Player Who Became A Constellation [EN]: Chapter 4

The Player Who Became a Constellation – 4

Chapter 4

The Laguna tribesmen were running through the forest.

And Cancun.

Behind them, the Partas cavalry and warriors in golden armor were giving chase.

“They’re heading this way… Don’t tell me they’re going to the priest’s location!?”

“They’re heading to the Cursed Sanctuary!”

“Get ahead of them! We must never let them get to the sanctuary! We can’t afford to upset the Shaman!”

Cancun was convinced by the urgent voices of the Partas tribe.

Even his uncle, who had started a rebellion, sought permission from the Shaman before visiting the Cursed Sanctuary.

The Shaman’s influence was so great that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it encompassed the entire Nord clan.

‘Even if the demon didn’t help me, the Shaman was there, so I certainly wouldn’t act recklessly…!’

But–

Thud-!

“Ugh, aaaaaack!”

The sanctuary, which had seemed so close, now felt impossibly far away.

Even though the forest was thick with grass and trees, it wasn’t easy to outrun those on horseback.

The cavalrymen quickly charged, stabbing the backs of the Laguna tribesmen with their spears, killing them.

‘J, just a little further…!’

Cancun squeezed his eyes shut at the screams he heard.

Continuous attacks.

He wondered if he had truly brought disaster upon them.

Perhaps the demon had simply let him go, and this new disaster had arrived in its wake?

Everything was confusing at that moment.

Dudududuk-!

A rough sound of hooves echoed from behind.

The rough snorting of horses.

Even the rough breathing of the cavalry was clearly audible.

And then, the sound of a sharp blade cutting through the air!

Cancun instinctively turned around and protected himself with the sword he was holding.

Clang-!

Sparks flew, and Cancun staggered.

Conversely, the cavalryman who had thrown the spear wore a surprised expression.

“He blocked it? This kid is pretty good?”

The cavalryman twisted the reins, looked at Cancun, and sneered.

Before he knew it, the cavalrymen had overtaken the Laguna tribesmen, blocked their path, and begun to surround them.

The Partas warriors whistled and smacked their lips.

Cancun’s face turned pale as he looked at them.

The Laguna tribesmen hadn’t escaped after all.

Having been surrounded, it was obvious that they would be killed or enslaved.

“By the way… that sword.”

One of the Partas warriors pointed to the sword Cancun was holding.

The Partas warriors all showed greedy eyes.

“Is that real gold?”

Cancun flinched and cowered, covering the sword with his body as if to prevent his precious possession from being taken away.

“…This is just temporarily entrusted to me! The owner of this sword is someone else! It’s not something you guys dare covet!”

“Someone else is the owner?”

“Yes! A very fearsome and noble person!”

The Partas tribesmen burst into laughter at Cancun’s shouting.

It was natural.

It was just a kid who looked like he had barely reached adulthood saying that.

Who would take those words seriously?

It just looked like he was bluffing.

One of the Partas cavalrymen approached Cancun.

“Huh, wouldn’t it be enough to just kill that owner too?”

“Oh, you’re going to kill me?”

“……!”

The Partas cavalryman felt his whole body being crushed by the soul-shaking voice. He couldn’t believe his ears.

Until just now, there was no one behind him.

But suddenly, a deep voice was heard!?

‘What is it…?’

Cold sweat flowed without him being aware of it. An unknown fear gripped him.

The Partas cavalryman slowly lowered his head and looked at Cancun, who had been shouting a moment ago.

“…Ah!”

The boy’s eyes, which had been shouting fiercely, were wide open.

There was no more fear in those eyes. On the contrary, they were overflowing with hope and expectation.

And that gaze… was directed behind him.

Not only the kid in front of him, but also his colleagues who had overtaken and surrounded the Laguna tribe were also making terrified expressions.

Yes, there’s something behind him!

The Partas cavalryman gripped his spear with all his might.

He turned around and swung it, but–

Tak-!

The spear was effortlessly grabbed by a large hand.

“……!”

The Partas cavalryman’s eyes widened.

A space in the air had been torn open. A being with only its upper body protruding from the jet-black space was visible.

A being with a ram-like horned helmet and black armor.

‘…The Constellation of Sin!’

The demon sleeping in the sanctuary!

That being was now gripping the spear with its hook-like hand.

“Wait, let’s have a con–”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaack-!”

The cavalryman screamed and struggled to pull out the spear.

But the spear held in the demon’s hand didn’t budge.

“Hey, don’t be afraid. I’m just trying to have a con–”

The Partas cavalryman eventually gave up on the spear.

He put down the spear and pulled out the crossbow from his back.

And shot it at the ram’s helmet.

Clang-!

But as if he had shot a toy crossbow, the bolt bounced off powerlessly.

“Talk-!”

Reload and shoot again.

“Ha-.”

“Aaaaaack!”

Reload the crossbow again.

Loki frowned and threw the spear he was holding back at its previous owner.

Bang-!

Kwajik-!

With the sound of the atmosphere splitting, a huge hole was pierced in the center of the Partas cavalryman’s body.

The cavalryman collapsed instantly.

“Let’s talk. You bug-like bastard.”

Loki walked out of the jet-black space step by step.

Those who faced him.

Laguna tribesmen and Partas tribesmen alike were all frozen in fear.

The stories they had heard and seen since they were young.

The demon sleeping in the sanctuary.

The oral tradition that the constellation with all sins would come to judge them.

If they were Nord clansmen who had received a coming-of-age ceremony from the Shaman since they were young and faced the demon’s statue, they couldn’t help but feel an instinctive fear of the being in front of them.

It was an object of fear when they were young, and now they thought it was just superstition.

That being appeared right in front of them.

Everyone froze.

However, only Cancun was looking up at Loki with a relieved expression.

“To me, you guys are like NPCs [Non-player characters; characters in a game controlled by the computer].”

When Loki opened his mouth, the Partas and Laguna tribesmen flinched simultaneously.

“And this character called Loki–”

Loki slightly raised his head and said in a dignified voice.

“Has no patience. So, you better answer my questions.”

They didn’t know what he was talking about.

But it was a warning.

A warning about what would happen if they ignored his words.

The Partas and Laguna tribesmen gathered in this place who understood that looked at each other.

As a quiet silence fell, the creeping anxiety shook their reason.

For the Nord, fear was something to be fought against; that’s how they had been taught and raised.

And such brainwashing eventually–

“Aaaaaaaack-!”

“Raise your spears-!”

Led them to destruction.

The Partas tribesmen grabbed their weapons to fight against the unknown fear.

The Laguna tribe was also swayed by the shout and tried to pick up their weapons, but….

“No! Everyone, lie down!”

At Cancun’s words, the Laguna tribesmen put down their weapons and simply lay down.

“Except for you–”

Loki turned the light in his helmet and looked at Cancun.

“Everyone else is beyond conversation.”

“Kill him-!”

The Partas tribesmen rushed at Loki all at once.

***

Shouts and screams were heard.

Histon laughed as he dragged his personal slave, Hans.

‘Is it because it’s been a while since I’ve looted? Those guys have no patience!’

“But we shouldn’t touch the sanctuary where the Shaman is….”

“We’re not that stupid, are we?”

The subordinates who followed behind him blurted out jokingly.

Even if they only had muscles in their brains, they could make that judgment.

But if they were excited enough to lose their reason, they would have to risk friction with the Shaman.

‘The elders have always said not to clash with the Shaman.’

There are several stories.

The Shaman, the mediator of the Nord, is said to be a powerful magician.

There’s even a story that if you mess with him carelessly, an entire tribe will be destroyed.

The elders said they had actually experienced it, but Histon didn’t believe it.

It’s probably half exaggeration.

‘But if half of it is true, he might be considered a strongman of the Nord.’

Such a being is worshiping demons and spending time in the sanctuary.

Even if he is a powerful person, to believe in such superstition?

It’s absurd.

Thinking that, Histon, who was riding his horse forward, was caught in a strange sensation.

The shouts and screams that had been echoing in the forest until just now were gone.

‘…What is it?’

Histon pulled on the reins and stopped.

Accordingly, the subordinates who were following behind also twisted their reins.

‘…I can’t hear any sound.’

Not even the voices of his subordinates, nor the screams or sobs of the Laguna tribesmen who were being looted.

Not only that?

The signs of wild animals and the sounds of insects had disappeared.

A quiet silence had enveloped the forest that had been swaying in the wind.

Histon was sweating cold sweat.

Even in the chilling cold of the north, sweat was flowing down his cheeks.

His subordinates seemed to have noticed something strange and were looking at Histon.

And soon, Histon noticed the ‘hidden beings’ in the forest.

“Undead-!”

Those who hide their presence in the forest without showing themselves.

It was the energy of the dead.

But it was different from ordinary lower-level undead.

Unlike the energy of death, he couldn’t properly feel their appearance or presence.

That means they are high-class undead!

Hiiiing-!

The horse also seemed to have noticed their energy, raised its front feet and snorted. Its fur stood on end in fear, and its eyes were constantly rolling.

‘Even the warhorse is scared!’

“U, undead?!”

“W, where are they!?”

The subordinates didn’t seem to feel the energy of the undead.

Histon looked around, sweating cold sweat.

‘We’re surrounded?!’

Even so, he still couldn’t properly capture their appearance.

“M, monster bastards-!”

However, there was no one in the way.

It was the direction where his subordinates were.

As if herding prey, the beings of death seemed to be pushing them forward.

Eventually, Histon had no choice but to move forward.

It felt like he was being caught and dragged by something.

And what the hooves touched was a blood-stained ice rink.

“……”

“……!”

Histon closed his mouth, and his subordinates covered their mouths and struggled to prevent themselves from vomiting.

A lake of blood.

No, it was a blood-stained ice rink.

Numerous corpses were scattered, and the blood flowing from the corpses was frozen by the raging cold, creating an ice rink.

And one being stood tall on that ice rink.

“…A, a demon.”

Histon’s slave, Hans, stammered as he identified the being.

A demon.

The being that should have been sleeping in the sanctuary was in front of him.

The being stood tall in the frozen cold, flicking its fingers.

He was wearing a ram’s helmet, black armor, and a fur-trimmed cloak.

He is standing in the middle of the corpses and looking at Histon.

As if he knew he would come here.

‘That undead group… is that guy leading them?’

That means the being in front of him is a necromancer.