Return of the Shattered Constellation

Chang-Sun froze up, unable to maintain composure. ‘There are traitors within <Niflheim>?’

That was the last thing he expected to hear.

Chang-Sun was personally favorable to<Niflheim>. When he returned to Earth, Jörmungandr helped him out a lot, and he could get to where he was with Loki’s active cooperation in the United Army. Hence, Durga’s revelation sounded very abrupt to Chang-Sun.

‘Wait…’

A thought came across Chang-Sun’s mind, making his eyes turn cold.

“Kali and Gyeo-Ul. Leave us please,” Chang-Sun said.

“Twilight, I don’t know what’s going on, but we have to make my mother take back what she sa—!” Kali yelled.

Chang-Sun looked straight into her eyes. “This is not like you, Kali.”

Kali’s lips trembled. No matter how urgent the situation she found herself in, she would always analyze it with rational judgment. Chang-Sun seemed to be asking her to do the same right now. At the same time, he was also reproaching her. Even though she was too preoccupied with Durga’s condition, she still shouldn’t let her emotions sweep her away.

“Kali, I believe we should listen to him for now,” Baek Gyeo-Ul said.

As her hands trembled, Kali looked at Durga and Chang-Sun. She then left without saying anything. Crom Cruach followed her.

“I’ll try my best to console her, but… please keep your conversation short,” Gyeo-Ul requested.

Chang-Sun nodded. He knew Gyeo-Ul was simply asking him to let Kali be by Durga’s side during her last moments. Gyeo-Ul bowed at Chang-Sun in gratitude and then went after Kali.

“I’m not sure what conversation you guys are going to have, so I’ll also take my leave,” Loki said. He looked at Durga with plaintive eyes before he quietly disappeared.

As a member of the Nine Heavens and a renowned figure from the same generation as Durga, he likely found her death quite saddening.

Now left alone with Chang-Sun, Durga shook her head. “I know she’s my daughter, but she really doesn’t listen to me. Where did she even get her stubbornness?”

Despite what she said, she was smiling faintly.

Chang-Sun slightly bowed. “I haven’t introduced myself properly before. My name is Lee Chang-Sun.”

“Yes, it was too chaotic back then, so we didn’t really get to talk. After that, you were away for so long to track down Ubbo-Sathla.”

Chang-Sun nodded with a heavy heart. At the time, Chang-Sun had held off on the introduction because he had thought that it wouldn’t be difficult to have a proper conversation in the future. He never expected that he’d end up having to introduce himself in such a dire situation.

“I assume you’ve heard that I don’t have much time left,” Durga said.

“I have the antidote.”

“I know my condition the best. I doubt you have many of those bottles, so don’t waste it. Anyhow…” Durga flicked her fingers.

Flick!

A barrier was made around them to prevent their conversation from getting leaked. They should be especially careful to keep it from Loki, the ruler of <Niflheim>.

“... let’s talk about <Niflheim>.”

Chang-Sun shut his eyes. “Are you sure about what you just said?”

“Yes. They’re the reason the infected people in the prison and I ended up in this mess.”

Chang-Sun clenched his teeth. “Who… in the world are they?”

“I don’t know.”

“What…?”

“The situation wasn’t looking good, and I was too busy stopping Tiamat, so… I ended up getting ambushed and letting the curse get the better of me.”

“… Impossible.”

“Fortunately, I managed to pull out an arm of the person who stabbed me in the back before they got away. That’s how I found out that their divine power had the characteristic of <Niflheim>.”

“Does Loki know about this?”

Durga shook her head. “I didn’t tell him.”

“… You don’t trust Loki either,” Chang-Sun murmured.

“Of course not. Now that Tiamat has lost her rationality, who would benefit the most if I die?”

Chang-Sun pursed his lips. Durga’s claims made sense. The United Army was an unprecedentedly powerful force in the entire Great Universe. Acquiring command of it would also guarantee them a political influence strong enough to make them a Celestial King.

With Durga out of the picture, Loki would be the most prospective candidate to be the United Army’s next leader. It was supposed to be Chang-Sun, but he was away a lot. Moreover, the masses now knew that he didn’t desire political power. That was why Durga was doubting Loki too.

“… I might have something to do with it too. How can you trust me?” Chang-Sun asked.

“I trust the judgment of my daughter and student. You’re not the type who would do that,” Durga firmly said with a grin. “Even if Loki doesn’t want the seat and it was all his children’s doing, <Niflheim> can’t be trusted now. The Worldline is on the brink of apocalypse, and 'Nastrond' is the only place where people can hold out. <Niflheim>’s influence will only get stronger from here on out.”

Chang-Sun questioned the same thing during the rebellion of Tiamat’s children, but he really couldn’t figure out why people would fight each other for their benefit when they should be working together. Was that how tempting political power was? Even if so, Celestials should be able to control such emotions.

‘No, maybe they are true to their desires specifically because they’re Celestials.’

<Heaven> Celestials disgusted him now.

“Anyhow, since things have turned out this way, there is a question I would like to ask you,” Durga said.

Chang-Sun quietly nodded, thinking this had to be why Durga wanted to talk to him in private.

“What is your dream?” Durga asked.

Dream? The question came out of nowhere, but Chang-Sun had nothing to hide. Moreover, Durga had to have her reasons for asking it.

“Peace,” Chang-Sun immediately answered.

Finding his answer unexpected, Durga raised one of her eyebrows. “Peace?”

“Yes. I want to live in peace with the people I cherish. That’s all I want.”

“Interesting. The dream of ‘Divine Twilight,’ the best fighter in all of <Heaven>, is a peaceful life with people around him…” Durga smiled from ear to ear. “Do you really mean that?”

“Yes.”

“If so, try grabbing this.”

With a wave of her hand, Durga created a spatial gap in the air, and a sword wrapped in chains dropped from it.

Clink, clink!

Rattle!

The sword struggled to break free from the chains as if it had a will of its own. At its every struggle, the chains tightened around it. Although the wicked energy it exuded was faint, it was still strong enough to slightly affect Chang-Sun, who had the Divine Class of a Celestial King. However, that wasn’t what surprised him.

[You have found a Hidden Piece!]

[You have found the ‘Shu Lou Sword,’ one of Ou Yezi's Nine Fine Swords!]

“This is the [Shu Lou Sword],” Chang-Sun murmured.

[Shu Lou Sword]

One of the Nine Fine Swords forged by the first Ou Yezi, the Divine Blacksmith. The wicked sword grants great power to its owner but also curses them, driving them to commit suicide. Hence, it needs to be handled with caution.

· Type: Relic.

· Effects: Monster Energy Amplification. Damage Increase. One-Kill Strike.

Oooooong!!

The symbol of the [Shengxie Sword] on Chang-Sun’s left thigh shook profusely as if the sword disapproved of the presence of the [Shu Lou sword]. Its reaction was understandable, however. While the [Shengxie Sword] was meant to defeat evil, the [Shu Lou Sword] could be considered a demonic sword. They were the worst possible match.

“That’s right. I coincidentally found it long ago and have been holding onto it in secret. It seems to have ended up in my possession so I can give it to you.”

Clink, clink!

Looking at the [Shu Lou Sword], which was still trying to break free, Durga continued, “I think you’ve already read the sword’s description, but this sword drives its owner to their death. It’s even said that the first Ou Yezi died because he created this sword.”

Zinnng, zinnnng―!

Like the [Shengxie Sword], the [Yuchang Sword], [Zhan Lu Sword], [Chunjun Sword], and [Juque Sword] also began to shake.

“The sword brings out the hidden wishes of whoever holds it,” Durga explained.

Chang-Sun could tell what Durga was getting at. This was her test to see if Chang-Sun’s dream of a peaceful life with the people around him was real.

“You don’t have to grab it if you don’t want to, but I—”

“So I just have to grab it?”

Durga didn’t have much time left. Hence, instead of asking more about the [Shu Lou Sword], Chang-Sun reached out for it.

Durga’s eyes widened. She didn’t expect Chang-Sun to be so bold. Paying her reaction no heed, Chang-Sun grabbed the sword handle, causing the chains to be undone.

Hisssss―!

The wicked energy that rose from the [Shu Lou Sword] crawled up Chang-Sun’s arm and instantly reached his heart.

Badump…!

[Laevateinn] and [Fimbulvetr]—the divine swords in his heart—responded fervently. At the same time, the world around him changed.

Woooosh!

The next thing he knew, he was sitting on a bench in a park. ‘This place is…?’

The Second Lotte Tower could be seen standing tall in the distance, Chang-Sun seemed to be close to the Instance Dungeon—the first Dungeon he had ended up in. That would mean that he was back in Seoul. However, the city looked a lot different from how he remembered it, almost as if he was looking at its future…

‘Ah, my dream is being projected like reality.’

Upon realizing that the place was a mind palace created by the [Shu Lou Sword], he took a look around.

If the [Shu Lou Sword] had drawn out his hidden wishes like what Durga had said, then…

“Sun, what are you doing here daydreaming?”

Hearing a voice from behind, Chang-Sun quickly turned around and saw Cha Ye-Eun walking toward him with something in her arms. He instinctively realized that this was the future that he had seen before through omniscience and Sinmara’s ability.

Chang-Sun shook his head. “It’s nothing. What are you holding, though?”

She was holding onto something wrapped in a blanket so carefully that he thought it had to be very dear to her.

Ye-Eun tilted her head in confusion. “What are you talking about? He was having fun but fell asleep on his own, so I brought him here. Do you have any idea how long I’ve been looking for you? I called out for you hundreds of times, but you never answered.”

“S-sorry,” Chang-Sun unwittingly apologized, still puzzled about what to make of the situation.

When he slowly approached Ye-Eun, he saw a very pretty boy fast asleep in the blanket. He seemed to be around three years old and was the perfect mix of Chang-Sun and Ye-Eun.

‘Is he… my child?’ Chang-Sun wondered.

Someday, once he had returned to Earth, he wished to marry Ye-Eun and have children. That possibility seemed to be what the [Shu Lou Sword] was showing him right now.

Chang-Sun did wonder why his child was a boy when he wanted a daughter who resembled Ye-Eun. However, if he and Ye-Eun had another…

Thump!

His heart sank. ‘... A son?’

Chang-Sun felt dizzy. The memories hidden in the fog surfaced one after another. A son. Yes, he had a son. His son had been strenuously traveling to and fro the future and the past to save him and Ye-Eun, but everyone forgot about him.

He had been so determined never to forget about him… but he ended up doing just that in the end...

Drip!

Witnessing Chang-Sun silently shed tears, Ye-Eun floundered. “S-Sun…. what’s wrong? Is it because I nagged you? It’s not like I’m really angry… I-I’m fine, so don’t cry!”

At that moment, however, only one thought filled Chang-Sun’s head.

‘There you are, Peter. My son.’