Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 120

Player Who Became a Constellation – Episode 120

On the golden, shimmering sand, in the heart of a desolate desert, stood a woman.

Her face, shielded by a turban and mask, bravely faced the relentless sandstorm.

Dressed in fitted, flexible leather clothing, she carried a dagger at her waist and a pair of crescent-shaped swords on her back.

Purple hair and eyes peeked out from beneath the turban and mask. With tanned skin, she quietly lifted her head.

Pee-yooo!

The cry of a hawk echoed.

As she extended her hand, the hawk landed gracefully. She unfurled the letter tied to its leg.

“That damn brother of mine.”

The letter contained a message from her brother, Karma, stating his plan to create a pretext for striking at Lord Harim, urging her to raise an army and come to his aid at the opportune moment.

Easy to say, but a misstep could cost her brother the throne, passing it to their half-siblings.

‘Please think before you act!’

If her brother fell, she would fall with him.

She rubbed her forehead, a headache brewing.

Her brother had always been fond of gambling and betting.

His luck was notoriously bad, losing far more often than winning.

Yet, each time, she had stepped in to help her brother, turning the tides.

He laid the groundwork, and she dominated the game.

“Haa….”

Karma’s sister, Sharin, released the hawk into the sky.

“What are your intentions, Princess?”

She was seemingly alone in the vast desert.

But a voice reached Sharin’s ears.

“Advance? Wait? Or retreat?”

“The stage is set. Advance.”

“Understood.”

Sand swirled beside Sharin.

The Imperial Trainer Guard, masked and imposing, materialized.

Behind them, the desolate sands churned, revealing an army in the once-empty desert.

The elite troops of the Kron Empire, clad in black leather and turbans.

With Sharin at the helm, the finest soldiers of the Kron Empire arrayed themselves behind her.

Their destination was singular.

The Harrel Territory.

The Kron Empire’s army began its march towards the territory where Karma awaited.

***

Silence descended upon the audience.

The spectators were rendered speechless by the sudden turn of events, while in the VIP seats, nobles and merchants stared at the arena, eyes wide with disbelief.

And in their midst.

Lord Harim was utterly astonished, his mouth agape.

The pipe made of frenzy mushrooms slipped from his grasp and clattered to the floor.

‘What is happening!?’

Was he hallucinating from the frenzy mushrooms?

But it was unlikely, given his tolerance, that such a small amount would induce hallucinations.

The foreign participant in the Colosseum.

A man named Hoon.

He was the one who had captured Lord Harim’s attention.

More negatively than positively.

Because he was a wizard who dared to reveal his name and assault a merchant with whom he had ties, crippling him.

‘I was going to kill him or cripple him…!’

Instead, the slave gladiators he had bribed were the ones who had suffered.

And become miserable corpses!

He had only seen the foreigner draw his sword, yet in an instant, a dozen slave gladiators were hacked to pieces.

What power did he wield?

He held a sword, but it seemed impossible to generate such power with just a blade.

So, was it magic after all?

Or divine power?

He was clearly no ordinary wizard.

“…Good!”

Lord Harim turned to his side.

“Lord Harim, this year’s competition is proving to be quite promising!”

The nobles and merchants beside him were visibly excited.

“To think that someone with such incredible abilities would participate!”

Perhaps it was only natural.

For nobles and merchants, this competition was a prime opportunity to forge connections with talented individuals.

Now, those nobles and merchants would undoubtedly spend fortunes to curry favor with the wizard.

“Ha, haha! I am rewarded for hosting this competition, seeing you all so engaged.”

Lord Harim felt a cold sweat trickling down his back.

If that wizard formed alliances with other nobles, even Lord Harim would struggle to touch him.

“By any chance, do you have any ties with that person, Lord?”

Lord Harim frantically searched his mind.

Before others could seize the opportunity, he needed to act decisively.

“Well… I have had some dealings with him….”

The Kron Empire had a custom of introductions through a noble with existing ties.

Lord Harim exploited this custom, offering an ambiguous response.

“I see! You truly are Lord Harim. If it’s not too much to ask, may I request an introduction later?”

“…Of course.”

“Thank you. It was a wonderful match!”

One of the nobles clapped his hands.

The slave attending to the noble quickly followed suit, and the applause spread like wildfire.

Lord Harim felt a pang of regret.

‘Damn it, if Bahalt hadn’t provoked that wizard….’

He would have been the one to establish a relationship with him….

‘Should I sever ties with Bahalt now and align myself with that person instead?’

But that would disrupt the frenzy mushroom distribution system.

Bahalt held exclusive rights to frenzy mushrooms in the territory.

Moreover, the mushroom farm had been destroyed.

To cultivate frenzy mushrooms again, he needed spores from the imperial family, and Bahalt was the key to obtaining them.

It was at this moment, as Lord Harim was lamenting his situation.

“Lord Harim.”

A slave approached and whispered in his ear.

“The investigation of the burned frenzy mushroom cultivation site is complete. We found something like this….”

The slave presented an object wrapped in cloth.

Harim took it and unfolded the cloth.

“An arrowhead?”

“Yes, that… it might just be a simple coincidence….”

The slave said, carefully observing Harim’s reaction.

“The dark elf participating in this competition is said to possess that arrowhead.”

“…A simple coincidence?”

“…It’s an arrowhead sold on the black market. Not many people have it.”

Not many didn’t mean none at all.

Coincidence was possible.

But was it truly?

The one who crippled Bahalt was a wizard with ties to the frenzy mushroom merchant.

Immediately afterward, the mushroom dominion burned down.

And an elf suspected of being the culprit had ties to the frenzy mushroom merchant?

Coincidences stacked up not once or twice, but three times.

It was difficult to dismiss it as mere chance.

‘These bastards.’

Were they trying to oust Bahalt and monopolize the distribution and sale of frenzy mushrooms!

It could be seen as a deliberate act of mockery.

‘You sons of bitches-!’

“…Prepare the soldiers.”

“…….”

“Those who dared to trifle with me.”

Harim gritted his teeth.

“I won’t let them get away with it.”

***

Loki, amidst the applause, headed towards the waiting room connected to the arena.

Then, other iron bars connected to the giant Colosseum arena began to rise.

Thump-! Thump-!

A humanoid monster with black skin, towering at 5m, lumbered into the arena.

It was a Black Ogre, its movements restricted by chains.

The Black Ogre gazed at the corpses in the arena, drooled, and began to devour them.

Whether the sight was a spectacle or not, exclamations and cheers erupted from the audience.

‘…It’s hard to call it a barbaric festival….’

In a way, for them, this spectacle was akin to watching an action or gore movie.

Stimulating spectacles released dopamine, heightening their excitement.

‘Surely the 2nd group competition participant….’

Loki sat at the entrance of the waiting room, observing the arena.

‘It was Serrot.’

The iron bar door opened.

Competition participants began to enter.

***

「Quooooooo!」

The Black Ogre’s roar was grating.

That roar induced fear in living beings.

Therefore, ogres were particularly terrifying to elves with sensitive hearing.

Serrot took a deep breath.

‘It’s okay.’

She had Loki’s blessing.

With that power, ogres were nothing.

The real problem was.

‘The Destroyer Turam.’

About 100 participants remained in the competition.

Half of the original 200 had given up.

They gathered in the center of the arena.

The most conspicuous among them was the Destroyer Turam.

Tall and imposing, well over 3m, with a long spear befitting his height, he was enough to intimidate everyone in the arena.

“Wow, I can’t believe I’m facing Turam, the old man!”

Karma, sweating, slyly approached Serrot’s side.

“…What?”

“Why don’t we form a team?”

“A team?”

“Only one person can remain in the competition, but the method is free.”

“…….”

“Implicitly, if there’s someone who looks strong-.”

The competition participants glanced at each other, their eyes settling on Turam.

“The way is to kill that guy first.”

The trumpet sounded.

Simultaneously, the Black Ogre’s chains were released.

The competition participants and the Black Ogre targeted the most noticeable Turam.

「Quwaaaaaaa!」

The Black Ogre charged towards Turam.

The competition participants avoided the ogre, chasing closely behind it.

“Use the ogre as a shield!”

“Kill Turam!”

If they killed one of the 12 heroes, their fame would skyrocket!

‘No matter how much he is praised as a hero, the opponent is an old man!’

‘The ogre will be a shield!’

“Oh! I didn’t expect it, but there are young people who want to play with this old man.”

Turam raised his spear.

“I like it very much.”

He swung the spear he held in one hand.

Crack-!

As the spear shaft struck the Black Ogre’s torso, the ogre’s body was crushed, separating into upper and lower halves.

“Huh?”

The competition participants, attempting to use the ogre as a shield, widened their eyes.

Amid the rising spray of blood, Turam’s mouth stretched into a wide, crazy smile.

“Everyone, come at me!”

He swung the spear shaft.

Crack-!

Those who collided with the spear exploded and vanished.

Like a human crushing a small bug, there was no mercy.

As if finding the sight amusing, cheers erupted from the audience.

“……!!”

“What, what’s so fun about it!?”

The slave gladiators turned pale.

Even if others could, slave gladiators couldn’t abandon the competition. Even if they survived disabled, their value as slaves would plummet, leaving them with a fate akin to death.

They had participated for freedom.

But they faced an unreasonable existence.

Just as Turam’s spear shaft was about to strike a desperate slave, an arrow flew towards Turam.

[Piercing Shadow]

Dark red magic enveloped the arrow.

Turam instinctively retrieved his spear and deflected the arrow.

Clang-!

The arrow bounced off. Simultaneously, a sonic boom erupted, and Turam’s hand, gripping the spear shaft, recoiled.

Turam widened his eyes in surprise, staring at his arm and the direction from which the arrow had come.

The dark elf who had been frightened by him.

She was now glaring at him, pulling back the bowstring.

Honestly, this game had just been a warm-up.

He had been looking forward to the match with the participant named ‘Hoon’.

He hadn’t seen his swordsmanship, even though he had let his guard down.

He had thought that fighting him would quench his thirst for the ‘fight’ he craved.

But this game was enough.

Whoo-!

The dark elf took a deep breath.

“Hahaha!!”

Interesting!

The existence that would bring him fun was right before him!

Turam asked the opponent’s name for the first time in years.

“Little Ain. What is your name?”

This was the greatest courtesy Turam could offer his opponent.

It also meant he would see her as an object to be respected, not as underestimated prey.

Of course, the elf wouldn’t accept it.

At Turam’s question, Serrot glared at him with murderous intent.

“Serrot.”

And an unexpected name flowed out.

“Harness.”

Serrot Harness.

Turam’s expression went blank.

Was the elf lying?

No, there was no way she would lie in this situation.

The meaning of that name must be singular.

‘…The daughter of the Demon King Calib?’

“Hahahahahahaha!”

Turam burst into laughter.

Interesting! After all, life is worth living for a long time!

She wouldn’t let her guard down.

Rather, she would hate him and rush to kill him.

It was natural.

He was the enemy of her father.

One of the 12 heroes.

“Yes, little Ain.”

Turam straightened his back.

Blue mana emanated from his body.

Everyone in the arena was paralyzed by his majesty.

“Entertain me.”