Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 189

It is said in the Underworld that those who have ties to the mortal realm are drawn to each other by a mysterious force.

Among the spirits, a rumor circulated like a ghost story: the Constellation Azellan had created a thread of fate to reconnect unfinished relationships from the mortal realm.

If that were true, Loki’s knack for attracting incidents and accidents would only intensify, strongly intertwining him with even more relationships.

Whether those relationships were good or bad, the effect would be amplified.

***

“Haha! Kashar, I want to fight that guy again, but he needs to come out properly. I couldn’t fight properly because he was blocking me with his army,” Turam roared with laughter.

Turam and Loki’s group had escaped the Arata subjugation force and left the Hydra’s habitat.

Before them stretched a desolate, red landscape.

Turam walked, chattering incessantly, while Loki and Sallot rode in a cart pulled by a skeletal horse.

The cart was laden with gold and treasures recovered from beneath the Hydra’s swamp.

“Still, Kashar must be quite angry. He’s particularly greedy for gold,” Sallot mumbled, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

Skeletons and zombies guarded the cart, forming Turam’s ‘Bandit Group.’

It didn’t seem to have a proper name.

“Especially in this Underworld, gold is hard to come by. The Constellation of Death, Natos, is also very greedy for gold. Kashar learned this firsthand, being constantly extorted by him,” Loki said, unfolding a map.

He was trying to determine their direction.

He also held the lantern that Paul had given him.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Turam, but he wanted to double-check their heading.

The bandit group was heading precisely in the direction the lantern illuminated.

Turam smacked his lips, looking at Loki and Sallot.

He was disappointed they weren’t engaging with him, even after so long.

The spirits he led were primarily a monster-hunting group.

But for fun, they occasionally targeted subjugation forces, quickly earning the label ‘bandits’ and becoming targets themselves.

“Hey, do you have ties to the rebels?” Loki asked.

Turam smiled, pleased to finally be addressed, and replied, “I used to run into them often while hunting monsters and demons around here. More than anything… I seem to get involved with the Demon King often because of past grudges… Well, we have the same goal now, so there’s no friction.”

“Same goal?”

“The Constellation of Death, Natos. Fighting him is my goal. The Revolutionary Army wants to eliminate Natos, who ruined this Underworld, and restore the Holy Sea to its original state.”

“Holy Sea?”

“It’s the water that purifies souls.”

Loki recalled the water bottle Paul carried.

“It used to be a vast sea, but Natos split the sky, and the Holy Sea was contaminated. They say that’s how the Underworld was ruined.”

“Did you meet my dad?” Sallot asked, her voice filled with longing.

She had missed her parents since she was young.

She looked at Turam, hoping for news of her father.

Turam looked at Sallot, appearing embarrassed.

“Uh… well… I did meet him.”

Sallot’s expression brightened.

But Turam averted his gaze.

“Hmm, but contacting the Hannes Revolutionary Army means opposing the Constellation of Death,” Loki mused.

It seemed the rebel group’s name was Hannes.

Since they were cooperating, they used the title Revolutionary Army.

He understood that contacting them meant constant pursuit, implying he wouldn’t seek them out.

“Did you say the Hannes rebels are dreaming of a revolution?” Loki asked.

Turam looked at him.

“Why, are you interested in this story?”

“Quite a bit.”

Loki’s goal was the Constellation of Fire and Ore, the blacksmith Canus.

To rescue him and return to the mortal realm, he would inevitably clash with the Constellation of Death.

“The Constellation of Death is a greedy constellation. Gold, jewels, rare and strong weapons. He will never let Canus, who can make all of that, go.”

That’s what Zaus had said.

So, if he was going to fight the Constellation of Death anyway, it might be better to gather as many allies as possible.

“Not that I’m a revolutionary….”

Turam smiled at Loki.

“If you’re thinking of going to war with the Constellation of Death, let me join in.”

Turam’s eyes burned with fighting spirit.

“I miss a real battlefield too much.”

“Um… are we going to where my dad is?” Sallot asked Turam, looking at the map Loki had unfolded.

She was curious about their destination.

“We’re going to the Revolutionary Army’s hideout.”

Loki listened to Turam’s words and looked at the lantern.

The light from the lantern, which had been illuminating one side, became brighter.

This meant that the Demon King Calib was nearby.

“The Demon King Calib is nearby,” Sallot said, surprised by the lantern’s reaction.

“Huh? We have to go quite a way to the hideout… I see. They’re not just in the hideout….”

He meant that the Demon King Calib might be somewhere along the way.

Sallot, eager to meet her father, took the lantern from Loki.

“C, can’t we go faster?!”

“…I’m going… but… that….”

Turam was flustered, as if sweating despite being a spirit.

Sallot didn’t notice, but Loki could tell something was amiss.

There must be ‘some problem’ with the Demon King Calib for Turam to react like that.

At that moment, the lantern light intensified.

Sallot stared in the direction the lantern was shining.

A red sandstorm blurred her vision, but she could make out a procession walking through the desert.

‘Could it be…!?’

Could her dad be there!?

Sallot jumped out of the carriage.

Hanging the lantern on her waist, she hurried toward the procession.

“Ah, no! What should I do!?” Turam exclaimed, covering his head.

Loki asked, “What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with the Demon King Calib? Perhaps….”

In the Underworld, the annihilation of a soul meant complete death.

Could it be that the Demon King Calib was in that state?

Turam sighed.

“The Demon King Calib is….”

***

Sallot sprinted towards the group crossing the desert.

Most of them were undead of various races.

Dwarves and dark elf zombies with decaying skin, and skeletons with only bones.

In the center was a carriage, and next to it stood a dark elf woman who appeared to be a maid.

“Yura!”

It was someone Sallot knew well.

A dark elf who had been her nanny, bodyguard, and her father’s assistant.

She always guarded the carriage her dad was in.

Then?

“Dad!”

Could her dad be in that carriage?

Sallot’s speed increased.

The zombies, seeing a stranger, became wary and drew their weapons.

“Enemy… ambush?”

“Block…!”

The zombie monsters staggered to block Sallot’s path, but she stepped on their heads and jumped over them.

“…Lady Sallot?”

The dark elf named Yura also tried to draw her sword, but her eyes widened as she saw Sallot, and she froze.

Sallot stepped on Yura’s shoulder, jumped again, and reached the carriage.

“Wait, you can’t-!” Yura reached out to stop Sallot, but it was too late.

“Dad!”

Sallot flung open the carriage door.

Her momentum vanished.

Her joyful expression crumbled, and her eyes turned empty.

Inside the carriage was a headless torso.

A limp ‘corpse.’

“What…?”

“L, Lady Sallot, why are you here…?”

The faces of the dead spirits were pale, but the dark elf named Yura turned blue.

She covered her face with both hands, denying reality, and made a desperate expression.

“S, surely… Lady Sallot. You’re dead….”

“Who’s dead!?” Sallot shouted.

She seemed to have lost her mind as she jumped out of the carriage and grabbed Yura by the shoulders.

“Yura! What happened!? Where’s Dad? Where’s Dad!”

“Huh? Ah, you’re not dead….”

Since she kept talking nonsense, Sallot lost her patience.

She headbutted Yura’s forehead.

“……!”

“Stop talking nonsense and tell me!”

“…….”

“Where’s Dad!”

“…He’s in the carriage.”

Sallot’s face hardened.

That meant the corpse in that carriage was….

***

“The Demon King Calib plotted a rebellion against the Constellation of Death, and accordingly, the Constellation of Death beheaded Calib,” Turam explained, recalling his encounter with the Demon King Calib.

At that time, it was already done.

“Calib’s head is with the Constellation of Death, Natos.”

At Turam’s words, Loki rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought.

He had gained another reason to seek the Revolutionary Army’s cooperation.

***

A fortress wall made by piling up and solidifying bones.

Inside was a huge and magnificent castle, and next to the castle was a tall bone tower.

The place where the ruler of the Underworld lived.

The Necropolis.

The gates of the Necropolis opened, and countless armies of spirits gathered.

“Boo-oo-oo-oo-! Boo-oo-oo-oo-!” A zombie rider blew a horn from the top of the fortress wall.

Skeletons, zombies, and even death knights.

Numerous legions of spirits gathered and lined up, all looking up at the balcony of the Necropolis.

They slammed their weapons into the ground.

Thud-!

A roar that shook the earth echoed.

“Oh, amazing.”

Someone watched the scene from the highest tower balcony of the Necropolis.

Burn marks covered his body, which had been burned black.

Behind him were wings that had once been beautiful, but now only the bones remained.

He was the one who had illuminated the light of the world in the mortal realm and had bewitched the king of a country to wage war.

The Constellation of Light, Mercury.

He had become a spirit and was standing on the balcony of the Necropolis.

He watched the legions of spirits entering the Necropolis.

It was an army that dwarfed the Bellet Kingdom army he had once ruled.

“Kieaaaaaak-!” The legions of spirits raised their heads and screamed.

They looked towards the cracked hole in the Underworld.

They desperately wanted to leave this Underworld and step onto the land of the mortal realm, the land of the living.

“…Are you really going to invade the mortal realm?” Mercury asked, turning his head.

After arriving in this Underworld, he had entrusted himself to one being to escape the pain of his rotting flesh.

“Natos. Constellation of Death.”

Behind him, a being sat on a leather sofa in a luxurious room, drinking wine.

He was nearly 2m tall, but had a frail body.

He had short black hair, skin so white it was almost pale, and bright red eyes.

The king of the Underworld, Natos, looked at Mercury.

Mercury quickly averted his gaze.

In this land of the Underworld, Natos was the master.

Here, he was absolute.

Although Natos was punished with ‘not being able to kill the living,’ he had the power to evoke ‘the experience of death.’

With just one word, he could make someone experience all kinds of death, enough to ruin a soul.

“Yes,” the Constellation of Death, Natos, said, swirling his wine.

“I’m tired of torturing souls these days.”

“……”

“I want to torture the living in the mortal realm.”

At Natos’ words, Mercury said anxiously, “There is the Constellation of the End in the mortal realm. That guy is killing our siblings one by one.”

Mercury spoke with fear.

“That guy… might kill you.”

Natos grinned.

“Kill me?”

“……”

“I am the Constellation of Death, Mercury.”

Natos said, looking at Mercury.

“There is no ‘death’ for me.”

The Constellation of Death, who could not kill others, but could not even die himself.

“Rather, it’s a good thing. If I meet the Constellation of the End-.”

He smiled cruelly.

“I can torture him for the rest of my life.”

He had a wish.

Due to the curse of the Azellan Constellation, he was confined to this Underworld.

However, he constantly devised ways to leave the Underworld.

To invade the mortal realm, to torture all living things, and eventually the Constellation of the End.

“To torture the existence that will kill us. Don’t you think it will be truly ecstatic?”

That was the wish he desired.