Ch.4646. Black Abyss

“The aura of three constellations blend together.”

-Ding!

“You have successfully created a new divine power!”

“Yes!”

I struck a victory pose, basking in the sense of achievement.

“Whoa, dizzy.”

I suddenly staggered from an unexpected wave of dizziness.

Since feeling physical damage in this body was unfamiliar, even that sensation felt oddly pleasant.

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: …I feel like I’m dying.”

“Child of the Lost Star: My existence is growing faint.”

If I’m struggling, how much worse must it be for ordinary constellations?

As a reward, I bestowed some of my faith points upon them.

“Child of the Lost Star: Oh, ohhhh…!”

“Tasty?”

“Child of the Lost Star: A sensation I’ve never experienced before, this exhilaration. What is this? It doesn’t feel like the same divine power at all. Such pure energy is unprecedented-“

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: Shut up already!”

Star Child did a somersault in the air while Black Sun marveled.

‘That delicious, huh.’

Since I’m only giving it through the system, I can’t really tell.

It’s power that I’ve been handling like my own body anyway.

“Please name your new divine power.”

“Hmm.”

A name.

Since the energies of three constellations have been mixed together, each of their individual identities has become quite blurred.

The constellation’s rank itself is insignificant as originally intended, and its nature has been twisted so much that it’s impossible to tell whose it is.

-Saaah…

The divine power newly created for my future plans, rippling above my hand.

“But does it really need a name?”

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: For constellations, names are as important as life itself.”

“Wasn’t that just for show?”

“Child of the Lost Star: The name is the star itself. To handle power, this name is absolutely necessary.”

How annoying.

I don’t want to come up with some grandiose name with my own mouth.

I can’t possibly reveal my chuunibyou naming sense with a straight face.

“Couldn’t the absence of a name become a name itself?”

The two constellations remained silent for a while after my words.

They’ve clearly been left speechless.

But it makes sense, doesn’t it?

I don’t particularly like the constellation bunch anyway, so I didn’t want to create a name similar to theirs.

Therefore.

“Nameless.”

The absence of a name.

I wanted to create symbolism in that itself.

“No, Black Abyss.”

Its dark appearance would perfectly match with just adding “black” in front.

“Your name shall be Black Abyss from now on.”

Amid trends that seemed likely to be filled with Western names and cosmic horror, I decided to rebel.

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: B-Black Abyss…?”

“Yes.”

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: That’s it…?”

“Child of the Lost Star: An interesting naming choice.”

“It’s just a temporary identity anyway, so I didn’t think it needed an elaborate name.”

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: Even so! This lacks dignity…”

“Hey.”

The concern evident in his attitude makes me feel like we’ve truly entered a friendship.

“Are you worried about me?”

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: That’s not it, constellation names are normally-“

“So you are worried about me? Thanks, really.”

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: ….”

Black Sun fell silent again.

As I continued teasing him a bit more, a notification sound rang from somewhere.

-Ding!

“…Huh?”

“Event triggered!”

Then, unfamiliar places and people were suddenly thrust before my eyes.

As I examined the screen to assess the situation, I saw a woman who was clearly in bad shape limping away.

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: …An elf?”

Only after that comment did I pay proper attention to her appearance.

She was missing the two main characteristics of elves.

One of her long ears had been cut off, and her once beautiful appearance was now filthy and ruined.

“She looks like she’s having a rough time.”

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: I can see a slave mark. She must be a runaway.”

“Hmm.”

Not particularly surprising.

In a world where magic flourishes and various races are active.

An elf, a non-human race, and even the status of “slave” are familiar concepts in this world.

‘Lisia was also a former slave.’

The Mad Dog of the Arena.

A gentle personality with a not-so-gentle past.

But what matters is the present, right?

“Lisia tears people apart when she’s angry.”

That’s because she survived in a harsh place where life was considered worthless.

Offering my condolences to the hostile cult members who must be facing an enraged Lisia right now, I focused on the screen again.

“Who’s messing with our game.”

I spotted the fleeing elf and an assassin pursuing her.

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: She’s going to die.”

A simple observation from Black Sun, who couldn’t care less about a single human life.

“Death isn’t that easy.”

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: Ah, no… I didn’t mean…”

An indignant response.

-Huff, huff…!

The slave elf is on the verge of collapse.

She’s in such bad shape that she might die on her own without even being stabbed by the assassin.

The stark contrast with the typical image of elves in my mind creates an enormous disconnect.

“Aren’t they supposed to be all snooty while building up their superiority complex?”

A long-eared beauty character looking down from a tree.

Always attaching “inferior race, inferior race” to their speech, treating others as lower beings.

“It makes me feel bad.”

Even though she’s a complete stranger, seeing someone treated like that doesn’t sit well with me.

“So what’s this about?”

I examined the triggered event.

“Setting the name of your new divine power as ‘Black Abyss’.”

“Your created divine power is linked to a new quest!”

“Quest (new!): Suitable Vessel

-You have accidentally discovered an elf whose life is fading.

Originally, this elf was destined to be mercilessly killed by an assassin.

Will you help her?”

A simple yes or no question.

I’m going to save her, but the quest title kept catching my eye.

“Suitable Vessel.”

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: …Huh?”

“New divine power. New believer.”

In other words, an alt character.

Lightning struck in my mind.

“Shit, this is it.”

This is an opportunity given by heaven.

A chance to truly purify this rotten world.

“Devastation, elf, and normalization.”

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: …What?”

“Dungeon. And dungeon.”

I momentarily lost my reason in the face of transcendent calculation.

“Listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

I decided to share with the two constellations at this spine-chilling timing.

“Why are they showing us this elf at this exact moment?”

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: Um… entertainment?”

“Get out.”

“Child of the Lost Star: Since we’ve created a dungeon core, we need someone to clear it.”

“Exactly.”

Using the dungeon to lure constellations.

But constellations are a suspicious bunch, so if there’s just a dungeon, they’ll start getting suspicious.

In other words, we need a stage setup that breathes life into it, making it seem real.

Monsters, and cult believers who defeat them.

In Ragnarok, constellation believers can also serve as adventurers.

“So that elf is my potential believer.”

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: That insignificant elf…?”

She does look like she’s on the verge of death.

But who am I?

“This is exactly when we should use our Black Abyss.”

The freshly created, independent divine power.

Perhaps they’ve chosen a new believer fitting for the new name created for my alt character activities.

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: W-well… since we have divine power to spare, even if we fail, we just need to find the next suitable vessel.”

“Let’s succeed on the first try if possible.”

I don’t want to see innocent lives dying before my eyes.

I just want to look at the bright side of the world.

#

Ragnis is an elf, and a runaway slave.

“You’ve been running for quite some time. Blood really doesn’t lie, does it?”

The dark elf assassin adjusts his dagger, targeting his victim.

She tried to resist even with her battered body, but it was a battle with a predetermined outcome from the start.

“I’ll liberate you from this painful world.”

“…Kuk.”

Even in her blurry consciousness from blood loss, Ragnis managed to pull up the corners of her mouth with all her might.

“She’s insane.”

Honestly, the assassin was unnerved by her fierce determination to harm him at all costs.

Not for survival, but pure malice aimed at inflicting damage on her opponent.

Unlike those who pretended to be noble and valued character.

Raw, unfiltered spirit.

“I curse you all.”

Ragnis cursed the world as she spat blood.

The kin who sold her.

The detestable constellation of her race who turned a blind eye to her suffering.

To all those who had consumed her life—

“Go to hell.”

Looking down at Ragnis whose breath was growing faint, the assassin felt an inexplicable chill.

‘…What is this?’

“Someone is watching you.”

A gaze from a much higher dimension that a mere underling couldn’t detect.

Ragnis’s eyes turned toward the black flames that had appeared out of nowhere.

-You who are consumed by hatred.

Someone spoke to her.

In her blurry consciousness, time had stopped.

Only she and the mysterious figure addressing her remained in the space.

‘…Who?’

-Poor soul, abandoned by your kin and about to be toyed with until your final moment.

‘Who are you?’

Ragnis could perceive but couldn’t take any action.

As if all control of the situation belonged to the owner of this voice—

She could only listen, crushed under the cold reality.

-Do you desire power?

Power.

Until now, Ragnis had lacked that damned power.

“Do you wish to appoint the target, ‘Ragnis,’ as a believer of ‘Black Abyss’?”

She didn’t bother to answer.

The mysterious being had already handed her ominous power with an attitude suggesting it knew everything.

“…!”

Before the assassin could react to the anomaly, black flames summoned by Ragnis engulfed him.

“Ah.”

He was shocked by the impossible reality.

“Aah….!”

Before that, pain that threatened to collapse his mind overwhelmed him.

“Kuaaaaa….!”

The assassin, instantly engulfed in flames, howled like a madman and rolled on the ground.

But the flames containing divine power wouldn’t be extinguished so easily.

The flesh, and down to the last fragment of life.

After faithfully fulfilling its role according to Ragnis’s hatred.

All that remained was the silent trace of a completely burned life form.

-Swoosh.

“…..”

The elf who had been lying helpless rose to her feet.

Her body was still a mess, and her mind was completely disoriented, but.

“…Kuk, damn it.”

She showed a cold sneer at the pathetically dead assassin’s corpse.

-Hello.

A chill crept in.

At the end of her instinctively turned gaze.

Stood a man in an unidentifiable outfit, wearing a mask.