Return of the Shattered Constellation

“Welcome.”

A short, middle-aged man stood in front of the Clan Leader’s office, which was located at the innermost corner of the head office. Although he looked a little bit nervous, he had his hands behind his back and smiled gently when he saw Chang-Sun walking in his direction with Seo Jeong-Gwon.

“You look well. Your time in the training institute must have changed you a lot.” Executive Director Oh said amicably, like a gentle neighbor.

[The Skill ‘Fierce Tiger Eyes’ has been activated, observing you!]

However, Chang-Sun knew Executive Director Oh was watching him as sharply as ever.

‘He must have many questions. The Dungeon closed soon after the research lab blew up, so he’ll be really curious if I know anything about the explosion.’ Chang-Sun assumed.

Executive Director Oh had wanted Director Gwon to be inside the lab during the explosion, but he mistimed it, failing to kill Gwon. Given his personality, he likely wanted to know exactly what had happened, but he couldn’t because the Dungeon had disappeared before he could investigate. It was natural to think Chang-Sun may know something, but…

‘Song Yoo-Jun must have told him that I don’t know anything, and Executive Director Oh won’t think that I was able to clear the Dungeon within a day.’

Would one have been able to clear the Dungeon while investigating the research lab? Normally, that would be impossible, so even though Executive Director Oh might have doubted Chang-Sun, in the end he had no choice but to believe him.

The least Oh could have done was dig into Baek Gyeo-Ul and the Shin siblings, but they actually didn’t know much, either.

‘It’ll be okay. They aren’t the kind of people who would say something about me.’

Gyeo-Ul already thought of Chang-Sun as his savior, and the Gyeo-Ul that Chang-Sun knew would be willing to swear a life-long loyalty to him, not betray him. Chang-Sun wasn’t worried about the Shin siblings either. Shin Eun-Seo may have acted silly, but she knew there were lines that she should not cross. Shin Geum-Gyu was born calm and careful, so he wouldn’t easily be swayed, either.

Executive Director Oh had no choice but to observe Chang-Sun, who seemed to have changed a lot over the past month. Nevertheless, Chang-Sun was certain that Oh would not be able to find anything out about him. Although Oh was sharper than most people, he wasn’t sharp enough to accurately analyze Chang-Sun, someone who had experienced the Myth War.

“I appreciate that you think so highly of me. It’s all thanks to you, Executive Director Oh.” Chang-Sun bowed slightly, as if he hadn’t noticed how sharply Executive Director Oh was watching him.

Shortly after, Executive Director Oh stopped observing and gently shook his head. “Haha! I haven’t done anything, this was all you. Anyhow, you’ve put the Clan in chaos.”

“Is that so?” Chang-Sun replied calmly.

“Huh, are you seriously asking that? You look like you’re pretending you don’t know anything, even though you do. It’s not just ordinary chaos either. All the Raid Team Leaders are yelling at the top of their lungs to have you as their team member…” Executive Director Oh continued as he snuck a glare at Jeong-Gwon, who pretended he didn’t notice anything and turned his head sideways. “...and the Clan members are busy talking about what to do about the rewards that you must have received after clearing the dungeon… Anyhow, it seems other Clans abroad have also heard the news, because they have been busy calling the executives non-stop.”

Executive Director Oh proudly smiled and squinted at Chang-Sun. “So… you haven’t changed your mind, right?”

He was instructing Chang-Sun to not change his mind about joining the Future Strategy Department, burning with the desire to have Chang-Sun as his own man.

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ says that he does not know his place, lightly snorting!]

Pabilsag seemed to dislike Executive Director Oh’s attitude, but Chang-Sun calmly nodded, reassuring him.

“Actually, I’m the one that still wants to make such a request. As I told you before, I’m thinking about resigning if I don’t get to join my preferred department.” Chang-Sun said as he pulled out a smartphone from his inner pocket. When he turned it on, it rang over and over again with notifications. The screen showed over a hundred missed calls. He was telling Executive Director Oh to think about what he meant.

That seemed to finally relax Executive Director Oh, because he burst into laughter. “Sure, a man should have a big gut. The Clan has no intention of letting you go, including me. See, the Clan Leader himself wants to meet you, and he has never done that before.”

The leader of the White Tiger Clan, the Sword Sky Tiger, was known to be uninterested in what was going on in his Clan and the world. However, judging by his interest in Chang-Sun, it seemed the Sword Sky Tiger had heard much about him.

In reality, Chang-Sun couldn’t help but keep watching the door to the Clan Leader’s office. The air felt too heavy, as if a large beast was sleeping inside of the office. Chang-Sun felt like the beast would immediately pounce at him if he opened the door.

‘I heard Heoju has a really fine apostle, and I guess it was true.’

[The Skill ‘Viper Eyes’ has been activated, sharply analyzing the situation!]

[The Skill ‘Beast Senses’ has been activated, detecting danger!]

For the first time after his regression, Chang-Sun felt like he was encountering a dangerous man. When he was a novice, he hadn’t thought a ranker could be dangerous, but he felt a little different now.

‘He might be more talented and skilled than his Guardian.’ Chang-Sun nodded, recalling the Sword Sky Tiger’s secret history involving the ‘Black Mountain King.’

Although Executive Director Oh was simply visiting his master who he had served for a long time, he also looked quite nervous. He turned to the office door and said, “Shall we go in?”

The secretaries standing in front of the door quietly opened it and stepped aside.

Woosh!

At that moment, the intense energy that Chang-Sun had felt beyond the door released into the hallway, sending out a strong wind that tousled Chang-Sun’s hair.

[The ‘Tiger Kill’ is raging!]

The [Tiger Kill] that was incomparably stronger than that of Chang-Sun and the others spread outwards, but that wasn’t what caught Chang-Sun’s attention. The inside of the Clan Leader’s office was nothing like he had expected.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you that the Clan Leader’s office is a Dungeon. He summoned the wizards a while ago and moved the Gate here.” Executive Director Oh grinned.

They had only walked through a door, but Chang-Sun felt like he was now in a totally different world. He felt like he was in the fantasy novel <The Chronicles of Narnia>, in which the protagonist enters another world through a wardrobe.

[You have entered the Dungeon ‘Once-Green Flower Garden’!]

As Chang-Sun followed Executive Director Oh inside, he saw a message telling him that he had entered a dungeon. As the name suggested, the inside was full of brilliant flowers. It seemed the Sword Sky Tiger himself had tended to them. There was a hill covered with red roses, and wildflowers like dandelions danced along with the wind.

Tulips, daffodils, forget-me-nots… Chang-Sun could even see camellias. Under the warm and peaceful sunlight, all these flowers that were supposed to bloom in different seasons flaunted their beautiful colors and fragrance, very different from the intense [Tiger Kill] that had raged near the Gate.

That was why Chang-Sun felt like this place was too artificial, as if the Sword Sky Tiger had decorated the garden this way to hide something. He normally would have felt peaceful in a place like this, but Chang-Sun felt strangely nervous. His instincts told him that something was wrong with this place.

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ watches the humans that enter his land!]

‘It was definitely Heoju’s land.’ Chang-Sun thought.

A deity’s land referred to an area that was a level lower than a deity’s sanctuary, so Chang-Sun thought Heoju’s energy was what made the place feel ominous. He figured that Sword Sky Tiger must not be an ordinary man, judging from how he spent most of his time in a place like this.

“As you commanded, I’ve brought Lee Chang-Sun, sir.” said Executive Director Oh.

Munseong the Sword Sky Tiger, the owner of this space, wasn’t far from the garden’s entrance. He was wearing a traditional white hanbok, one that might be seen in a history book, not a modern hanbok. It had no pattern, making it appear elegant, as if he was standing on a quiet snowfield. His white hair, white eyebrows, and white beard matched his hanbok well, reminding Chang-Sun of Taoist sages. Still, he had an unapproachable air around him.

There was an old tiger whose fur was all white, and the Sword Sky Tiger was like a human form of such a tiger. His Clan’s name, White Tiger, couldn’t suit him more, but…

‘White Tiger? No way, he’s not even a fierce tiger. He’s a jackal.’ Chang-Sun lightly snorted after noticing Munseong’s true nature.

Jackals were known for their viciousness and violent tendencies, and Munseong was precisely this person: although he looked elegant, he was greedy and violent. Judging by how the Sword Sky Tiger looked at Chang-Sun, he could tell the Sword Sky Tiger always got what he wanted using any means necessary.

‘Well, I guess he would do that, based on how ambitious he seemed in Hanyu’s will.’ Chang-Sun assumed.

Executive Director Oh had said the Sword Sky Tiger recently had no interest in worldly matters, but Chang-Sun assumed that the truth was different. Although the Sword Sky Tiger rarely took matters into his own hands, Chang-Sun figured that he must have planted his men everywhere, because people like the Sword Sky Tiger never let go of what they had. He was only resting for a moment to obtain a bigger prize, and that was why Executive Director Oh was acting so nervous.

‘Well, I guess that’s why he’s uselessly creating the Ghost Soldiers and the Gildal.’

Sword Sky Tiger was a beast that was always hungry.

‘Yeah, I thought it was strange when he suddenly requested to see me. He wouldn’t have reacted this fast if that story about him was true.’

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ is watching you very closely!]

Heoju had chosen the Sword Sky Tiger, so Chang-Sun decided to consider Munseong and Heoju as one and the same. In some ways though, Chang-Sun thought Munseong might be harder to deal with because he looked sly and distrustful.

‘So why did he personally summon me?’ Chang-Sun wondered.

The Sword Sky Tiger wouldn’t have summoned him just to praise him. People like the Sword Sky Tiger tended to be rather elitist, with a tendency to disregard the ‘inferior’ people. Then what was it?

‘On guard.’ Chang-Sun’s eyes became cold. ‘He’s on guard against me.’

Chang-Sun concluded that the Sword Sky Tiger must have known that Heoju recently had all his attention trained on Chang-Sun as his apostle. Munseong himself had reached his current position by betraying his senior brother and teacher, after all. He likely feared that someone else could steal Heoju’s attention, and even his position, just as he had done. Meanwhile, Heoju sat back and watched in enjoyment, showing how sadistic he truly was.

Thud!

Just then, Chang-Sun heard the gate that led to the outside being closed. There was no way to go outside now. Chang-Sun suddenly felt like he had been caught in a trap.

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ frowns due to the unpleasant air in the Dungeon.]

[The Celestial ‘Twilight-Piercing Owl’ warns you to be careful because something feels off.]

This was Heoju’s land and Munseong’s front yard, so Chang-Sun knew he could die if he rubbed Munseong’s fur the wrong way.

“You’re the Tyrant kid that our Guardian has recently shown interest in.” Munseong said, looking at Chang-Sun. Although his eyes looked nonchalant and vacant, he somehow resembled Heoju.