Chapter 364: Star, Nammu (5)
After the meeting came to an end, all the delegates moved busily to deliver their reports and opinions to their <Societies>. Even Tiamat left the meeting room, leaving Chang-Sun and Yool alone inside.
“Greetings to the Ksitigarbha King,” Yool said politely.
Chang-Sun had officially participated in the meeting as the king of <Muspelheim>, but he also had the Appellation of the <Underworld>. He was technically Yool’s superior, so Yool paid his respects, going down on one knee.
Chang-Sun snorted, replying, “Why don’t you drop the formalities? It’s really awkward.”
“…I’m still bound by my position as a reaper,” Yool said as he stood up, scratching his cheek.
“And you can stop the act, too. There are only two of us here, so you don’t have to worry about other people finding out,” Chang-Sun added.
Silence fell for a moment as Yool suddenly wiped his face with his hands. After taking a look around the room, Yool smiled awkwardly and replied, “…Uhh, mmm… You knew already?”
Chang-Sun chuckled quietly and said, “Ever since you said that Thanatos was gravely injured.”
Among the other Celestials, not even Tiamat had doubted the part about Thanatos getting severely injured in his pursuit of Sun Wukong and the mysterious group, but Chang-Sun knew what Thanatos was like very well.
‘That sly snake getting hurt by someone else? No way,’ Chang-Sun thought.
Thanatos never moved rashly. He had long been aware of how <Horoscope> and <Purple Star Astrology> were breaching the <Treaty>, but he had been waiting for a chance to finish them in one strike. Just like that, Thanatos taking matters into his own hands indicated how high the chances of his victory were. It was the same for the claim that three of the Ten Purgatory Kings had been killed.
‘It must be a lie, since <Heaven> has no way of verifying it. If that were true, Thanatos would already be at risk of being overthrown.’
Then why had Thanatos lied about the damage that the <Underworld> had sustained? That could greatly harm the reputation of the <Underworld>.
“Is he trying to let the <Anti-Star> Alliance handle all the petty work so the <Underworld> can monitor <Horoscope> from the shadows?” Chang-Sun asked.
Yool nodded calmly, saying, “<Horoscope> knows that we’re coming for them next after the downfall of <Purple Star Astrology>, but the <Society> is too quiet. In fact, they’re still sitting on the sidelines, so we’ve been thinking that they have to be up to something.”
“Is Sun Wukong’s group from <Horoscope>?” Chang-Sun asked.
“We’ve also considered that possibility, but people like Sun Wukong and Richardus have no reason to join <Horoscope>…” Yool trailed off.
“You guys believe that Sun Wukong is the mastermind or has allied with <Horoscope>?” Chang-Sun continued.
“It’s possible that the group really isn’t involved with <Horoscope> and has a purpose of their own, so we’re considering various possibilities,” Yool replied. Lowering his head slightly, he continued, “The King of the Underworld asked me to deliver a message on his behalf if I get to meet you. He would like to apologize for severing the Channeling, but it was necessary to fool the eyes of others.”
Chang-Sun nodded, understanding Thanatos’ reason.
“I think I’ll be staying here for the time being as the representative of the <Underworld>, so if you wish to give a message to the King of the Underworld, you can talk to me,” Yool said.
“I will,” Chang-Sun replied.
“And…” Yool began.
“…?” Chang-Sun tilted his head.
“The King of the Underworld said that although the <Underworld> will officially withdraw from the <Anti-Star> Alliance, we will continue to support you. Can you show me your [Khakkhara] for a moment?” Yool asked.
Chang-Sun was unsure what Yool was trying to do, but he handed his [Khakkhara], the Ksitigarbha King’s relic, to Yool. After receiving it politely, Yool incanted an incomprehensible spell.
Paah!
Then, the [Khakkhara] shone brilliantly, and the jewel on the tip gleamed faintly.
[Your ‘Khakkhara’ has been enhanced!]
[You are now able to use your ‘Khakkhara’ to summon the Ten Purgatory Kings and their armies through a Hell Gate.]
“…!” Chang-Sun sprang to his feet as soon as he read the message, because the authority granted to his [Khakkhara] was just too remarkable.
“You seem very surprised, but don’t be too happy. You have to meet certain requirements when summoning them,” Yool said.
Of course, summoning the Ten Purgatory Kings could not be unconditional.
[However, summoning the Ten Purgatory Kings and their armies is only possible within divine ground you have installed using the Authority ‘Execution Sword’.]
However, that was not much of an issue; the requirement was just a precaution in case Chang-Sun abused the privilege. The army of the Purgatory Plane was called the best in the <Underworld>, so the fact that Chang-Sun could mobilize it was already a remarkable power in and of itself.
Besides, from what Chang-Sun knew, the First and Second Elder were currently serving as the ‘First Purgatory King’ and ‘Second Purgatory King’, so it was obvious who the eight remaining Purgatory Kings were.
“…He’s really determined,” Chang-Sun said.
“That is how much the King of the Underworld trusts you,” Yool replied with a faint smile. However, Chang-Sun merely stared at him. Yool tilted his head in confusion, asking, “Do I have something on my face?”
“You’re hiding something from me,” Chang-Sun said bluntly.
“What are you talking…?!” Yool began.
“No matter how much Thanatos trusts me, he’d have to be practically abusing his position to entrust me with this level of power, but he went through with it. It means something big happened in this attack… and something I would find fault with, at that…” Chang-Sun interrupted.
Yool furtively glanced aside, unable to meet Chang-Sun’s sharp gaze.
“So there is something going on,” Chang-Sun said, having deduced that Thanatos had given him a gift to quell his anger, as well as to protect him from a potential ambush conducted by Richardus.
Then, what in the world had happened? He had a rough idea—it involved Celestial Cannibalism.
“Speaking of which, what happened to Richardus?”
“…It’s true that the Bloodless Hell was attacked,” Yool said with a long sigh, reaching the conclusion that he would not be able to hide it any longer.
Chang-Sun’s gaze turned sharper as he asked, “Did Richardus eat all the Bloodless Hell prisoners?”
“That’s right…” Yool replied.
Chang-Sun felt his heart sinking again. Unwittingly gritting his teeth, he asked, “Then what about the Emperor’s Seat?”
“…”
“What happened to him?” Chang-Sun asked.
Yool could not bring himself to answer immediately. It took a long time for him to respond, and he heaved a long sigh again.
“…!” Chang-Sun stumbled in shock after listening to Yool’s response.
* * *
“This is a device that contains a memory of that time. The King of the Underworld told me to give it to you after your anger subsided a little,” Yool said, handing Chang-Sun a bead.
With trembling hands, Chang-Sun received the bead from Yool, but it just felt too heavy for some reason.
“Before you play the recording, I would like to tell you… Please don’t get lost in your anger or blame yourself more than necessary,” Yool cautiously consoled Chang-Sun.
Celestials tended to have strong resolve, but they could still break down mentally to an irreparable degree after one traumatic experience. Sometimes, they could be immersed in madness and become Deviant Celestials. This phenomenon was often called Celestial Deviation.
“…I’ll be careful,” Chang-Sun said, continuing to take deep breaths as he put his hand on the bead.
Even at that moment, his mind was filled with chaotic thoughts. Although Chang-Sun had called the Emperor’s Seat ‘father’ in the past, that very same adoptive father was also an enemy who had harmed Chang-Sun’s comrades. That was why Chang-Sun himself had captured the Emperor’s Seat and shoved him into the Bloodless Hell.
However, Chang-Sun still had deep sympathy for the Emperor’s Seat in the corner of his heart for some reason. Even after he had left <Purple Star Astrology>, the Emperor’s Seat had sent Richardus to protect him. Although the Emperor’s Seat had hurt Chang-Sun’s comrades, he had tried to protect them from <Purple Star Astrology>. From what Chang-Sun had heard, the Emperor’s Seat had been cooperative with Thanatos after ending up in the <Underworld>, not causing any problems.
“I’m not sure what you would think about him, but the Emperor’s Seat certainly seems to adore you a lot. He remained silent before, but he started actively cooperating after I told him that it was about helping you.”
After he had heard that news from Thanatos, Chang-Sun’s resentment for the Emperor’s Seat had dissipated significantly. On top of that, he had finally gained an appreciation of paternal love through his reconciliation with his biological father.
At the same time, he had realized that the love that his biological father had for him was not much different—no, it was the same as that of the Emperor’s Seat. Thus, Chang-Sun was unsure how he would feel after he watched the recording, making him hesitant to activate the device. However…
Chang-Sun tightly gripped the bead and infused his divine power into it, thinking, ‘Let’s do it.’
The bead shone beautifully, changing the world around Chang-Sun.
Swoosh!
Tap, tap…
The Emperor’s Seat was on the way back to the Bloodless Hell after his meeting with Thanatos. A <Underworld> soldier followed him from half a step away, but the soldier was polite, as Thanatos had given a strict order to treat the Emperor’s Seat with respect.
As such, the Emperor’s Seat was not even wearing shackles. Although it was a very risky move, since he could attempt to escape from the prison, Thanatos absolutely believed that he would never do such a thing. Indeed, the Emperor’s Seat sincerely had no intention to escape.
Once he was locked up in the Bloodless Hell, all his senses had been blocked and the circulation of his divine power had been paused, something that no doubt felt stifling… However, the Emperor’s Seat actually found his life in the Bloodless Hell comfortable in some ways. Everything was complicated and chaotic in the outside world, but the Bloodless Hell was very quiet, helping him reach serenity. If the Emperor’s Seat had one concern left, it was about Chang-Sun, who still had to continue fighting rough battles, but it had been resolved in his talk with Thanatos just then.
‘I’m glad he’s doing so well,’ the Emperor’s Seat thought, smiling faintly.
Since Chang-Sun had always preferred to stay alone and on the fringes, the Emperor’s Seat was worried at first that he would repeat the same mistakes… However, Chang-Sun now had people around him and was opening up to them little by little, and the Emperor’s Seat found that to be good news.
‘I’m worried about him fighting against Qi Gong and the others… but Twilight will be able to come up with a way to deal with it now.’
The Emperor’s Seat did not think the conflict between Chang-Sun and the <Troop> would end peacefully, but he hoped that they could let go of their grudges at least a little bit. Despite what he had told Thanatos, they were all his dear children.
“I’ll have to feed him a meal if I get a chance later,” the Emperor’s Seat muttered to himself.
Thanatos had said that Chang-Sun would visit the <Underworld> in the near future, and that he was going to arrange a meeting between Chang-Sun and the Emperor’s Seat so that they could talk in peace. If that meeting really came to pass, the Emperor’s Seat wanted to cook Chang-Sun a meal himself. Although the Emperor’s Seat was no chef, he wanted to feed Chang-Sun properly and tell him one thing.
“You’ve gone through a lot until now, but you’ve done a great job.”
The Emperor’s Seat desperately waited for the day he could tell Chang-Sun that in person, thinking it would happen in the near future.
“…You were always like that, Father.”
At that moment, the Emperor’s Seat came to a halt after hearing a voice up ahead in the hallway. At the same time, his expression turned grim, because he was familiar with the voice. It belonged to the child he had once adored the most, but who had turned into a thorn in his heart. On top of that… It was a voice he should never have heard in this place.
“Step back, si…!” the <Underworld> soldier began as he stepped forward, sensing an odd tension.
Slash―!
Before he could finish taking that one step, the soldier was decapitated, and his head fell to the ground.
Splash!
The soldier’s blood splattered like a fountain, but the Emperor’s Seat let the blood splash all over him, not looking away from his child.
Tap, tap…!
The sound of footsteps grew clearer as the child walked through the dark hallway.
It was Richardus, walking toward the Emperor’s Seat with a ferocious expression. Richardus continued, “You always acted as if you loved your children equally, but you always worried about Twilight more than anyone. I think I used to be jealous about that.”
The Emperor’s Seat could smell the stench around Richardus, and he knew precisely where it had come from. He said, “You… ate Sangwon and your comrades.”
“Comrades? I never really thought of them that way before. Still, instead of being stuck in the Bottomless Void, they can now serve a purpose for me, so maybe it’s safe to call them my comrades now,” Richardus remarked. He smiled, revealing canines as sharp as a lion’s. He continued, “Now it’s time for you to be one of those comrades, Father.”
Richardus darted toward the Emperor’s Seat.
Swoooosh―!
Chapter 364: Star, Nammu (5)
After the meeting came to an end, all the delegates moved busily to deliver their reports and opinions to their <Societies>. Even Tiamat left the meeting room, leaving Chang-Sun and Yool alone inside.
“Greetings to the Ksitigarbha King,” Yool said politely.
Chang-Sun had officially participated in the meeting as the king of <Muspelheim>, but he also had the Appellation of the <Underworld>. He was technically Yool’s superior, so Yool paid his respects, going down on one knee.
Chang-Sun snorted, replying, “Why don’t you drop the formalities? It’s really awkward.”
“…I’m still bound by my position as a reaper,” Yool said as he stood up, scratching his cheek.
“And you can stop the act, too. There are only two of us here, so you don’t have to worry about other people finding out,” Chang-Sun added.
Silence fell for a moment as Yool suddenly wiped his face with his hands. After taking a look around the room, Yool smiled awkwardly and replied, “…Uhh, mmm… You knew already?”
Chang-Sun chuckled quietly and said, “Ever since you said that Thanatos was gravely injured.”
Among the other Celestials, not even Tiamat had doubted the part about Thanatos getting severely injured in his pursuit of Sun Wukong and the mysterious group, but Chang-Sun knew what Thanatos was like very well.
‘That sly snake getting hurt by someone else? No way,’ Chang-Sun thought.
Thanatos never moved rashly. He had long been aware of how <Horoscope> and <Purple Star Astrology> were breaching the <Treaty>, but he had been waiting for a chance to finish them in one strike. Just like that, Thanatos taking matters into his own hands indicated how high the chances of his victory were. It was the same for the claim that three of the Ten Purgatory Kings had been killed.
‘It must be a lie, since <Heaven> has no way of verifying it. If that were true, Thanatos would already be at risk of being overthrown.’
Then why had Thanatos lied about the damage that the <Underworld> had sustained? That could greatly harm the reputation of the <Underworld>.
“Is he trying to let the <Anti-Star> Alliance handle all the petty work so the <Underworld> can monitor <Horoscope> from the shadows?” Chang-Sun asked.
Yool nodded calmly, saying, “<Horoscope> knows that we’re coming for them next after the downfall of <Purple Star Astrology>, but the <Society> is too quiet. In fact, they’re still sitting on the sidelines, so we’ve been thinking that they have to be up to something.”
“Is Sun Wukong’s group from <Horoscope>?” Chang-Sun asked.
“We’ve also considered that possibility, but people like Sun Wukong and Richardus have no reason to join <Horoscope>…” Yool trailed off.
“You guys believe that Sun Wukong is the mastermind or has allied with <Horoscope>?” Chang-Sun continued.
“It’s possible that the group really isn’t involved with <Horoscope> and has a purpose of their own, so we’re considering various possibilities,” Yool replied. Lowering his head slightly, he continued, “The King of the Underworld asked me to deliver a message on his behalf if I get to meet you. He would like to apologize for severing the Channeling, but it was necessary to fool the eyes of others.”
Chang-Sun nodded, understanding Thanatos’ reason.
“I think I’ll be staying here for the time being as the representative of the <Underworld>, so if you wish to give a message to the King of the Underworld, you can talk to me,” Yool said.
“I will,” Chang-Sun replied.
“And…” Yool began.
“…?” Chang-Sun tilted his head.
“The King of the Underworld said that although the <Underworld> will officially withdraw from the <Anti-Star> Alliance, we will continue to support you. Can you show me your [Khakkhara] for a moment?” Yool asked.
Chang-Sun was unsure what Yool was trying to do, but he handed his [Khakkhara], the Ksitigarbha King’s relic, to Yool. After receiving it politely, Yool incanted an incomprehensible spell.
Paah!
Then, the [Khakkhara] shone brilliantly, and the jewel on the tip gleamed faintly.
[Your ‘Khakkhara’ has been enhanced!]
[You are now able to use your ‘Khakkhara’ to summon the Ten Purgatory Kings and their armies through a Hell Gate.]
“…!” Chang-Sun sprang to his feet as soon as he read the message, because the authority granted to his [Khakkhara] was just too remarkable.
“You seem very surprised, but don’t be too happy. You have to meet certain requirements when summoning them,” Yool said.
Of course, summoning the Ten Purgatory Kings could not be unconditional.
[However, summoning the Ten Purgatory Kings and their armies is only possible within divine ground you have installed using the Authority ‘Execution Sword’.]
However, that was not much of an issue; the requirement was just a precaution in case Chang-Sun abused the privilege. The army of the Purgatory Plane was called the best in the <Underworld>, so the fact that Chang-Sun could mobilize it was already a remarkable power in and of itself.
Besides, from what Chang-Sun knew, the First and Second Elder were currently serving as the ‘First Purgatory King’ and ‘Second Purgatory King’, so it was obvious who the eight remaining Purgatory Kings were.
“…He’s really determined,” Chang-Sun said.
“That is how much the King of the Underworld trusts you,” Yool replied with a faint smile. However, Chang-Sun merely stared at him. Yool tilted his head in confusion, asking, “Do I have something on my face?”
“You’re hiding something from me,” Chang-Sun said bluntly.
“What are you talking…?!” Yool began.
“No matter how much Thanatos trusts me, he’d have to be practically abusing his position to entrust me with this level of power, but he went through with it. It means something big happened in this attack… and something I would find fault with, at that…” Chang-Sun interrupted.
Yool furtively glanced aside, unable to meet Chang-Sun’s sharp gaze.
“So there is something going on,” Chang-Sun said, having deduced that Thanatos had given him a gift to quell his anger, as well as to protect him from a potential ambush conducted by Richardus.
Then, what in the world had happened? He had a rough idea—it involved Celestial Cannibalism.
“Speaking of which, what happened to Richardus?”
“…It’s true that the Bloodless Hell was attacked,” Yool said with a long sigh, reaching the conclusion that he would not be able to hide it any longer.
Chang-Sun’s gaze turned sharper as he asked, “Did Richardus eat all the Bloodless Hell prisoners?”
“That’s right…” Yool replied.
Chang-Sun felt his heart sinking again. Unwittingly gritting his teeth, he asked, “Then what about the Emperor’s Seat?”
“…”
“What happened to him?” Chang-Sun asked.
Yool could not bring himself to answer immediately. It took a long time for him to respond, and he heaved a long sigh again.
“…!” Chang-Sun stumbled in shock after listening to Yool’s response.
* * *
“This is a device that contains a memory of that time. The King of the Underworld told me to give it to you after your anger subsided a little,” Yool said, handing Chang-Sun a bead.
With trembling hands, Chang-Sun received the bead from Yool, but it just felt too heavy for some reason.
“Before you play the recording, I would like to tell you… Please don’t get lost in your anger or blame yourself more than necessary,” Yool cautiously consoled Chang-Sun.
Celestials tended to have strong resolve, but they could still break down mentally to an irreparable degree after one traumatic experience. Sometimes, they could be immersed in madness and become Deviant Celestials. This phenomenon was often called Celestial Deviation.
“…I’ll be careful,” Chang-Sun said, continuing to take deep breaths as he put his hand on the bead.
Even at that moment, his mind was filled with chaotic thoughts. Although Chang-Sun had called the Emperor’s Seat ‘father’ in the past, that very same adoptive father was also an enemy who had harmed Chang-Sun’s comrades. That was why Chang-Sun himself had captured the Emperor’s Seat and shoved him into the Bloodless Hell.
However, Chang-Sun still had deep sympathy for the Emperor’s Seat in the corner of his heart for some reason. Even after he had left <Purple Star Astrology>, the Emperor’s Seat had sent Richardus to protect him. Although the Emperor’s Seat had hurt Chang-Sun’s comrades, he had tried to protect them from <Purple Star Astrology>. From what Chang-Sun had heard, the Emperor’s Seat had been cooperative with Thanatos after ending up in the <Underworld>, not causing any problems.
“I’m not sure what you would think about him, but the Emperor’s Seat certainly seems to adore you a lot. He remained silent before, but he started actively cooperating after I told him that it was about helping you.”
After he had heard that news from Thanatos, Chang-Sun’s resentment for the Emperor’s Seat had dissipated significantly. On top of that, he had finally gained an appreciation of paternal love through his reconciliation with his biological father.
At the same time, he had realized that the love that his biological father had for him was not much different—no, it was the same as that of the Emperor’s Seat. Thus, Chang-Sun was unsure how he would feel after he watched the recording, making him hesitant to activate the device. However…
Chang-Sun tightly gripped the bead and infused his divine power into it, thinking, ‘Let’s do it.’
The bead shone beautifully, changing the world around Chang-Sun.
Swoosh!
Tap, tap…
The Emperor’s Seat was on the way back to the Bloodless Hell after his meeting with Thanatos. A <Underworld> soldier followed him from half a step away, but the soldier was polite, as Thanatos had given a strict order to treat the Emperor’s Seat with respect.
As such, the Emperor’s Seat was not even wearing shackles. Although it was a very risky move, since he could attempt to escape from the prison, Thanatos absolutely believed that he would never do such a thing. Indeed, the Emperor’s Seat sincerely had no intention to escape.
Once he was locked up in the Bloodless Hell, all his senses had been blocked and the circulation of his divine power had been paused, something that no doubt felt stifling… However, the Emperor’s Seat actually found his life in the Bloodless Hell comfortable in some ways. Everything was complicated and chaotic in the outside world, but the Bloodless Hell was very quiet, helping him reach serenity. If the Emperor’s Seat had one concern left, it was about Chang-Sun, who still had to continue fighting rough battles, but it had been resolved in his talk with Thanatos just then.
‘I’m glad he’s doing so well,’ the Emperor’s Seat thought, smiling faintly.
Since Chang-Sun had always preferred to stay alone and on the fringes, the Emperor’s Seat was worried at first that he would repeat the same mistakes… However, Chang-Sun now had people around him and was opening up to them little by little, and the Emperor’s Seat found that to be good news.
‘I’m worried about him fighting against Qi Gong and the others… but Twilight will be able to come up with a way to deal with it now.’
The Emperor’s Seat did not think the conflict between Chang-Sun and the <Troop> would end peacefully, but he hoped that they could let go of their grudges at least a little bit. Despite what he had told Thanatos, they were all his dear children.
“I’ll have to feed him a meal if I get a chance later,” the Emperor’s Seat muttered to himself.
Thanatos had said that Chang-Sun would visit the <Underworld> in the near future, and that he was going to arrange a meeting between Chang-Sun and the Emperor’s Seat so that they could talk in peace. If that meeting really came to pass, the Emperor’s Seat wanted to cook Chang-Sun a meal himself. Although the Emperor’s Seat was no chef, he wanted to feed Chang-Sun properly and tell him one thing.
“You’ve gone through a lot until now, but you’ve done a great job.”
The Emperor’s Seat desperately waited for the day he could tell Chang-Sun that in person, thinking it would happen in the near future.
“…You were always like that, Father.”
At that moment, the Emperor’s Seat came to a halt after hearing a voice up ahead in the hallway. At the same time, his expression turned grim, because he was familiar with the voice. It belonged to the child he had once adored the most, but who had turned into a thorn in his heart. On top of that… It was a voice he should never have heard in this place.
“Step back, si…!” the <Underworld> soldier began as he stepped forward, sensing an odd tension.
Slash―!
Before he could finish taking that one step, the soldier was decapitated, and his head fell to the ground.
Splash!
The soldier’s blood splattered like a fountain, but the Emperor’s Seat let the blood splash all over him, not looking away from his child.
Tap, tap…!
The sound of footsteps grew clearer as the child walked through the dark hallway.
It was Richardus, walking toward the Emperor’s Seat with a ferocious expression. Richardus continued, “You always acted as if you loved your children equally, but you always worried about Twilight more than anyone. I think I used to be jealous about that.”
The Emperor’s Seat could smell the stench around Richardus, and he knew precisely where it had come from. He said, “You… ate Sangwon and your comrades.”
“Comrades? I never really thought of them that way before. Still, instead of being stuck in the Bottomless Void, they can now serve a purpose for me, so maybe it’s safe to call them my comrades now,” Richardus remarked. He smiled, revealing canines as sharp as a lion’s. He continued, “Now it’s time for you to be one of those comrades, Father.”
Richardus darted toward the Emperor’s Seat.
Swoooosh―!
