Chapter 47 – Shaking the Cage (2)

Яėɑɗ ȯṅ КαțȒеａｄıηɡ​Сα​ϝė

“Oh no, it’s dangerous!”

The incident occurred near the 35th floor. Shadis, who had received a hint from Reina, was attempting to clear a dungeon to achieve an undiscovered achievement.

Shadis turned pale as she watched an enemy charge toward her companions while she was overpowered.

Fortunately, luck and her companions’ quick response saved them, but the close call that day was enough to reawaken Shadis’s trauma.

The trauma of being the sole survivor after her entire team was wiped out.

‘No…I need more, more power.’

Gritting her teeth, she blamed her lack of talent and strength.

Even though she had been given another chance after meeting Reina, Shadis was still too weak to seize that opportunity.

“The 150th floor has been cleared!”

“The rankers finally did it!”

Amidst this situation, news of the raid team, including Reina, clearing the 150th floor spread like wildfire throughout the Tower.

While everyone was talking about it, Shadis was also watching Reina’s face on a large screen.

Clad in the jet-black Hermetica and radiating a brilliant light, Reina embodied the beauty of a true hero that Shadis admired.

Not someone who needed saving, but a beacon who saved countless others.

‘But I…’

She knew she was already far behind and that their seeds were different.

Even so, she wanted to reach Reina’s feet, but the reality that even that was difficult made Shadis unable to lift her head.

“Don’t worry too much. If you meet the right Constellation, your potential might unlock in an instant.”

“That’s right. In the end, it’s all about which Constellation you contract with in the Tower.”

Her companions comforted her.

Meeting the right Constellation might give her wings to soar.

‘Yes. There’s still hope.’

Constellations, noble transcendents who provide essential aid to challengers climbing the Tower.

Shadis had heard countless times how much help Constellations could provide.

Talented individuals had already soared with the support of Constellations long ago.

Since less than half of the challengers could contract with a Constellation, the opportunity itself was precious and rare.

“Please, help me.”

Shadis prayed with all her might in the sanctuary, as she always did.

Even if her talent was humble, she hoped someone would take an interest in her.

Some challengers boldly approached Constellations first, but Shadis didn’t have the ability to do so.

“Do you truly desire power?”

And at that moment, Shadis heard a strange voice in her ear for the first time in the sanctuary.

“My name is the Whispering Serpent of Darkness. It seems no one else is interested in you but me.”

“Th-Thank you…thank you for coming.”

Despite the crackling noise, the sound of a tongue clicking was clear. Shadis immediately prostrated herself and bowed her head.

To her, it was a golden opportunity that might never come again, much like when she first met Reina.

It was only natural that she wanted to do whatever it took to impress and secure a contract.

“You know your talent isn’t great. And I don’t need a contractor who won’t obey me. How far are you willing to go for power?”

“I…I…”

Even if the Constellation demanded a contract akin to slavery, Shadis had no choice.

She clenched her eyes shut and nodded.

She believed that a noble being like a Constellation wouldn’t ask her to do anything beyond reason.

“Hmph, clearly, this fate is one you’ve chosen for yourself.”

Reina, who knew exactly what Constellations were like, would have been horrified if she had known.

But the moment Shadis contracted with the Constellation happened in a space only the two of them shared, and from that day on, Shadis was subjected to the Constellation’s interference.

「Random Reward Box」

“Th-this is…!”

“A little contract gift, of course.”

The interference began with a Random Reward Box that appeared before her, ostensibly as a contract gift.

A symbol of those who had contracted with Constellations. With trembling hands, she opened it and received an A-grade item.

「Fallen Dancer’s Winged Attire (A)」

Shadis’s hands shook as she held the thin, pearl-colored fabric. The area of the fabric was too small to be considered combat attire, barely covering her upper and lower body.

In fact, the fluttering decorations and the veil covering half her face took up more space.

“It’s a kind of cursed item, but if you meet the conditions, it will grant you power far beyond your current level.”

Even Constellations cannot forcibly interfere with challengers.

Thus, some Constellations mark their challengers in various ways.

They ensure that disobedience comes with penalties, forcing compliance.

The gift he gave her, the 「Fallen Dancer’s Winged Attire (A)」, was no different.

It was equipment that would lose its power if the periodic tokens provided by the Constellation were not activated.

“Do you not like it?”

“N-No, it’s not that.”

Unaware of the sinister intent, Shadis blushed and changed into the outfit with trembling hands.

True to its A-grade status, she was amazed by the rapid increase in her stats upon equipping it.

She had no idea that her Constellation was recording every moment of her transformation.

‘Yes. For power, there are things I must endure.’

The shame was quickly neutralized by the surge of power coursing through her body.

She thought that if she endured a little longer, she could achieve her dreams and meet Reina with pride, filling her with hope.

“Shadis, congratulations on contracting with a Constellation, but are you really okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s all for our sake.”

From the moment she fell into the inescapable trap, the interference from her Constellation, the Whispering Serpent of Darkness, began in earnest.

It wasn’t limited to just battles.

Her Constellation began meddling in her daily life.

Her companions grew worried as they saw her rapidly changing over just a few days.

‘I have to endure. I must endure this.’

Shadis quickly realized that her Constellation wasn’t normal.

But each time, she endured the interference for the rewards that came with it. She had a more important goal than this.

“But that place…!”

“That’s where seasoned fighters gather. Grinding there will greatly improve your lacking skills.”

The Constellation demanded she go to an underground fighting arena, where fighters risked their lives.

“Winning solves everything. You can win.”

The Constellation knew she couldn’t win but still sent her underground.

Just to watch her lose and be taken as collateral, for his own voyeuristic pleasure.

‘It’s been a while since I had such a good show.’

The Whispering Serpent of Darkness, his real name Kedus.

He was one of the members active in the darker corners of Fate Road, where they harshly treated their contractors and shared their experiences.

“You can refuse if you want. It just means you don’t need my help.”

“…No. I’ll do as you say.”

Unable to shake off the Constellation’s coercion, which was essentially blackmail, Shadis headed to the underground arena.

At first, she won and rose through the ranks, but the Constellation kept demanding she raise the stakes and enter more duels.

And this place was structured so that no one could dominate indefinitely.

“Ugh…”

Shadis was sent flying after taking a direct knee kick to the stomach from her 11th opponent.

Having lost in a high-stakes match, she was now burdened with a massive debt to be paid with her body.

“What a lovely sight.”

Kedus chuckled as he recorded Shadis being dragged deeper underground, half-conscious, and uploaded it to the forum where he was active.

——————————————————————————————————————————

ㄴ“Petite build with tan skin? That’s exactly my type.”
ㄴ“A dark elf, huh? We’ll get even better pictures in the future.”

——————————————————————————————————————————

The users who shared his tastes reacted positively, further boosting his mood.

“Re-Reina-nim…!”

And at that very moment, Reina arrived unannounced on the 40th floor.

***

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[(Breaking News) Found Shadis’s current status. Just found it!]
ㄴ“Slave voyeur gallery? She really got caught by some lunatics.”
ㄴ“Why did she contract with such scum?”
ㄴ“Let’s be honest, no one was going to pick her anyway. She’s not at the level to attract a Constellation yet.”

——————————————————————————————————————————

The moment Kedus uploaded Shadis’s photo to Fate Road, the relationship between her and Kedus was inevitably exposed to other users.

Some of Reina’s gallery users scoured the community to find Shadis’s whereabouts and quickly discovered the photo Kedus had uploaded.

‘These lunatics.’

Reina, who witnessed this firsthand, was furious.

At the same time, she rubbed her arms, which were covered in goosebumps.

——————————————————————————————————————————

ㄴ“These lunatics are using their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity like this?”
ㄴ“Why do you think it’s once-in-a-lifetime? If they get bored, they’ll just kill her and find another contractor.”
ㄴ“Lol, if you’ve only been a Constellation for a few years, you’d be shocked. There are even deeper abysses than this.”

——————————————————————————————————————————

Reina’s comment was met with a flood of cynical replies.

This was Fate Road, the community of Constellations.

A place where beings from across the universe, who had been Constellations for as little as a few years to as long as millennia, gathered.

While some treated challengers climbing the Tower as future Constellations or living beings deserving of respect, there were just as many who saw them as nothing more than game characters to be raised and discarded at will.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
On the bright side, at least it covers the face. 

Less embarrassment that way, or more.