Ch.5757. Encounter (2)

# “Title: Who’s the Most F*cked Up Constellation You’ve Encountered While Playing?

(Incarnation of the Black Sun)

-This bastard, for sure

This asshole has ridiculously high base stats, and his mindless rushing is truly f*cked up

└LOL Black Sun is definitely f*cked up

└From a newbie perspective, encountering Black Sun is a disaster, for real”

# “Title: Who Called Me?

(Image of a burning lion religious symbol)

-The super f*cked up Fiery Cat has arrived!

I’ll burn everything if you mess with me!

I deal fixed damage so I can cook your believers to your desired doneness!

└I think this one is more f*cked up than Black Sun

└At least our Fiery Cat is a ‘real’ sun, unlike that ‘fake’ Black Sun LOL

└So Dungeon lovers are now doing popularity contests for Constellations too?

└Well… that’s the romance of it”

# “Title: I Don’t Care About Any of That

-I think I know what all these f*cked up Constellations have in common

Fixed damage << This gut-wrenching stat adjustment is truly hell;

Like seriously, fight fair with your weight class

Isn’t it normal to lose if you’re weaker?

Why do you have to hit so painfully with fixed damage after getting your ass kicked?

└Constellations bite when cornered

└Constellations aren’t cats LOL

└They do have cat-like qualities though

└Come to think of it, they’re all pretty feisty LOL

└Hmm… possible

└(Image of a divine manifestation with multiple tentacles)

└Oh shit, impossible

└Look at how quickly he backed off LOL”

# “Title: But Did You Know?

The Constellations mentioned above are just commoners LOL

You all haven’t forgotten ‘that bastard,’ right?

└Who’s ‘that bastard’?

└You don’t know ‘that bastard’?

└Wow, smells like a newbie

└The smell of innocence is overwhelming

└Just come in and lalalalala LOL

└??? What’s that supposed to mean

└Admin, please get rid of this inappropriate content

└Ah… that bastard…

└Don’t try to find out…

└You’ll know soon enough anyway”

“Wait.”

Before the five apostles of the Constellations entered the dungeon—

One apostle expressed doubt.

“Is this the right path?”

“…”

Ragnis turned around and examined the five priests.

They still didn’t fully trust her.

Understandable.

To them, she was nothing more than an outsider.

“Adventurers seem to use a different entrance. Why are we taking a different route?”

“Because it’s better not to attract attention. This path was also arranged by our Constellation.”

“…You expect us to believe that?”

What if they used this suspicious portal and ended up somewhere they couldn’t return from?

One of the priests fell into serious contemplation.

“Let’s just do it.”

“No, we can’t just blindly—”

“Our Constellation has approved this. There’s no reason to change our minds now.”

“But still…”

Ragnis’s gaze turned toward the priest who had been expressing doubts.

Yellow eyes, white hair.

A distinctive appearance that couldn’t possibly be mistaken for a common human.

‘How annoying.’

While the other apostles wanted to proceed quickly, citing time constraints and revelations, this white-haired apostle kept delaying things.

Ragnis knew.

The more time they had to think, the more disadvantageous it would be for her.

So the method Ragnis chose was—

“If you’re uncomfortable, you can stop here. I’ll continue with apostles who share the same goal.”

“…”

“There are already followers of the Father God desperate to clear the dungeon. I fear they might exploit the Absolute One’s only weakness.”

There’s no business like time business.

When she targeted the priests’ most sensitive point, there was no more resistance.

“Entering the dungeon.”

Passing through a status window invisible to them, she felt divine power penetrating her body.

The distinctive, alien energy of the dungeon.

After briefly surrendering to it, her vision quickly faded.

‘…Ugh.’

Ragnis trembled momentarily at the unusual form of magical power she had never experienced before.

Then, she sensed someone’s presence beside her.

“…?!”

‘It’s okay.’

A familiar voice and energy.

In her gradually brightening vision, she saw a figure wearing a mask as always, looking at her.

The Constellation, who never revealed their face, emanated an overwhelming presence as they gazed at Ragnis.

“Well done.”

“I…”

“Honestly, I was worried halfway through, but this is a great success.”

The master of the Black Abyss raised a hand toward Ragnis.

“Casting ‘Intermediate Blessing’.”

-Saaah…

Divine power created from the Constellation’s energy blessed Ragnis.

A euphoria beyond her control dominated Ragnis as the power penetrated her body.

“Haah.”

After shuddering from the unfamiliar sensation, she quickly regained her composure.

Once again, Ragnis knelt before the master of the Black Abyss.

‘Her recovery is impressive.’

Ron, the master of the Black Abyss, briefly admired his follower’s adaptability.

Normally, even the most talented individuals needed time to digest such a direct infusion of divine power.

“I’ll handle the rest.”

The Black Abyss’s objective had been fully achieved.

“Ragnis, just keep walking straight to the center of the dungeon.”

Just that?

Ragnis knew how complex the structure of this dungeon was.

“I shall obey.”

But her counterpart was a Constellation.

Deeply reminded that normal common sense didn’t apply to such beings, Ragnis bowed her head deeply.

“Yes. Good work.”

Although the real work hadn’t even begun, Ron praised her efforts and dissolved the mental realm.

-Slowly…

As her hazy senses returned, her consciousness came back to reality.

Before Ragnis’s eyes was the familiar scenery of the dungeon.

“…This is.”

“God, this is frustrating. Move aside.”

“The portal is quite limited in size, so please understand…”

The elf’s gaze examined the people who had just arrived.

People who were foolishly chattering among themselves, unable to imagine what was about to unfold.

‘Humans really are…’

With a strange sense of superiority, Ragnis decided to guide them to their final destination.

#

“…Are we really going the right way?”

“You’re still doubting even after coming this far?”

“No… we should verify that things are being handled properly.”

“Hmm… I also feel something’s off.”

Finally, when the group’s leader, a large-bodied priest, detected the dissonance, the five apostles stopped in their tracks.

“We all have dungeon experience, right? Have you ever seen so few monsters in what’s supposed to be a safe zone?”

Dungeons mobilize everything they can to eliminate intruders.

Traps, monsters, and other devious methods.

However, the area they had passed through showed no signs of disturbance despite covering a considerable distance.

It was as if something was maintaining an uneasy peace to lure them in.

“…”

The elf leading the way stopped abruptly at their words.

When she turned around, her face showed no emotion, like a doll.

It was dry and cold, like looking at someone already dead.

“What difference does it make if you realize it now?”

“…What?”

A moment of silence.

“Tch.”

The white-haired priest, belatedly understanding the situation, immediately lunged forward.

His target was the elf’s neck.

He had to stop her before she could make any move—

It had been wrong from the beginning.

From the moment she helped his group at the checkpoint.

‘How?’

How could she have known their movements so precisely?

This might also be an ability of the Constellation the elf served.

‘Oh Chaos.’

However.

Since she was more confident than anyone in combat using divine power—

She swung her sword without hesitation to finish off the elf.

-Whoosh!

But due to the black flames suddenly surrounding the elf, she could only hastily withdraw.

“Run!”

The apostle shouted, looking back.

“No.”

The apostles, belatedly realizing the situation, took their stances one by one to engage in battle.

Ragnis found them laughable.

Young lambs, ignorant and unaware of their own predicament.

“Black Abyss. Take the lives of these foolish beings.”

“…!”

The five apostles attacked her simultaneously, but Ragnis’s form disappeared instantly before their attacks could connect.

That wasn’t all that happened.

The entire dungeon became shrouded in darkness, and no matter how many holy spells they cast, their light wouldn’t return.

“This, this is…”

“A trap.”

“Who’s asking because they don’t know?! We’re now—”

“Kyaaaah!!”

One of them let out a tearing scream.

The startled apostles looked at their companion, but her sanity was already gone.

“I-I can’t feel it!! I can’t feel the Constellation’s divine power!!”

The divine power that had been connected to their minds suddenly vanished.

For a believer, separation from their Constellation was equivalent to death.

-Graaaah!!

A painful howl came from somewhere.

It seemed familiar, as if they had heard it before.

However, as the sound faded, it severed the divine power from the believers, something they never imagined could be tainted by “fear.”

They could no longer deny it.

That the owner of that painful howl was their own Constellation.

Their minds sank into deep madness.

Soon, the five apostles of the Constellations lost consciousness in the profound void.

#

“Kiyathou!”

I let out a joyful cheer to announce the success of the operation.

Confused gazes were fixed on me from all directions.

-…Huh?

-The, the Absolute One?

-Impossible. How…?

The Constellations who suddenly faced me expressed foolish doubts.

“Found you.”

I faced them with the brightest smile.

-Run, run away.

“Not happening.”

I immediately manipulated the settings screen to delete the ‘Exit’ button.

Once within the range of my abilities, all control of the current situation had passed to me.

If they felt wronged, they should have raised their progress by spending real money.

“Incarnation of the Black Sun: Familiar names.”

After confirming the names of the five Constellations, each exuding their unique personalities, I realized they were all well-known figures.

“So you all wanted to mess with me that badly.”

-W-wait. We can improve the situation in a more peaceful way.

Peace is good.

Isn’t that why I came all this way? To maintain peace?

-We can’t escape from this void space…!

-Impossible! This is an independent world we created ourselves!

“You may enter as you please, but leaving is what?”

Naturally, there was no answer.

Like the believers who were now dazed in the corner of the dungeon, they too were confused and struggling to grasp the situation.

“Well then.”

First, I decided to give them an opportunity.

A generous opportunity to voluntarily join the Absolute One Company.

“Anyone who wants to be my friend.”

I’ll select just one, first come first served.

“Raise your hand.”