Chapter 54
Can it be attacked?
The Absolute Being?
At the inspiring resonance of the word "attack," a great cheer arose from the Constellations.
"S-So… finally… we can drive that monstrous bastard out of ‘our’ world?"
"We can dream of that paradise again…?"
Some of the Constellations were deeply moved.
They reacted unconsciously to the possibility of returning to a time long past, a time when freedom and hope were alive for all.
---
「Title: Hey, you bastards
-Stop harassing the Constellations
Did you flip a whole country upside down just because you didn't like the Constellations?
Did you open the gates of hell and create a huge event just because you were bored?
Or did you bring in an outer god and attack just because you couldn't control your anger?
(Picture of a frog with bloodshot eyes, raging)
Why are you all so obsessed with being assholes!!!
└...Huh?
└Seriously;; That's why I only harass them a little
└How much is a little?
└I purposely summoned their main body and trapped it in a glass bottle lol. I'm an angel compared to you guys, right? ㅇㅈ?
└Constellation taxidermy ㄷㄷ
└A true angel.
└I agree」
「Title: No, but seriously
-Why does this game, out of all games, have only shitty Constellations? At this point, aren't the developers just perverts?
└Info: Constellations are inherently self-serving
└Fact: It's a long-standing tradition for Constellations to have the mindset of powerful brats;」
「Title: Our Constellation is so cute ㅠㅠㅠ
(Picture of a grotesquely formed Summoned body threatening)
-No downvotes ㄴㄴㄴㄴ
└See, this is why they get harassed
└lol It looks like shit
└Apologize to shit ㅅㅂ아
└It seriously looks like someone chewed up and spit out gum
└Chewed-up gum;;
└Hey hey hey, watch your language」
「Title: Constellations ruining their image is all their own fault
-The developers must have been really determined, because they created a world that would be destroyed within 3 days without us.
This is power imbalance at its finest.
We have to do whatever the Constellations say, even if it means dying.
They may be something like gods, but anyone who's ever thought about things from a human perspective will understand what I'm saying.
└So what's your point?
└Wooong, Ragnarok players don't know those things 뜌땨
└Ugh ㅅㅂ;
└Ragnarok average;
└If you don't know, just laugh」
---
One Constellation shouted in frustration.
"I want to go back to those glorious times!"
"W-Wait a minute."
The Constellation who realized the situation was taking a strange turn tried to stop the momentum.
But the other Constellations, once moved, showed no signs of stopping.
"Let's kill the Absolute Being!"
"Even if we can't kill him, we must banish him from this world forever!"
"We must reclaim our authority!!"
Ugly desires began to surface one after another.
The scene was instantly painted with madness.
The gathering of Constellations, who had been plotting their alliance away from the Absolute Being’s gaze…
…transformed into a union of heroes, united to save(?) the world by targeting a common enemy.
Completely oblivious to the atrocities they had committed.
"If we manage to corner him, I’ll kill all his followers right in front of him!"
"I want to see him trembling in fear."
"Or we could openly commit blasphemy and convert them all to our faiths."
"Are you a genius?"
The most humiliating thing for a Constellation was to have their faith blasphemed.
Followers leaving meant that the Constellation of that faith wasn't trustworthy.
"So! How can we hurt him?!"
The Black Sun Incarnation’s act of using a follower to injure the Absolute Being's Summoned body was a famous feat, even among Constellations.
The Absolute Being, the mighty Absolute Being, had been injured.
The sight of him, in a lowly human form, suffering in pain and even bleeding…
…became a great stress reliever for the Constellations who could only sneer from hiding.
Some Constellations even preserved that moment in their minds as the greatest highlight.
"I can't reveal that yet."
The Black Sun Incarnation, having garnered everyone’s support, spoke firmly.
"What?"
"You’re going back on your word now?!"
"Aren't you ashamed to be called a Constellation?!"
‘These crazy bastards.’
The Black Sun Incarnation suppressed his frustration and dutifully carried out his task.
"Who abandoned me first?"
"That’s because you were unilaterally captured by him!"
"Yes, I understand. It was my mistake, and you abandoned me. That’s why I’m telling you this. Let’s approach this as a mutually beneficial transaction."
"What do you want to say?!"
"We need followers imbued with our divine power."
The Black Sun Incarnation's argument was this:
They needed elite followers with enough divine power to strike a blow against the Absolute Being.
"T-That's…"
"Impossible. If followers of that caliber are taken away, the faith itself will be shaken."
Whether administrative work was paralyzed or the workers below were thrown into confusion…
…it would cause great chaos in one way or another.
"Then forget it."
But their counterpart was the Black Sun.
A Constellation just as greedy as they were, a Constellation who understood the inner workings of a Constellation better than anyone.
"W-What?"
"You don't want to cooperate? Then too bad. I'll just go somewhere where the Absolute Being can never find me. You guys can stay here and tremble in fear forever."
"How dare you mock us!"
They wanted to regain their authority, but they didn’t want to take any risks.
It was truly childish.
Perhaps because they possessed the power to control countless lives with a wave of their hand, their temperament was incredibly reckless.
‘Sulking again.’
And they were incredibly prone to sulking.
"I’ve said all I needed to say. If you don't have anything else, I’m leaving. Hurry up and decide. I’m busy."
“…”
The Constellations fell silent again.
Like a gambler who had made a bold bet, the Black Sun Incarnation calmly observed their reactions.
#
“Hey.”
「Incarnation of the Black Sun: …」
“Hey, hey, hey.”
「Incarnation of the Black Sun: …」
「Child of the Lost Star: It seems he's busy with something.」
“No, I think he's just sulking.”
It was truly strange.
He pretended to be working hard at first, and now he was sulking.
‘Did I make things too easy for him?’
We used to be at each other’s throats, but now it seemed like we had become real friends.
「Child of the Lost Star: In that sense, I have a question for you.」
“What is it?”
「Child of the Lost Star: When you say ‘friend,’ do you really mean it in the human sense of the word?」
“Hmm.”
It was a rather profound question.
I hated serious matters, so I had loosely defined all relationships as ‘friendships’—
But that didn't mean I actually wanted to be friends with these damn Constellations.
I mostly wanted to erase them because they were annoying.
However, it felt like a waste to kill them, and even more of a waste to let them go—
So I defined the relationship as such, forcing a close connection so I could suck the marrow out of them.
“That’s complicated.”
I hated complicated things.
When I hesitated to answer, the Star Child didn't say anything more.
‘Then…’
We were in the usual white room, observing the Dungeon’s state.
#
“Damn it!”
“Are you sure this is the right way?!”
A group of adventurers was lost within the deep, maze-like Dungeon.
The party, wearing equipment soiled with monster blood and dust, sweated profusely as they moved forward.
Anticipating that further progress would be difficult, the party leader had no choice but to urge the guide.
“Sigh… How many times do I have to explain? Everything is about half luck.”
“Is that something you should be saying now? I specially recruited you as a thief class…”
“…Hoo.”
The skinny man, receiving the party leader’s reproachful gaze, sighed softly and composed himself.
This was the fifth time.
Even after hours of effort, they ended up at a dead end or a place they had already been.
Either choice was the worst outcome for his party.
“The Father God is waiting for us!”
“This is the best opportunity to join his faith. Damn it…!”
The name ‘Father God’ had naturally become associated with the Dungeon City.
Why?
He himself was using the alternate character ‘Black Name,’ and even created a new divine power—
But the followers’ efforts to spread his influence had, once again, worked perfectly.
Again…
…the Father God’s Dungeon City had become a new utopia for those with nowhere else to go.
‘If we perform well here, we can join his faith!’
The faith of a Constellation, said to be the strongest in the world.
Who would refuse such a glorious position?
“We… we did it!”
The party, endlessly wandering the Dungeon in search of their dreams, finally found the path to the next stage.
-Flicker.
“…Huh?”
But just as they were about to cry out in joy, black flames erupted from beneath their feet…
…and every member of the party let out a foolish sound.
“Huh?”
-Whoosh!
The flames surged.
The black flames, engulfing the party members at someone’s command, returned their souls to their starting point before they could even feel pain.
“…”
Lagnis, having finished another task, emerged from a hidden corner.
She wore a mask, just in case, and layered herself with several stealth skills.
Her life as an elf, familiar with magic and the power of spirits, proved helpful here.
“Good job.”
Constellation ‘Ron,’ looking down at Lagnis, nodded with satisfaction.
「Child of the Lost Star: She certainly is a desirable talent.」
“Right? I have a good eye for these things.”
To be precise, it was the system’s strong guidance, but the man named Ron had a talent for taking credit for beneficial outcomes.
However, even while rejoicing… the fundamental problem remained unsolved—
“…Should I just wipe them all out?”
He considered using a large-scale divine skill to drive everyone out of the Dungeon City.
Because at this rate, there was no solution.
Look at the adventurers, half-crazed, their souls sold to clearing stages.
Even a Constellation looking for something sweet would back away and run at that sight.
‘I told them to advertise, not threaten.’
Ron waited impatiently, feeling frustrated.
He desperately prayed for even a brief trace of a Constellation to remain.
「Incarnation of the Black Sun: I’m back.」
“Oh.”
Ron’s face brightened at the familiar presence.
Turning to the friend window, he saw the Black Sun Incarnation nonchalantly announcing his return.
“Where were you—”
But Ron hesitated, sensing a dissonance in that presence.
“…Huh?”
「Incarnation of the Black Sun: Just do your job, no more complaining. So I did it.」
The Black Sun Incarnation spoke triumphantly.
「Incarnation of the Black Sun: I brought the Constellations.」
“How?”
「Incarnation of the Black Sun: …That’s a secret.」
He couldn’t reveal that he had once conspired with them to harm the Absolute Being.
It was a fact he had to take to his grave.
If Ron really wanted to know, he could easily find out, but the Black Sun was focused on the present.
“Hey, you.”
Ron stared blankly at the name in the friend window.
「Incarnation of the Black Sun: If this fails, all my efforts will go to waste… I can’t let that happen…」
“You really…”
「Incarnation of the Black Sun: There were reasons why I couldn't answer you before… so please understand…」
“You did an amazing job.”
Ron, uncharacteristically, praised and acknowledged the Black Sun’s achievement.
「Incarnation of the Black Sun: …Huh?」
But the Black Sun Incarnation felt an unfamiliar dissonance at that single word of praise.
Regardless, Ron faced the approaching presence of the admirable beings.
A variety of repulsive divine powers.
Each one powerful enough to overturn a nation, and there were several, no, many of them.
The investment he thought was going down the drain started to rebound like crazy thanks to their unexpected performance.
“Are they here?”
Ron was practically jumping out of his skin.
‘Fuck yes, go for it.’
Ron’s gaze turned towards them.
Towards the elite followers, each imbued with the divine power of their Constellation.