Return of the Shattered Constellation - Chapter 539: Celestial King, the Father and Son Reunion (2)

“Ahhh… My home…! Our furnace is…!”

“Odin! Odiiiin!”

“This is… how our world is going to fall…”

<Myrkheim>, which was also called <Nidavellir>’, had once offered Odin [Gungnir] and [Mjolnir] after Odin ascended to Bestla’s Celestial King throne. However, <Myrkheim> had declared independence after the fall of Odin and <Asgard> and then chosen seclusion, so almost no one in <Heaven> remembered them anymore.

Now, the long seclusion and peace of <Myrkheim> was brought to an end by Odin, who remembered their exact coordinates. Just as he had arrived at <Vanaheim> on [Hringhorni] to conquer them, he had also invaded <Myrkheim>.

“I! Curse you! I curse you, Odiiiin!” Motsognir, the King of <Myrkheim>, screamed at the top of his lungs, tied up in chains. He was covered in wounds and blood, leaving his Divine Class in a very precarious position.

Standing in front of him, Odin crossed his arms and quietly laughed. “I offered you several chances to become my loyal subject again, just like old times. If you had said yes, none of this tragedy would have taken place.”

Dark smoke spread throughout the divine ground as the <Ten Knights> rapidly tore down <Myrkheim>.

Watching the scene unfold, Odin clicked his tongue. “It’s a shame. I was hoping to make a new [Gungnir].”

After defeating Tiamat and founding the Allied Army, Odin’s Divine Class had grown even higher than it was in the past. That was why he needed a relic that could withstand his divine power as he used his magic. Unfortunately, Odin’s treasured [Gungnir] was in Chang-Sun’s possession now and had also earned a new name, the [Dawn Spear]. Odin could not get it back even if he wanted to, so he had come to this place by retracing his old memories…

It looked as if Odin would have to wait longer to get a new [Gungnir]. The famous <Supreme Sacred Light> Furnace of <Myrkheim> had collapsed and many of the <Society> Celestials had been killed. It would take quite a long time to restore the damage.

Odin clicked his tongue in disapproval of the current situation. He was well aware of how Chang-Sun had risen above their <Punishment> and become an entirely new being. Chang-Sun’s new Divine Name, ‘Universe Dawn’, was also filled with grandeur. A bridge between day and night! Instead of <Twilight>, a time in which everything perished, his new Divine Name had <Dawn>, a time of renewal. It had to mean that Chang-Sun was a lot closer to becoming an Emperor, which would be a problem for Odin.

‘Becoming the one and only version of oneself means that a person has to merge all their past karmas in the end,’ Odin thought.

He was certain that he and Chang-Sun were the ones with the greatest potential to achieve oneness. Of course, Hsan, Perkwunos, Nemea, and Asclepius had also been among the best prospective candidates to be an Emperor. However, all of them had made one mistake by running away, unable to overcome the <Fate> imposed upon them.

It was different for Chang-Sun and Odin. They had always fought, and were still fighting right now. The unending desire to rise higher was the ultimate way to overcome all trials and tribulations in the end. Nevertheless, only one person could reach the end of this path, and Odin was determined to be that person.

In order to proceed with his plan, Odin needed primordial magic, of the sort that was passed on only within <Vanaheim> and the relic-creation ability of <Myrkheim>.

A man wearing a lion mask approached Odin, looking noticeably annoyed; it was Nemea. He said, “…This isn’t what we agreed upon. It was the same with Bel-Marduk. Is it a problem with the version of me from this Worldline, or is everyone with this soul trash?”

Nemea had abandoned the falling <Horoscope> without hesitation and joined Odin’s forces, along with the Star Signs who were loyal to him. The terms Nemea had given to Odin were the same as what he had asked of Bel-Marduk.

“Let me rescue my son. Then I’ll swear my loyalty for the rest of my life.”

“You’re being impatient. Don’t worry. I’ll be able to keep the promise we made without a problem,” Odin answered with a shrug.

“What are you talking about?” Nemea frowned slightly behind the mask, his eyes blazing with anger.

If Odin was only speaking nonsense, Nemea had no intention to stand down any longer.

“I already told you, I’m going to build a key that will lead us to Yog-Sothoth’s domain where your—no, our son is locked up.” Odin remained calm as he explained, “I need the ability to traverse all Worldlines and beyond, so I have to pursue ‘Resident of the Border’; that means our goals align.”

“Yes, they do, but the furnace needed to build the key is burning.”

“Yes, the furnace was destroyed, but not all of it has disappeared.”

“What do you mean?”

Odin turned to look off to the side; Nemea did the same and saw Motsognir, who was bound in chains, glaring at them.

“<Myrkheim> is a world of fire and iron, so it’s the paradise all blacksmiths hope to reach someday. And the <Myrkheim> King is worshiped as a Conceptual Celestial who represents the resolve of fire and iron.”

“…!” Nemea’s eyes widened as he realized what Odin was hinting at.

Clink!

Motsognir also understood what was being said after listening to Odin; he tried to spring to his feet to choke Odin to death. However, the chains connected to the ground tightened, restricting his movement. In the end, the only thing Motsognir could do was extend his arm toward Odin and scream, “You…! You! Odiiiin!”

“Disintegrating a <Myth> creates a great amount of energy. I wonder how much energy the resolve of fire and iron will create.” Odin put his hand on Motsognir’s head with an emotionless expression.

“I’m going to kill youuuuu! I! Even if I die, I’ll find a way to kill…!”

“Do as you wish.” Odin tightened his grip, crushing Motsognir’s head.

Crack!

Craaaaash!

With a sound that resembled a shattering glass window, Motsognir’s Divine Class was destroyed. His soul particles flickered as they formed a whirlpool, and a pillar of fire soared from the center. Looking at the fire, which was as strong as the one from the <Supreme Sacred Light> Furnace of <Myrkheim>, Odin murmured, “I wonder how strong a grudge will be held by a relic made from burning up a <Society>.”

Whoooshhhh―!

As the intense fire engulfed the deceased Celestials’ souls and slowly reached the edges of the divine ground, Nemea thought, ‘A little longer… Hold on just a little longer, my son. I’m coming for you.’

***

‘Resident of the Border’ was the owner of the border between the Great Universe and the Outer Universe. In addition, he ruled over Nyx on behalf of <Dull Darkness>. Despite having the ability to become an Emperor, the king of Outer Celestials insisted on keeping his current position because he could not dare to stand at the same level as his great father. That was the being who stood before Chang-Sun now.

Took. You. Long. Enough.

Yog-Sothoth looked straight into Chang-Sun’s eyes.

Hsan. Gave. Up. Himself. Perkwunos. Put. Hope. Future. Outcome. Of. All. Your. Resolve. From. Inside. Outside. Reached.

Oooooong―! Oooooong―!

Yog-Sothoth poured his energy out onto Chang-Sun without any regard for how he would respond. It was incomparably stronger than that of other Outer Celestials, and the energy also contained a massive amount of information. However, Chang-Sun was well past the point of being negatively affected by it.

You.

Yog-Sothoth was saying that many Lee Chang-Suns had been brought to their knees before their <Punishment> and yet had gathered their will, creating ‘Universal Dawn’.

You. Are. Facing. Last. Threshold.

The part about the last threshold reminded Chang-Sun of the Demiurge Project, which was the plan made by <Deus Ex Machina> that Chang-Sun had heard about some time ago. Perhaps Yog-Sothoth was volunteering to be the last threshold right now. While he was the current ruler of Nyx, he was also the gate that connected the Great and Outer Universes.

Yog-Sothoth’s role actually overlapped with Chang-Sun’s in many ways. As a <Supreme Light’s Face> and the subordinate of <Dull Darkness>, Chang-Sun belonged to both Eros and Nyx. In other words, Yog-Sothoth was the gate, and Chang-Sun was the bridge. That seemed to be the reason why Yog-Sothoth wanted to see if Chang-Sun had the potential to actually become one.

‘…Yog-Sothoth can observe not only the universe but also time. Did he see that I would stand here one day?’

Chang-Sun had a feeling that perhaps Yog-Sothoth had made Peter his apostle as a part of his very grand plan.

So. I. Ask. You.

Chang-Sun became tense. Everything he had done until now would become futile if he failed Yog-Sothoth’s test. Perhaps he had saved Cha Ye-Eun, but he could not say that all his endeavors were successful if he failed to rescue his son.

What Chang-Sun had wanted for a long time was a complete family. That had always been his goal ever since he first ended up on Arcadia, but he had never been able to achieve it. During his time on Earth, he already had his father’s affection, his mother’s warmth, and his siblings’ love. However, he had ruined the dear family he already had because of his selfishness. Only after coming to Arcadia had Chang-Sun realized what kind of treasure he had lost.

That was why he had created a new family for himself, but it had not taken long for him to lose them again due to his inadequate power. Losing Cadmus and Ithaca had caused Chang-Sun to live only for a vendetta, but once again, he had realized too late that he also had Crom Cruach, Xerxes, and Kali by his side at the time.

Chang-Sun had always been like that. His dear family had always been right by his side, but it always took him a very long time to realize it, perhaps because of his foolishness. That was why he wanted to avoid ever repeating such an experience again.

Even though he had seen countless Worldlines, Chang-Sun had never gotten to see one in which he, his wife, and his son smiled together. However, that was the very future he wished to build with Ye-Eun and Peter.

Just then, Chang-Sun felt a soft touch on his hand. As Ye-Eun grabbed Chang-Sun’s hands, she nodded at him, reassuring him that he would do a great job and succeed as he had always done.

Chang-Sun pulled himself together and looked at Yog-Sothoth, waiting for the question. Hsan looked back and forth between Chang-Sun and Yog-Sothoth, his eyes filled with bitterness for some reason.

If. You. Could. Have. Your. Son. Back. What. Would. You. Give. Up. In. Return.