1.
-It's a masterpiece.
Ancient times.
There was a temple where countless eons had repeated to the point where keeping track of time was meaningless, where even time itself had grown weary, and everything had come to a halt. In that place lived a beautiful dragon.
-…Who might you be?
To say it lived might not have been quite accurate.
Its golden scales, once radiant, no longer sparkled. The golden eyes that once took one's breath away had long lost their focus. The voice. How long had it been since it had used its voice?
The dragon felt strange about its own vocal cords. The resonance transmitted from its lungs through its throat felt unfamiliar, as did the flesh surrounding its lungs and the bones piercing through that flesh. Listening closely, even the beating of its heart sounded alien.
The conclusion was clear.
-Who are you? I asked.
The dragon found its own existence burdensome.
-Even if I answer, you won't understand. A name is merely an address for those living at the same coordinates to inquire about each other's well-being. I come from a different place than you.
-A different place?
-A place known as the main world.
The human swept back her golden hair with the back of her hand.
'She's no ordinary human.'
The dragon's golden eyes narrowed.
From the smallest gesture to the thinnest gaze, there wasn't a muscle this human did not control, no posture without meaning, and no voice without intent.
'A monster, indeed.'
And the dragon realized. Even though its scales had rusted and its heart had worn out, its instinct to assess those it faced was still very much alive.
Realizing this fact made the dragon feel genuinely good for the first time in a long while.
-What do you call a masterpiece?
-This place. The temple where you reside. You are the Dragon Emperor who grants the wish of return. All humans who served you have returned without exception, and those who returned naturally found success.
The good mood did not last long.
-Subsequently, those who did not serve you were treated as fools. You and I, and even those distant ones who cannot call you, and people on the opposite side of the world who cannot call me, all came to have faith in you. This is the result.
The human looked around.
-A world where all humans have become returners.
-....
-No, perhaps it's a world where all humans wish for a return. No one possesses the advantage of time. Because everyone sought to have time. No one was able to have time..
This world had come to a stop.
Like statues stuck in the temple of Medusa, humans did not move an inch, and the world, having no aging or wearing to do, simply stopped breathing in a paused moment.
Except for one dragon.
-That's regrettable.
Only the dragon remained alone in a world where everything else had stopped, becoming a unique god, an immovable mover, staying as a point of gold.
-You merely granted the wishes of humans. When the god overseeing regression rules the world, the ending is an inevitable stop. It's a joke only social butterflies would enjoy.
-So? Have you come to mock me, human?
The dragon growled.
-If you want to fight, then say so. I will not refuse.
-Why would I? A landlord fighting a tenant only leads to gossip.
-Landlord? …Tenant?
-I am building a tower.
The human clasped her hands together.
-It would be nice if you could come there. Of course, you would have to take on several restrictions. Mutia.
-....
-If a god must live.
Somewhere.
-Don't you think that even gods should be given at least two chances?
The sound of a clock's hands moving could be heard.
The Ox that Harvests Ruins thought so.
2.
[The existence of 'The Ox that Harvests Ruins' becomes faint.]
Mutia's horn was cut off.
"O God!"
"Lord Mutia!"
"Ah! Aaaaah!"
"I will kill you!"
The Apostles of the Constellation screamed. They were horrified. Their rage was not far behind. Despite surely not having forgotten the pain they had suffered at my hands, as if they had, they gripped their hammers tighter and charged again.
Bravely.
But the flames would likely have no interest in the courage of the moths diving into them.
"You have no right to talk to me about the original life, Mutia."
I swung my sword without taking my eyes off Mutia.
"AAAAAAAH!!"
An Apostle, whose clavicle was diagonally cut by my sword, screamed and fell away, suffering the same pain. Many more Apostles charged after him, hence, the screams never ceased.
"Probably the [Returner's Clockwork Watch] I possess is also a skill you created. It has strict conditions, but it does contain the power of regression."
"Hic! Aaaah! Ah, cough! Ugh,"
"In other words, you are the root cause of the disaster. The disaster became successful thanks to [Returner's Clockwork Watch], and if I have led an unfortunate life in the shadow of that success, then you are ultimately the final cause. How dare you act arrogant, claiming you'll fix the life you've ruined. It doesn't make sense."
"AAAAAAAAAH!"
"Of course, I will not beg you to give me back my life. I have no intention of returning. But, how many people have there been—twisted by your power?"
Thud.
I walked on, making the hell scream.
Breaking through the defense created by the Apostles, crossing walls of people and rivers of humanity, I approached Mutia.
"I have the right to punish you."
"...."
"Are you prepared to live as a human, Golden Constellation?"
"I,"
A voice leaked from between Mutia's teeth.
"I did nothing wrong."
It was a precarious sound, like the wind blowing between ancient canyons.
"Just… there was a child who came in front of my palace and knelt down. He was clear-eyed and innocent. Just, his mother was killed by a carriage, and he found it unbearably unjust."
Screams echoed.
"He had no thought of blaming the noble in the carriage, no thought of revenge, but just. Just wanted to have told his mother, as she left the house that day, to be careful on the road. That it's easy to slip on wet roads. To walk carefully. To come back safely. Just that one thing,"
Screams echoed.
"To let him say that, so. That heart was so pure."
Screams echoed.
"What wrong have I done!"
The Master of All Ruins cried.
"I just knew how to do a bit more than you all! It was so from the moment I was born, and it became more so as I grew! That's all there was to it! I did what I could do. Was my birth a mistake? Was my life wrong? Why, you, by what right! Dare! To judge me!"
"You could have spoken first."
I did not stop my steps.
Despite the screams of the Apostles, countless obstructions, attacks, and even facing the blazing eyes of the Constellation, I kept walking.
"What?"
"I have no complaints about granting the wish of the Lady of the Golden Silk. Sylvia wished, and you responded. That's all there was to it."
Thud.
"Because of that, Raviel's life was ruined, but still, there are no complaints. Thanks to that, I was able to meet Raviel. All of this was done by me as an representative of [The Pond of Accumulating Memories], [The Corner Librarian], Hamustra."
Thud.
"You appointed the Lady of the Golden Silk as an representative. I became Hamustra's representative and defeated the Lady of the Golden Silk. That's the truth of the matter. Divinity clashed with divinity, a fair duel was fought, and the outcome was decided."
Thud.
"Why do you object to that?"
"...."
"To be precise, why do you hold a grudge against me? If there was something unfair during the duel, you could have just spoken to Hamustra then. Why? Why did you silently accept defeat at that time, and now, you are asking me, who was merely an representative, for a rematch? No. It's not even a duel. You ambushed me on your own accord."
Yes.
It's not 'ordinary' for a Constellation to attack a hunter.
Unless a hunter provokes a Constellation, it's extremely rare for a Constellation of Mutia's level to personally pick a fight with a hunter.
It's not because the Constellations are noble characters.
'The Tower Master must have set restrictions.'
Consideration for hunters.
Prohibition of massacres.
Actions only permitted if they fit with the stage gimmicks, etc.
Even Mutia herself had exclaimed not long before.
"Was the tower you looked up to such an indifferent being!"
There must be restrictions unknown to me that apply to the Constellations.
This tower carefully manages the difficulty level, setting floors 1 to 10 as the tutorial area and floors 11 to 49 as the beginner area.
It seems, in a way, even more disadvantageous to the Constellations than to the hunters.
"I will ask."
"...."
"Mutia."
The reason why Mutia could attack me in this tower.
Using the [Lady of the Golden Silk Case], an already concluded past, as a pretext for a proxy war between Hamustra and Mutia, and going to lengths to challenge me to a duel.
I quietly voiced my speculation.
"Have I become a Constellation?"
"...."
Silence enveloped us.
It was an artificial silence created because all two hundred Apostles had finally fallen under my sword, leaving no Apostle left to scream. It was not because my speculation hit the mark, causing everyone in the Colosseum hell to fall silent.
Yet, the timing was so perfect that it seemed as if the entire 62nd-floor stage fell silent in response to my question.
"If I'm not an ordinary hunter but have ascended to a Constellation, then your actions all make sense."
No one answered, so I continued.
"While attacking an ordinary hunter as a Constellation is prohibited, a duel between Constellations would be much more lenient. Because they are equals. Because they are peers. The tower wouldn't be so strict in such cases."
When did it start?
At precisely what moment did I gain a status equivalent to that of a Constellation?
"Perhaps right after clearing the 61st floor?"
Something 'strange' happened when I entered this stage.
I hadn't paid much attention to it at the time, but looking back, it was suspicious.
The Constellations had collectively declared war on me, or more precisely, on my forces.
"The Eye Living in the Labyrinth swears to kill you."
"The Incarnation of Love and Lust swears to tear you apart."
"The Warhorse of the Eternal Plains prepares for war."
"The Ox that Harvests Ruins swears your annihilation."
Of course, Fox~nim had provoked the Constellations.
But merely because of provocation, would the Constellations, who had been eyeing me as a potential ally and watched in real-time the madness I unleashed on the 50th floor, suddenly turn their backs on me?
'Thinking it was just a joke message makes it simple.'
However.
Having exchanged blows with Mutia, my suspicions deepened.
For some [specific reason], the Constellations no longer felt any reservation about attacking me.
For instance, If I, Kim Gong-ja, am no longer a novice and perhaps not even an ordinary hunter anymore.
For instance, Bae Hu-ryeong, who had no intention or will to become a Constellation, somehow held the title of [Sword Constellation].
For instance, becoming a Constellation happens naturally at some point, regardless of one's will.
"Sword Emperor~nim."
-Yes?
"How do Constellations send those messages?"
Bae Hu-ryeong chuckled.
-I haven't tried it myself, so I don't know. But just thinking about broadcasting a message, wouldn't it happen automatically? Your sword isn't in human form, yet it freely uses messages. I doubt there's a complicated system involved.
"That makes sense."
I nodded.
"Let's try it."
I closed my eyes.
In my mind, I thought of someone I could recall without a hint of blurriness until the moment of my death.
'How are you doing?'
Suddenly, an image formed in my mind.
There was about a cup's worth of water in front of me. Or perhaps it wasn't water but white powder. Something in that cup diminished by exactly one spoonful.
Then.
['The Sky That Gathers Screams' sends greetings to 'The Lady of the Silver Lily'.]
I opened my eyes.
"Yep. As expected."
"...."
Mutia was glaring at me, her teeth clenched.
I gave her a bright smile.
"So it works."