Return of the Shattered Constellation - Chapter 537: Star, the Beast (8)

Ooooooong!

The Mother Terra Celestial’s egg shook hard, wishing Chang-Sun would let go of her.

[The Mother Terra Celestial’s <Myth> is fiercely resisting you!]

[‘Avalokitesvara’s Golden Sutra Headband’ is suppressing the Mother Terra Celestial’s resistance.]

[‘Avalokitesvara’s Golden Sutra Headband’ is preventing the Mother Terra Celestial from using her curse.]

……

[The Mother Terra Celestial’s <Myth> howls deafeningly!]

[A dormant <Myth> among your <Myths> wants the Mother Terra Celestial’s <Myth>, which has been separated from her long ago.]

Ubbo-Sathla revealed her strong desire from the corner of Chang-Sun’s soul. Be it mortal or immortal, one’s instincts would always make one want to be complete. However, Ubbo-Sathla’s desire was even stronger than others. She even had a history of bringing down several Worldlines just to find her other half—the Mother Terra Celestial.

Since the Mother Terra Celestial was also planning to find Ubbo-Sathla and become complete after her resurrection, they were naturally drawn to each other. However, at this rate, they would end up meeting within Chang-Sun, whom the Mother Terra Celestial loathed.

Since her remaining self would disappear if this continued, the Mother Terra Celestial desperately struggled—no, she tried, but the chains around her egg kept stopping her.

Rattle! Rattle!

The harder the Mother Terra Celestial resisted, the tighter the chains around the egg became. After sneering at her for a while, Chang-Sun tilted the egg toward his face, pouring everything inside it from the hole on top of it into his mouth.

[The Mother Terra Celestial’s <Myth> begs you to stop what you are doing and says that she will give you anything you want in return.]

Gulp, gulp―!

Although it was somewhat sticky, Chang-Sun swallowed it all.

[The Mother Terra Celestial’s <Myth> screams, telling you to stop!]

Chang-Sun caught several glimpses of her eternity’s worth of <Myths>, which she had started accumulating after the universe’s creation. As it turned out, her <Myth> consisted of many <Myth> fragments. Among them were the <Myths> of the avatars whom she had sent out to every Worldline and Ymir’s and Audumla’s <Myths>, which Chang-Sun had lived through.

As her <Myths> were made, she accumulated Faith and extracted nourishments from the <Extinct> Worldlines. In addition, she had also stored a lot of energy, which she had planned to use to hatch her egg.

The <Myths> also contained the curse that had turned Tiamat into a Beast.

Every one of her <Myths> was magnificent. Hence, Chang-Sun could not take them lightly. If he made a mistake, his <Myths> could end up submerging within them.

Paahhhh―!

Since Chang-Sun had already experienced absorbing many <Star Fragments>, he found it easy to protect his identity and quell the Mother Terra Celestial’s <Myths>.

[Absorbing the Mother Terra Celestial’s <Myths>!]

No.

[A <Myth> of <Dawn> has started to sprout little by little.]

No. No. No. No. Please. Please. Please. Do. Not.

Paahhhh―!

After being absorbed into Chang-Sun’s <Myths>, the Mother Terra Celestial’s remaining energy, which had been befuddling him, finally died out.

Meanwhile, Chang-Sun shone brighter than ever, dyeing the entire Imaginary Plane with a bright scarlet light. Unlike <Twilight>, within which everything perished, he now emitted the radiance of <Dawn>, which appeared at every end to usher in a new beginning.

Crack, craaack―!

Bizarre sounds reverberated out of Chang-Sun as he began to undergo yet another change.

The cycle was a <Law of Nature> that no one could fight against. Following the cycle, a warm spring started at the end of every cold winter, and, just like the Mother Terra Celestial, every being dreamed of resurrection upon death. Likewise, a new <Dawn> naturally rose at the end of <Twilight>.

[<Dawn> has begun!]

A pool of scarlet light enveloped Chang-Sun.

Thuuud…!

At the same time, the Imaginary Plane crumbled down completely.

***

[You have been transported to the Server of Worldline #801.]

“Shit!”

“What in the world is happening?!”

“What about the Imaginary Plane? What happened to it?”

“The pathway has been completely shut.”

“For fuck’s sake!”

All the special unit members were bewildered. Ever since Chang-Sun had evicted them back to their original world, they had been trying to find a way to return to the Imaginary Plane. Unfortunately, they couldn’t nullify the eviction.

Helpless, all they could do was vent their frustration. Pabilsag, the most frustrated of them all, tried to maintain her composure by watching her mother, who was in her arms.

Tiamat sighed in extreme annoyance. “Screw you, my Celestial King heir. Now that I’ve thought about it, he never listened even when he had been a mortal. That must be why he started the <Myth War>.”

“… Is there really nothing we can do, Mother?”

Tiamat smiled bitterly and shook her head. “No, he already learned how to use Quirinale’s Wall. It’s similar to the Primordial Promise, which means we can’t really do anything about it.”

Pabilsag also knew about Pneuma’s Time and Quirinale’s Space. Hence, she was also well aware that they couldn’t do anything about it. Nevertheless, out of frustration, she had asked her mother just in case.

“Let’s just wait for now. He’ll get it done and return like he always does.”

As Pabilsag nodded with a heavy heart…

Crackkkkk!

“… He’s coming,” Tiamat murmured.

Pabilsag and the other special unit members turned, finding the empty air cracking and scarlet light seeping out from the crevices.

Paaaah―!

“… Twilight?” Pabilsag wondered.

Tiamat shook her head and calmly corrected her youngest daughter. “No, this is dawn.”

Craaaack!

The cracks continued to spread in the sky of <Heaven>, making it look as if it would crumble down at any moment. The scarlet light seeping out from the cracks dyed the sky red and changed its shape as radiant aurora poured out.

[The blessing of <Dawn> has been granted to the United Army.]

[All the curses on the United Army have vanished.]

[All the malicious Effects on the United Army have been removed.]

“Ah…!”

“This is…?”

In amazement, Pabilsag and the special unit watched the aurora. Not only was it very beautiful, but it also cleansed them of [Gaia’s Curse], which had started furtively affecting them during their march to the Imaginary Plane. Moreover, it also stabilized their Divine Classes and fixed any damages their <Myths> had sustained.

The Celestials felt vigorous. Tiamat’s hollow cheeks finally turned rosy. She could feel her <Myths>, which had been slowly disintegrating, fully recovering.

The severed Channeling between Tiamat and the Mother Terra Celestial was also repaired, but it no longer felt like the Mother Terra Celestial was at the other end of it. The Channeling, which used to be dark and wicked, was much brighter and clearer now.

Tiamat felt as if a star—one that warmed people’s hearts just by looking at it—had replaced the Mother Terra Celestial. Naturally, she could tell that it was Chang-Sun.

Realizing what Chang-Sun was doing, she chuckled dumbfoundedly. ‘… Did he become my Guardian or something?’

After rejecting all the proposals to become her husband, he chose to twinkle above her head instead.

‘… Well, this isn’t so bad—no, maybe this is better.’ Tiamat smiled. From now on, wherever she was, Chang-Sun would always be there to keep an eye on her.

To express her gratitude, she bowed to her new master.

Woosh!

At that moment, the light of <Dawn> grew even brighter.

[The blessing of <Dawn> is shining down on Worldline #801!]

After brushing past the special unit, the aurora spread across the vast universe.

***

Meanwhile, on Earth….

“Huh…? Sunset?”

“In broad daylight?”

“Is this… another abnormal result of climate change or something? I’m worried.”

“It feels really heartwarming for some reason, though.”

“You’re right… Looking at it is very therapeutic.”

People stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sky, which was now enveloped in a bright scarlet light. Drivers hit the brakes and pedestrians stopped in their tracks to stare at the elegant view. Those inside their homes or offices opened up windows to experience the mystical phenomenon.

Among them was Cha Ye-Eun, who had frozen up upon quickly realizing that the light belonged to her lover.

“Sun…?” she murmured.

“What is it, seonbae?” Jin Seok-Tae asked in concern as he approached her. “Did something happ—!”

However, before he could finish what he was saying, Ye-Eun held up her hand, signaling him to give her a moment.

Seok-Tae tilted his head in confusion, but his eyes soon widened. Ye-Eun was going through a change.

Paahhhhh―!

The moment the scarlet aurora enveloped Ye-Eun…

Click, click!

… the sound of locks being unlocked echoed over and over. Eventually, Ye-Eun began faintly exuding divine power.

[All your restrictions have been deactivated.]

[The suppressed ‘Gaia’s Curse’ has been undone, nullifying all the malicious Effects on you.]

[All the curses and <Fate> that were restricting your soul have disappeared.]

…

[Your magic organ is recovering.]

[Your mana is turning into divine power.]

…

[Your lost Divine Ranks are slowly being restored!]

The aurora did not only undo Ye-Eun’s [Gaia’s Curse] but also restored the origin that served as the reason behind Ye-Eun’s birth.

―Ithaca.

Ye-Eun was returning to her old self. Her hair turned radiant golden, and her eyes sparkled like starlight. Her divinity made people feel bliss and worship her at the same time.

Mesmerized by how mystical Ye-Eun looked, Seok-Tae unknowingly went down on one knee and bowed. It wasn’t just him. Everyone around them also bowed at her.

The goddess who had saved the poor in Arcadia and consoled the hearts of those under persecution had descended once more.

Paahhhhh!

Right after, Chang-Sun quietly landed in front of Ye-Eun, enveloped in the scarlet aurora. He looked like the god a legend stated to have brought light to humans from high in the sky.

Ye-Eun murmured Chang-Sun’s past name. “Lucifer, Bringer of Light.”

Lucifer, also known as Luciel, was the <Morning Star> that brightened up dawns. However, when he wished to do the same for this land, he tragically plummeted due to a curse inflicted by Celestials. Fortunately, after a long exuviation and a cold winter, a serpent climbed aboveground, causing sprouts to grow during the warm spring. At the end of the next dawn, the <Morning Star> now had to do the same and rise to the skies once more.

Chang-Sun looked at Ye-Eun. Much like her, he had reawakened and regained his past self.

[The Celestial ‘Universal Dawn’ reaches out to you.]

‘Universal Dawn.’ That had to be his new Divine Name.

“Ithaca, let’s go bring our son back,” Chang-Sun said with a smile.