Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 216

Loki, riding in a carriage, entered the capital of Asgard.

Boo-oooooooom-!

The sound of a horn echoed.

“Waaaaaaaah!”

Soldiers were lined up from the entrance of the capital, and among them, countless Asgardians reached out, eagerly welcoming Loki’s return.

“It’s the Constellation!”

“He has returned to save us!”

Loki opened the window, revealing himself in his jet-black armor.

He lightly waved his hand.

In response, the cheers grew even louder.

Rumors were rife that Asgard’s decline was imminent due to the invasion of the corrupted Constellations and the plague.

But now, with Loki’s return, Asgard saw hope.

He had judged the corrupted lord in the Kelpel territory and displayed his might by hunting angels in the Ner territory.

They believed that Asgard’s counterattack had begun.

The carriage stopped at Valhalla Palace.

Aum was there as Loki got out of the carriage.

He was smiling, but his eye muscles were twitching.

Loki reflexively avoided his gaze.

He casually averted his eyes and waved to the cheering crowd.

“Constellation-nim [term of respect]. You’ve brought in some troublesome forces.”

“Aum. We’re in front of the followers. Smile. Smile.”

“…I am smiling, but my face is naturally contorting.”

“Heh, what if that handsome face gets distorted? You’ll age quickly.”

“……!”

Aum pressed hard on his forehead.

He really felt like he was aging faster because of this master.

He recalled the spirits Hans had brought.

「Oooooh! It’s my first time in the North!」

「Is this a country where the Ain [a type of being] also can live…?」

「I’ll have to see for myself if this is a place where Sallett-nim would be!」

The revolutionaries of the underworld.

「…I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?」

「Captain Karen will take care of it. Just hold on a little longer.」

“……”

The Cyclops and Dark Elves from the southern Forest of Death.

Aum groaned, recalling the forces that were like an evil army straight out of a fairy tale.

“Ugh… How on earth did you manage to bring them?!”

Aum honestly couldn’t decide whether to be happy or sad about this.

Asgard had been in great danger due to Loki’s disappearance.

After he disappeared, the corrupted Constellations began to show signs of invading Asgard while engaging in full-scale activities.

‘Destroy the evil empire, Asgard! Glory to the Constellations!’

‘Annihilate the destroyers who will destroy the world!’

As the enemy’s forces gradually grew, a full-fledged danger began to approach.

Then Loki appeared, leading monsters he had never seen before.

This was a force that couldn’t even be compared to the invasion of the Holy Order.

But the problem was—.

‘It really feels like our Asgard has become an evil empire!?’

It wasn’t a normal legion.

There were already rumors circulating that Loki was the one who caused chaos in the world.

Even though the Holy Order came under Asgard and Pope Zaus took his place, many countries blamed Asgard for the increasing chaos.

What if this force appeared in the midst of all this?

The image of an evil army destroying the world would be further reinforced.

“Well, what about it?”

“……”

“We’re even fostering necromancers.”

“No, this is on a different level…”

“So, are you going to kick them out? Those people…?”

“……”

Aum recalled the army of spirits.

「Oooooh! Great Chieftain. We meet Aum Linnea-nim!」

Among the spirits, the Nord warriors knelt and bowed their heads when they saw Aum.

「The great Constellation has saved us from the underworld. I heard you are preparing for a holy war? We will join you!」

…To think that there would be Nord spirits who used to follow him…!

“…The scale is too large to accept them all.”

“Let’s just throw away some of them?”

“It’s not about throwing them away, it’s just… letting them be.”

“But each and every one of them is a big shot?”

“……”

“Besides, the Constellation Kanus, who is called the God of Blacksmiths, has followers who are quite skilled artisans. The weapons they make are considerable. The supply of weapons will be even faster than now.”

Not only that.

They also brought in a large amount of ore from the underworld.

If they used that, they could manufacture even better weapons and armor in large quantities.

“Most of all, it doesn’t cost anything to maintain and doesn’t require food.”

Aum’s eyes wavered at those words.

An army that doesn’t cost anything to maintain and doesn’t need food in war?

It was truly a dream and fantasy army!

“Haa, but the spirits attack the living…”

“They don’t attack.”

“Really?”

“Helga is there, so their hunger is being controlled. Of course, there are other reasons too.”

Loki recalled the purification stone of the underworld.

The spirits who drank the water made from that stone were purified, and their hunger for life disappeared.

‘…Besides, Zaus said that if he weaponized it, he could do anything.’

It is a stone that turns ordinary water into a mass of divine power.

Depending on how it is used, it can become a powerful force.

“…Then, send at least the Cyclops away. If we handle those monsters, our allied forces will be afraid.”

“They can’t be hunted with ordinary weapons. One of them can easily take on dozens of ogres. Above all, their eyes are filled with magic. If you look at or meet their eyes, your body will freeze. There is no better weapon than this in a large-scale war.”

“……”

“Besides, their recovery ability is excellent. Their skin, teeth, bones, and nails are truly useful.”

“…How am I supposed to persuade the priests of the Holy Order…?”

“I’ll leave that to you and Zaus.”

“I’ll try my best.”

Aum eventually surrendered.

He was reluctant because of Asgard’s image, but in fact, he had to see it as good luck that such a force was coming in.

“Haa, before that, a plague has spread in this Asgard. How are we going to solve that…?”

“I’m going to solve that problem as soon as possible.”

To do that, he is thinking of using that monster army now.

***

Loki visited Zaus’s laboratory to meet him.

“Every time I come here, I feel this…”

There are numerous libraries and research materials.

In the center, there was a brazier and a cauldron, and a gaunt hand was sticking out of the cauldron.

Around it, mutant angels who seemed to have been used as test subjects were trapped in cages, crying out to be saved.

Loki looked at them and turned his gaze to Zaus.

“Are you really the Holy Emperor?”

Was the title of Demon King wrongly given?

Zaus was standing in front of the cauldron.

Zaus glanced at Loki and dipped his gaunt hand into the cauldron, taking something out.

An angel was writhing there, melted down.

「I have something to show you.」

“……?”

Zaus took out the mutant angel and threw it into a nearby cage.

Zaus sprinkled holy water on the experimental angel, who didn’t even have the strength to stand up.

Then, the angel’s melted body began to recover.

「Before experimenting on these guys, I put an incurable curse on them.」

“……”

Loki recalled the mutant angels he had captured.

None of them had recovered.

「If they run away, I even plucked their wings so they can be easily caught. But look.」

The hideously melted skin was regenerated, and the wings grew feathers full of divine power.

「This is the power of the purification stone made by the Constellation Azellan. With this, you can temporarily prevent the plague in Asgard.」

“…Amazing.”

「Your potion had the same power. Seeing that, I feel that you are really the last Constellation left by Azellan.」

“……”

「But no matter how much holy water is made from the purification stone, it cannot overcome the plague of Asgard. As long as the plague powder continues to fly in the sky, the epidemic will continue to spread. So, the source of the plague, the Constellation of the Earth, Gaian, must be eliminated. It will only end if you kill her.」

“Do you know where that Constellation is?”

「There is news that she was discovered in Kaprik. Ah, and—.」

Zaus took out a transparent bottle.

There was a white earthworm wriggling there.

Loki knew what it was.

“Worm Fest…”

「I have completed what you wanted. If you put this holy water in it….」

When he opened the lid and sprinkled the holy water, the earthworm absorbed it and scattered divine power around it.

「It eliminates the side effect of seizures and gives powerful life at the same time. It grants the user the strong strength, speed, and regeneration ability that you desire. There is no problem even if it is introduced into the army right now.」

Zaus looked at Loki and smiled, curving his blazing eyes like a crescent moon.

「How is it?」

“Good.”

Loki was very satisfied.

「I don’t know how many months I’ve been working on this day and night to make this a success. Now rest—.」

“I have something to show you.”

Loki took out a magic book.

It was an interesting book he picked up in Kelpel.

He held out the cursed magic book that turned humans into half-human, half-beast monsters.

“Is this also usable?”

「I want to take a break, but….」

Zaus was talking, but he showed interest in the magic book.

But after a while, he shook his head.

「It’s impossible for me.」

“Is that so?”

「No one can follow me when it comes to divine power. However, when it comes to curses like this, rather than this body….」

Zaus stroked his jawbone with his finger bones.

「Isn’t there someone who has a connection with you?」

At those words, Loki thought of Helga.

No one could follow her when it came to curses and black magic.

“I’ll have to ask that guy. But…”

Loki grabbed and lifted the Worm Fest in the bottle.

A wriggling worm from his finger.

Looking at it, Loki looked at Zaus.

“Is this usable right now?”

Zaus’s eyes curved like a crescent moon.

「Of course.」

***

Hiccup….

“Ah, I caught it again.”

Isolation room of Valhalla Academy.

Sharin was forcibly confined to her room, feeling like she was trapped in a solitary cell.

She sniffled, covering her nose with the back of her hand.

She had been treated with a potion a while ago, but she caught it again.

As an Einherjar trainee [a warrior chosen to fight in the afterlife], she was able to receive potions, but every time she received them, she had to endure the supply officer’s sharp eyes.

She felt acutely that they were giving her the look of, ‘Hey, stop getting sick. Can’t you take care of yourself?’

Moreover, the supply itself had been reduced to ensure the safety of the capital… so she had entered self-isolation altogether.

“Ha! Does anyone think I want to catch it?”

At least she was better off.

Her partner, Egil, had caught it several times and had been living in his room for days.

Knock knock—.

“Who is it?”

Sharin asked with a nasal voice.

She blew her nose with a handkerchief and recomposed her voice.

An unexpected answer came.

“It’s me.”

‘Constellation-nim?’

It’s Loki’s voice.

‘Did he come to visit me?’

If so, I’m happy.

At least she had been living alone for days without talking to anyone.

She had made some connections on this remote island, but she had not made deep connections like friends.

That’s why she was happy that someone had come to see her.

Sharin smiled and tried to open the door, but her expression collapsed in an instant.

‘Ah….’

She felt powerless.

She wanted to belong to this country and make contributions, and be helpful to someone.

But instead of making contributions, she was only receiving help.

For a moment, Sharin’s hand lost strength and hesitated to open the door.

“Can I come in?”

After much deliberation, Sharin opened the door.