Chapter 49

“…We need Nari’s permission to get out of here.”

“Th-That… you said that isn’t the real Nari.”

Jeong Suho and Kang Ihyun, who were radiating holy power and magic, looked up at Shin Bitnari slumped on the altar. The thought that she looked like a doll without a soul echoed through their minds.

“…The Lord of Chaos went to find the real Nari too. Probably to get out of here. That means we also need to find the real Nari.”

“B-But how are we supposed to…”

Kang Ihyun held his chin, lost in thought. How could they find the real Nari? They were trapped here, unable to leave. His mind began to race.

‘That Nari there isn’t the real one, and we can’t get out of here, so maybe if we slip beneath the bath like Nari did… No, that won’t work. There’s no guarantee it would succeed, and more than anything, Jeong Suho would get hurt…’

[Constellation, Staff of Purification, says there is a way.]

“…What?”

A translucent golden indirect message appeared before him as he thought hard. After being quiet for so long since the conversation with the Lord of Chaos, Kang Ihyun’s Constellation sent another message.

[Constellation, Staff of Purification, says that the Lord of Chaos was imitating us, and tells you to think about what that means.]

“Us? But I don’t know… the relationship between the Archangel and me is…”

[Constellation, Staff of Purification, says that ‘us’ didn’t mean you and me, but rather the behavior of the Constellations here.]

“…”

Kang Ihyun fell silent. After a long pause, he finally spoke quietly.

“The Lord of Chaos seemed like a Constellation that used mental attacks. And Nari… she’s an illusionist who uses ‘dreams’ as a medium. …It seems unlikely that the Lord of Chaos is Nari’s Constellation. Right?”

The indirect message gave no reply. Kang Ihyun let out a hollow laugh and spoke to his Constellation again.

“…That Constellation. Nari said her Constellation wasn’t herself but ‘our father.’ And that he was her older brother. That wasn’t just a figure of speech, was it? It was because in the hierarchy of Constellations, Nari is considered his younger sister?”

There was no reply. Kang Ihyun bit down on his lips. His voice shook violently.

“Tell me. Nari’s Constellation… is it the myth’s ‘Creator’?”

Once again, silence dragged on. Then only one short line appeared: “From the circumstances, it seems so.” Kang Ihyun gave a bitter laugh.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

[Constellation, Staff of Purification, says it was trying to choose its words carefully and urges you to calm down.]

“…Over there, they are trying to make Nari… into a messiah, aren’t they! Why didn’t you tell me that earlier, when you knew!”

Unable to hold back, Kang Ihyun shouted. Among Constellations, those who carried the creation myths at the foundation of their pantheon almost never chose Avatars.

Avatars were unconditionally absorbed into that Constellation’s retinue, and the stories they built up would, after long ages, be woven into myths that glorified the Constellation.

Jeong Suho, chosen by Athena, would remain in the myths of later generations as a subordinate of “Athena” in the Greek and Roman myths, while Kang Ihyun would remain as a servant of the Archangel Raphael, a myth to glorify him.

But what if the Avatar wasn’t as brilliant as expected? What if they didn’t present a story worthy of the Constellation’s hopes?

To protect their authority, a Constellation would abandon their Avatar without mercy.

The seat of the Creator was the highest authority in that myth. Without purpose, they would never choose an Avatar.

An Avatar chosen by the Creator could use powers close to a Constellation’s own, in order to carry out the Creator’s purpose, and would be treated as a special being within that myth.

But if they failed to achieve that purpose to the end…

Kang Ihyun finally realized why the Lord of Chaos had introduced himself as “Nari’s brother.” The Creator had chosen Nari, and if the Lord of Chaos was the Creator’s son, then Shin Bitnari became, in terms of hierarchy, his younger sister.

“Haha… damn, damn… damn it!!”

He kicked the floor in frustration. Nari’s Constellation already looked close to pure evil.

Whatever the Creator’s intentions in choosing her, it was clear that Nari’s life would only become more tragic.

Even Avatars didn’t know much about direct contracts with the Creator. Kang Ihyun knew only because of his own special circumstances, but it was certain that Nari herself had no idea she would have to act according to the Creator’s purpose.

“…She’s such a kind person. Truly warm and good-hearted.”

He couldn’t bear to see Shin Bitnari suffer any more. He just wanted her to smile, even if not by his side. Kang Ihyun buried his face in his hands.

His voice came out trembling, as if he were about to cry.

“…Now I know why I exist. I was created on purpose.”

[Constellation, Staff of Purification, frantically denies that!]

“No. No, it’s fine. Even if that’s true, it doesn’t matter. In fact, tell me that’s true.”

Kang Ihyun lowered his hands from his face. He was smiling in complete ruin. His blue eyes dimmed without light.

“I just want to be connected, even if it’s that way…”

His radiant blond hair slowly lost its shine, turning into a dull yellow. The golden holy power that had been flowing from his body also turned, bit by bit, into yellow demonic energy, the mark of corruption.

With the last of his holy power, Kang Ihyun forced out an eternal Sacred Flame, one that would never go out, and turned to Jeong Suho, who was watching with a blank expression.

“Mr. Suho, we can find the real Nari.”

“…H-Hey, are you okay? I mean…”

Kang Ihyun, on the verge of tears and laughter at the same time, handed something to Jeong Suho with an ecstatic expression.

“To do that, I’ll need a little help from you.”

* * *

Bang! Blue bullets poured down like rain. While Kang Ihyun knelt behind him muttering incantations nonstop, Jeong Suho faced Nari’s unconscious mind alone.

Her unconscious mind swung a black half-scissor like a conductor’s baton, and cracks spread across the ground as if an earthquake had struck.

When Jeong Suho glanced back to see if Kang Ihyun was all right, he found the floor overflowing with yellow demonic energy.

‘…Was that ever possible?’

A person was born with only one energy type. While it could change later, no one used more than one type at the same time.

Of course, it was possible Kang Ihyun’s energy type had simply changed. But his composure made it look far too natural.

“Ah!”

Crack. Distracted for just a moment, a stalactite scraped Jeong Suho’s cheek. Realizing now wasn’t the time for stray thoughts, he turned his eyes back to the ground.

Jeong Suho’s class was Ranger. Entering a Mage’s zone or a Ranger’s zone was almost suicide, but unfortunately, this wasn’t his own zone.

Even if he declared his own ‘Territory,’ the Lord of Chaos’s spirit energy scattered his magic everywhere, binding up all the advantages of a Ranger.

‘Then…’

[Ranger Exclusive Basic Skill :: Territory Declaration is activated!]

If not the ground, then he could claim the ceiling as his zone. Blue magic seeped from under his feet and spread to the ceiling. Jeong Suho glared up at the massive stalactites.

[Ranger Exclusive Basic Skill :: Magic Bullet Fabrication is activated!]

Bang! His magic bullet hit a stalactite. As the stalactite crashed to the floor, Nari’s unconscious mind stumbled back a few steps, hollow-eyed.

“Where do you think you’re going…!”

Clang! With power surging through his eyes and legs, Jeong Suho launched himself from the ceiling, closing the distance to Nari’s unconscious mind in one bound.

He caught his breath and slashed his daggers again and again. Even though the giant scissor blades met the short daggers, they couldn’t overwhelm him, and Nari’s wrist trembled under the strain.

‘She’s weak.’

At this rate, he could push through. With renewed vigor, Jeong Suho pressed harder. The dazed-eyed Shin Bitnari staggered backward again.

“Nari!!”

Blocking the scissor’s movements with his dagger, Jeong Suho instinctively shouted as he met Nari’s vacant eyes.

“N-Nari, it’s me! Wake up…!”

Twitch. For the first time, the unconscious mind’s brows moved at his words. She was reacting. For a moment, her movements stopped.

“Ugh…!”

Boom! Nari pulled the scissors back from his daggers and fired the spirit energy inside them like artillery.

Crash! The ceiling collapsed where the blast hit. A direct hit meant certain death. Jeong Suho barely twisted in midair to dodge, landing with a bitter smile as he leapt back to the ceiling.

“C-Can spirit energy even be used like that…?”

The strength of spirit energy lay in its capacity for delicate control based on the user’s will. On top of that, Nari’s spirit energy had the form of dust that could transform into any shape.

Any energy, if released in vast amounts at high speed, became a powerful weapon. Still, he never imagined spirit energy could be fired like this.

World Rank One, S-rank Hunter. Shin Bitnari. Jeong Suho realized anew that his childhood friend had awakened as an overwhelming Hunter.

Crash! Another artillery blast of spirit energy struck where he stood, leaving no time for thought. She must have realized the ceiling was his territory and was trying to destroy it.

As the cavern shook and stalactites fell, Jeong Suho stepped across them like footholds, barely avoiding the trajectory of the blasts, and looked at Nari.

“H-How are we supposed to beat that…”

They couldn’t. Absolutely not. He had never heard of anyone outside the Ranger class casually pouring out that much energy. Even Rangers couldn’t do that.

“B-But I was told we don’t have to win.”

With a weary smile, Jeong Suho pulled out a rusted silver dagger with an old-fashioned design from his cloak.

“Two… no, three…”

[Shooter Exclusive High Tier Skill :: Never Misses the Mark is activated!]

Thud! Three silver daggers shot toward Nari’s unconscious mind. She tried to block them, but strangely, the daggers were absorbed right into her instead.

“…?”

As her unconscious mind blinked in confusion, Jeong Suho threw two more daggers. Five in total. Quietly, he counted the daggers still in his cloak. Twenty-five left.

“As long as thirty hit, the rest will take care of themselves.”

Recalling Kang Ihyun’s instructions, Jeong Suho drew out three more daggers from his cloak and leapt upward, using the falling stalactites as his stepping stones.