Chapter 57
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「Title: Who's the most annoying Constellation you've encountered during play?
(Image of the Black Sun's Incarnation)
-This guy for me lol
This bastard's base stats are ridiculously high, and his mindless charging is so damn annoying
└lol Black Sun is annoying af
└For newbies, Black Sun appearing is a disaster lol」
「Title: Did someone call me?
(Image of the Burning Lion Emblem Order)
-The freaking annoying Burning Cat appears!
I'll burn everything that gets in my way!
With fixed damage, I can bake your Followers to your desired doneness!
└I think this guy is worse than Black Sun
└Compared to a ‘fake’ sun like Black Sun, our Burning Cat is the real deal lol
└Ragnarok players are even having popularity contests with Constellations now?
└Well… it’s romantic」
「Title: I don't care about any of that
-I think I know the common point of all annoying Constellations
Fixed damage<< This broken stat is absolute hell;
Seriously, fight fair and square with your stats
If you're weak, you should lose, right?
Why do they hit so hard with fixed damage after getting their asses kicked?
└Cornered Constellations will bite
└Are Constellations cats or something lol
└They do have a cat-like side lol
└Thinking about it, they're all pretty feisty lol
└Uh… possible
└(Picture of a Kangshinch'e with multiple tentacles)
└Oh hell no, impossible
└Look at them retreating lol」
「Title: But you know what?
The Constellations mentioned above are nothing lol
You guys didn't forget about ‘that guy’, right?
└Who's that guy?
└You don't know him?
└Whoa, newbie smell
└The smell of noob is strong with this one
└I heard it's just… crazy lol
└??? What's that?
└Hey owner, get rid of this noob smell
└Aah… that guy…
└Don't bother telling them…
└They'll find out soon enough」
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“Wait.”
Before the five Apostles of the Constellations entered the Dungeon—
One Apostle voiced their doubt.
“Are you sure this is the right way?”
“…”
Lagnis turned around and looked at the faces of the five Priests.
They still didn’t fully trust her.
It was only natural.
To them, she was nothing more than a stranger.
“The adventurers seem to be using a different entrance. Why are we taking a different route?”
“It's best if we don't attract attention. This is also the path the Lord God has laid out for us.”
“…And you expect us to believe that?”
What if they used that suspicious portal and ended up somewhere they couldn't return from?
One of the Priests fell into deep thought.
“Just do it.”
“No, we can’t just blindly—”
“The Lord God has permitted it. There’s no reason to change our minds now.”
“That’s true, but…”
Lagnis’s gaze turned to the Priest who had been voicing his suspicions.
Yellow eyes, white hair.
He didn’t look like an ordinary human at all, with such a unique appearance.
‘This is troublesome.’
The other Apostles were urging them to proceed quickly, mentioning time and Revelation, but the white-haired Priest kept delaying them.
Lagnis knew.
The more time they had to think, the more disadvantageous it would be for her.
Therefore, Lagnis chose this method—
“If you’re uneasy, you can stop here. I can proceed with the Apostles who share my will.”
“…”
“Even now, there are Followers of the Parent God desperate to clear the Dungeon. I fear they might exploit the Absolute Being’s only weakness.”
Time was of the essence.
Since she had struck at the Priests’ most vulnerable point, there were no further objections.
「Entering the Dungeon.」
She passed through a status window they couldn't see, feeling Divine Power surging into her body.
The peculiar energy unique to the Dungeon.
As she briefly surrendered herself to it, her vision quickly faded.
‘…Ugh.’
Lagnis shuddered at the unusual form of Mana she’d never experienced before.
She sensed someone’s presence beside her.
“…?!”
‘It’s alright.’
A familiar voice and energy.
As her vision gradually cleared, she saw the figure looking at her, wearing a mask as always.
The Constellation, exuding an overwhelming aura without revealing their face, was looking at Lagnis.
“You did well.”
“I…”
“Honestly, I was worried from the middle, but this is a great success.”
The Master of Black Fate raised their hand and pointed at Lagnis.
「Casting ‘Intermediate Blessing’.」
-Saaaa…
Divine Power, woven from the Constellation's energy, blessed Lagnis.
A sense of euphoria, beyond her control, washed over her as the power surged into her body.
“Ha…”
As she trembled, savoring the unfamiliar sensation, she quickly collected herself…
…and knelt before the Master of Black Fate once more.
‘Her recovery is remarkable.’
Ron, the Master of Black Fate, was momentarily impressed by his Follower's adaptability.
Even those with exceptional talent usually needed time to process such a direct influx of Divine Power.
“I’ll take care of the rest.”
Black Fate’s objectives had all been achieved.
“Lagnis, just keep walking straight to the center of the Dungeon.”
Just that?
Lagnis knew how complex the structure of this Dungeon was.
“As you command.”
But her master was a Constellation.
Reminding herself once again that common sense didn’t apply to them, Lagnis bowed deeply.
“Yes. Good work.”
Although the real work hadn’t even begun, Ron praised her efforts and dispelled the mental connection.
-Whoosh…
Her hazy senses returned as her mind came back to reality.
The familiar scenery of the Dungeon unfolded before Lagnis’s eyes.
“…This is…”
“Ugh, so cramped. Move aside.”
“The portal’s size is rather limited, so please understand…”
The Elf’s gaze scanned the people who had just arrived.
Those who were chattering amongst themselves, oblivious to what was about to happen.
‘As expected of humans…’
Lagnis, feeling a strange sense of superiority, decided to guide them to their final destination.
“…Are you sure we’re going the right way?”
“You still doubt it, even after coming this far?”
“No… but we have to make sure things are proceeding smoothly, right?”
“Hmm… I also feel something’s strange.”
Finally, the leader of the group, a huge Priest, sensed the dissonance, and the five Apostles stopped.
“You all have Dungeon experience, so you should know. Have you ever seen a place with so few monsters, even in a safe zone?”
The Dungeon mobilized all its resources to eliminate intruders.
Traps, monsters, and other underhanded tactics.
However, the area they had passed through, despite its considerable length, was devoid of even the slightest incident.
It was as if an unsettling peace was being maintained, luring them in.
“…”
The Elf leading the way stopped abruptly at their words.
Her expression, as she turned around, was devoid of emotion, like a doll.
Dry and cold, as if she were looking at a dead person.
“What difference does it make if you realize it now?”
“…What?”
A brief silence.
“Tsk.”
The white-haired Priest, realizing the situation belatedly, immediately lunged.
His target was the Elf’s neck.
He had to stop her before she could do anything—
It had been wrong from the start.
From the moment she helped his group through the checkpoint.
‘How?’
How could she have grasped their movements so accurately?
Perhaps this was also the ability of the Constellation the Elf served.
‘Oh Chaos.’
However…
…she was more confident than anyone in battles involving Divine Power—
So, without hesitation, she swung her sword, aiming to finish off the Elf.
-Whoosh!
But at the sudden surge of black flames surrounding the Elf, she had no choice but to retreat hastily.
“Run!”
The Apostle shouted, looking back.
“No.”
The other Apostles, realizing the situation belatedly, took their stances and prepared for battle.
Lagnis found them amusing.
Ignorant lambs, unaware of their own predicament.
“Oh Black Fate, take the lives of these fools.”
“…!”
The five Apostles charged at her simultaneously, but…
…Lagnis’s form vanished before their attacks could land.
That wasn’t the only phenomenon that occurred.
The entire Dungeon was engulfed in darkness, and no matter how many holy spells they cast, their light didn’t return.
“T-This is…”
“A trap.”
“No shit! We’re—”
“Aaaaagh!!”
One of them screamed.
The startled Apostles looked at their comrade, but her sanity was already gone.
“I-I can’t feel it!! I can’t feel the Lord God’s Divine Power!!”
The Divine Power that had been connected to their minds vanished as if it had been severed.
For a Follower, being disconnected from their Constellation was no different from death.
-Graaaagh!!
A painful scream echoed from somewhere.
A sound that lingered in their memories, a sound they were sure they’d heard before.
But the owner of the voice, never imagining that its form would be dyed with ‘fear’, severed the Divine Power connection to their Followers as the sound faded.
They could no longer turn a blind eye.
The owner of that agonizing scream was their Constellation.
Their minds were plunged into deep madness.
And then, the five Apostles of the Constellations lost consciousness in the deep void.
“Woohoo!”
I let out a joyful cheer to celebrate the success of the operation.
Confused gazes were directed at me from all directions.
-…Huh?
-T-The Absolute Being?
-Impossible. How…?
The Constellations, suddenly facing me, voiced their foolish questions.
“Found you.”
I faced them with the brightest smile.
-R-Run.
“No way.”
I immediately manipulated the settings window and deleted the ‘Exit’ button.
Now that they were within my domain, all control over this situation had shifted to me.
If they were dissatisfied, they should have paid up and progressed further.
「Black Sun’s Incarnation: Those are familiar names.」
Checking the names of the five Constellations, each exuding their unique personalities, I realized they were all prominent figures.
“They wanted to take me down so badly.”
-W-Wait. We can resolve this situation in a more peaceful manner.
Peace was good.
Wasn’t that why I came here?
-We can’t escape the Void of Emptiness…!
-Impossible! This is an independent world we created!
“You can enter as you please, but leaving is…?”
Naturally, there was no answer.
Just like the Followers cowering in the corner of the Dungeon, they were too preoccupied with grasping the situation, lost in confusion.
“Now, then.”
I decided to give them a chance.
A generous opportunity to voluntarily join the Absolute Being Company.
“Anyone who wants to be friends with me?”
I’d pick one person, first come, first served.
“Hands up.”