathered other pieces of evidence too,” Chang-Sun said.

“Yeah, yeah…!” Woo-Gyeong replied, nodding once again.

Chang-Sun also nodded, as most of his questions had been answered.

The [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan], the [Dream Sphere], the research facility, Executive Director Oh, the Highoff Clan… Everything he had encountered was connected..

‘There’s definitely something else, something this guy doesn’t know.’ Chang-Sun thought as he looked at Woo-Gyeong

If the ‘Black Blood Mountain Range’ had merely been an extremely dangerous Dungeon, the White Tiger Clan would have found a suitable pretext to seal off its Gate. However, despite the existence of such a method, Executive Director Oh wanted the Dungeon to be cleared ‘accidentally’, which meant he had to have been secretly exploiting the ‘Black Blood Mountain Range’.

As the Dungeon would no doubt be brought into the spotlight, coming under scrutiny by the White Tiger Clan’s members due to the Highoff Clan incident, Executive Director Oh was trying to eliminate the evidence.

‘Then, I should find out how Executive Director Oh was exploiting the Dungeon,’ Chang-Sun thought, deciding where to head next.

In the deepest part of the mountain range, there was a place that was considered confidential even among instructors. It was the research facility complex responsible for manufacturing [Dream Spheres] and invincible soldiers. If Chang-Sun searched the place, he would be able to figure out how Executive Director Oh had been exploiting the Dungeon.

“Now, please…!” Woo-Gyeong begged Chang-Sun to let him die, having shared everything he knew.

Slash!

In order to be considerate to Woo-Gyeong, who had provided all the necessary information Chang-Sun needed without hesitation, Chang-Sun killed him in a single strike of [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth.]

Afterward, Chang-Sun turned to the panting instructor nearby. Although the instructor seemed more loyal to his Clan thanWoo-Gyeong, he still ended up telling Chang-Sun everything he wanted to know. When he finished revealing the Clan’s secrets, all that remained within him was anger.

“A-Aren’t you… afraid of the Guardian’s… wrath…?!” the instructor choked out. Without his limbs, he could do nothing but mention his deity.

“Guardian? Guardian, huh…” Chang-Sun trailed off.

He thought the instructor was pathetic. Even if deities and stars existed, each person had to forge their own destiny at the end of the day. However, the instructor was trying to invoke the authority and power of his deity as if they were his own. On top of that, he truly knew nothing about the deity he served.

“Do you really believe the Guardian is on your side?” Chang-Sun asked coldly.

“Of course…!” the instructor began, but his whimpers gave way to silence as the messages that appeared before his eyes filled him with shock.

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ has lost interest in the follower who is weaker than the dirt beneath his claws.]

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ watches his ambitious new follower with pleasure.]

Heoju was not smiling at the instructor, who followed him loyally; rather, his favor was directed toward Chang-Sun, who could potentially be a traitor.

“The Guardian wants stronger and sturdier claws, not a dying idiot like you,” Chang-Sun explained, telling the instructor what had happened.

“T-That’s…!”the instructor began to yell, seemingly overcome with disbelief.

Slash!

As if he had no interest in hearing what came next, Chang-Sun cut off the instructor’s head with [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth]. Black and red fire rose up and swallowed the two bodies whole, leaving only ashes behind.

The survival of the fittest—the principle that only the strongest would take all, including the privilege of voicing their opinions—was the main doctrine of Heoju, as well as the <Society> to which he belonged.

Thus, Chang-Sun had once been recruited by that same <Society>, having been considered a perfect match for their ideals. Despite temporarily joining them, he had eventually fought a war against that <Society> due to a difference in opinion. As a result, he knew Heoju’s doctrine better than anyone.

Heoju merely thought Chang-Sun was trying to dig up the Clan’s secrets in the name of ambition. If it meant getting stronger and reaching a higher level, Heoju’s doctrine allowed everything short of betraying Heoju himself, as he believed his followers would be able to hone stronger, sturdier claws through their experiences.

In the White Tiger Clan, the loser would always be considered the fool, while the winner would never be considered the villain. Chang-Sun had already seen proof of Heoju’s beliefs in the Fierce Tiger Library.

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ shows you a wily smile!]

Chang-Sun smiled back at the air where Heoju would be, albeit for a different reason altogether.

1. These are a set of fictional occult grimoires from H. P. Lovecraft’s short story ‘The Outer Gods’. ☜