Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 230

Salad stood in the wide-open space. Before her lay the remnants of her work, and behind her stood Helga. Hidden in the bushes beyond the forest, the Demon King Kalib and Yura secretly observed their daughter.

“Begin,” Helga instructed.

At Helga’s word, Salad reached out her hand. As she chanted the spell, magical power flowed from her fingertips.

The remains stirred, then rose. Bones pieced themselves together, emitting a dark red aura. These weren’t just ordinary skeletons; they were Death Knights, higher-level undead, rising one by one.

Helga nodded, seemingly satisfied with the spectacle. “…Excellent.”

“Hoo…” Salad withdrew her hand.

The Death Knights knelt before her, bowing their heads.

“How long… will this last?” Salad asked.

“That depends on what you do,” Helga replied, her gaze unwavering. Having learned necromancy under Helga’s tutelage, Salad was improving rapidly.

She was skilled with a bow but less adept at close combat. Recently, she had been learning dagger techniques from Yura and the Demon King Kalib, but her defenses remained vulnerable. That’s why she decided to create guardians to protect herself.

‘If they were Death Knights, they could effectively defend me, allowing me to attack from the rear without worry.’ She mused. ‘They should be able to hold out against the Constellations [powerful celestial beings] for at least a few minutes.’ Then they could be of some help to Asgard, and to Loki as well.

“…Is it a bit difficult?”

After a few minutes, Salad was sweating, her brow furrowed with concentration. She turned her head to Helga.

Helga offered a faint smile. “Endure it.”

“……”

Just as Salad was starting to groan, the bushes rustled. Salad’s ears perked up. A familiar footstep. It was Loki.

She turned her head and saw Loki approaching. Helga greeted him.

“What’s the matter, Senior?”

“I have a gift to give.”

“A gift?” Helga looked at Loki in surprise, wondering what he could possibly be offering.

Loki held out a book.

“This is…?”

“A magic book.”

“…So it seems,” Helga said with a hint of disappointment, accepting the book. She opened it and quickly scanned the contents. “It’s a curse?”

“Yes, it’s a magic book detailing a transformation into a half-human, half-beast, obtained from Kelfel. What do you think of it?”

“…Crude.”

“Crude?”

“Yes. Who made this? If it’s this sloppy, the user’s life force will be drained to death. Or they’ll have to drain the life force of others to barely maintain their life.”

At those words, Loki smiled. Indeed, she could see through the curse immediately.

“Can you eliminate the side effects?”

“Hmm… it’s possible.”

“Is it possible to introduce it to the army?”

Helga made a disgusted face. ‘He’s pursuing something different again.’

“You’re going to introduce this?”

“I plan to introduce it to the Berserker Warriors [elite warriors known for their frenzied fighting style]. Is it possible?”

“…Then they need to know how to use magic. Before that, they need to gather magic power.”

“I see. Magic first?”

“No. They only need to know how to gather magic power in their hearts. It’s not a curse that requires a lot of magic power… However…”

“However?”

“Instead of gaining powerful strength for a very short time, it will consume a tremendous amount of stamina.”

At those words, the corners of Loki’s lips curled up.

“That’s good.”

“……”

‘Ah, I shouldn’t have said that,’ Helga regretted speaking so freely.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“What will you do if I grant it?”

“I’ll take you on the next trip. Ah! I mean a trip that’s not a war.”

“…Okay.” Helga nodded and held the magic book in her arms.

Loki turned his gaze to Salad. She was sitting on the floor, exhausted. The Death Knights looked at her and tilted their heads.

“Are you training?”

“Yes…”

“You look tired.”

“Very.”

Even as Salad spoke, her concentration was wavering, and some of the Death Knights collapsed.

“Oh, you’ve gained quite a bit of skill.”

“…Yes.” Salad closed her eyes as she spoke. Concentrate. Concentrate.

“Excellent. Quite…”

…Don’t talk to me. Salad wanted to say that. She needed to concentrate, but she couldn’t help but get distracted when he kept talking to her. Even now, she was so tired that she was dizzy.

‘Just a little more and it’s a new record.’ She had never maintained this many Death Knights for this long. If she held on a little longer, it would prove that she was gradually growing.

“Salad.”

“…What?” Salad opened her eyes. Her voice unconsciously rose in tone as she turned her head. In her sight was a sapling planted in a very small and cute pot.

“It’s a gift.”

At those words, the Death Knights collapsed.

***

Next, Loki headed to where Kudan was. The end of the mountain range behind Asgard’s capital. A blizzard raged. The cold was so intense that it was hard to see ahead. There, the Berserker Warriors were shouting.

They were shirtless, with iron chains tied around their bodies. Behind them, they ran around with huge iron balls attached, or collided with each other, hitting and fighting.

Thud!

The Berserker’s jawbone was shattered by a punch. Despite his shattered jaw, the Berserker Warrior, with a glint in his eyes, quickly grabbed the back of the one who had blown off his jawbone and choked his neck.

Crack-!

Crunch!

The sound of bones cracking could be heard. Even so, there was no word of surrender. Rather, he punched the elbow that was choking his neck, trying to break his arm.

As the arm bone dislocated and a gap opened, he took advantage of the gap and bit the arm that was choking his neck.

Tear-!

A brutal and savage melee. It was more like a bloody fight between beasts than a human fight.

Loki watched the scene and let out a hollow laugh. ‘Well, those ignorant…’ Loki’s gaze turned and looked at Kudan.

Dozens of Berserker Warriors approached Kudan, and Kudan slammed the heads of the Berserker Warriors with his fist.

Bang-!

The Berserker Warriors were thrown out like explosions and rolled on the floor. The Berserker Warrior who had fallen next to Loki had his eyes rolled back.

‘It’s amazing that he’s not dead instantly.’ Is it because he has an excellent talent for fighting? Kudan was using his brute strength while making sure not to kill his subordinates.

“Oh! Lord Loki!” At Kudan’s words, the Berserker Warriors who were training stopped and knelt down, bowing their heads. Loki looked around at them and then looked at Kudan.

“Sorry to interrupt your training.”

“Not at all. Rather, now that Lord Loki has come, they will be more excited and engage in training.”

“……”

“But what brings you here? Is it a mission?” Kudan tilted his head. It hadn’t been long since he returned, but Kudan thought nothing of it, as the continent was in chaos these days.

Loki looked at Kudan and said, “Any thoughts on learning magic?”

“Yes?” At those words, the Berserker Warriors paused. They looked at each other and smiled bashfully.

“Kudan learning magic?”

“Wow, is that even possible?”

“If he learns it for about 100 years, he might reach the level of an apprentice mage?” They whispered jokingly.

Kudan couldn’t refute their words. “…I’m terrible at using my head.”

He was more confident than anyone else in fighting and war, but Kudan was far from studying.

“I’ll give you a skill book.”

“…I tried to learn it experimentally with the Constellation’s skill book before. But it didn’t seem to have much power,” Kudan shrugged. “We just fight with our bodies…”

“Then that’s fine.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll give you magic to fight with your body.” The magic he had given to Helga was magic to become a half-human, half-beast. According to Helga, it was possible with a little magic power and innate stamina. So.

“You guys, gather some magic power.” All they had to do was gather magic power.

***

‘I guess I can proceed with the preparations step by step.’ The fallen Constellations were defeated one by one. But they keep coming out. And recently, they even held a meeting in a huge sanctuary built by their servants.

‘Elysion…’

Elysion. The name of the alliance created by the fallen Constellations. They are now starting to unite.

‘It’s troublesome.’ There was no problem in dealing with the Constellations one by one so far. But it was really difficult when dealing with two or more at once this time, so it might be dangerous if there were three or more.

“Constellation, this is the war situation of the Dsharr Kingdom that invaded Ronia,” Loki, who had returned to Valhalla Palace, was able to hear about the situation in Ronia through Aum.

The 20,000 Ronia troops that had been summoned to occupy Capric Territory were reorganized and invaded the Dsharr Kingdom.

But unexpectedly, the Dsharr Kingdom did not resist much. Rather, there were lords who opened the gates and welcomed the Ronia troops. There were also those who took the opportunity to revolt against the Dsharr royal family.

It was because of the responsibility of the Dsharr royal family, who had lost their military power by trusting only in the Constellation of the Earth.

As a result, Ronia’s advance is being carried out unimpeded.

‘Well, they are the Ronia army that was once among the great powers.’ They were only weakened by the mad kings, but their internal foundation was solid. They, who had begun to bloom again under King Eron, would rise to the ranks of great powers again.

Loki, who was listening to the report, and Aum, who was giving the report, felt uneasy. Aum turned his head and looked out the window.

“…It’s time for the sun to set… but it’s not setting yet.”

“Does it usually set late?”

“…As winter approaches, it should set sooner.”

It was time for twilight to fall. But instead of twilight, there was a blue sky. Loki glanced at the window. And frowned.

“I’ll be out for a while.”

“Yes?” As Loki got up from his seat, Aum tilted his head in confusion. Loki moved from his seat and left Valhalla Palace.

As he headed into the forest full of trees, he could see angels wearing pure white robes.

‘Angels?’ These guys are invading other people’s land recklessly because they can fly. Loki wondered if he should summon Gungnir [Loki’s magical spear]. Because the angels didn’t show any hostility. Rather, they bowed to Loki and said.

「We meet the great Constellation of the End.」 They were too humble to be called enemies. As doubt settled in, Loki felt a presence behind the angels. It was a huge presence.

‘Constellation?’ No, it felt different.

“…Has a fallen Constellation dared to invade my land?” At Loki’s words, the angels cleared the way to the left and right. A man walked out from among the angels. It was a bizarre and eerie sight.

His eyes were rolled back, and blood vessels protruded from various parts of his face. His head and body were emitting a dazzling light as if they were burned. He was wearing a toga that he would have worn in Roman times.

‘It’s not a Constellation.’ He was just like a puppet controlled by a Constellation. ‘He’s a coward.’ It was a sight of forcibly moving the angels’ bodies like puppets. It was close to possession. But the physical burden was so great that his body seemed to be burning and collapsing little by little.

「Nice to meet you, brother.」 Loki summoned Gungnir and held it in his hand. At the sight, the possessed angel who had spoken raised his hand.

「I have no intention of fighting. I have only come for compromise.」

“Compromise?” At Loki’s words, the man nodded.

「My name is Therios. I am the Sun God and the Constellation who rules the sky.」