5.
I have many constellations.
It sounds like a sentence that could become a novel title. Something like, [My Constellations Are Infinite] or [I Have 999,999,999 Constellations].
That's how many constellations I have.
"Peep."
Firstly, around my neck is Fox~nim.
[A Music Box Only for You] is coiled around tightly.
Instead of seizing the world's time, God has grasped my time. The proof? Fox~nim always uses its tail as a scarf, gently tightening around my breath.
Its ability is 'Perfect Interference Immunity'.
No one can deny my time. Nor can they distort it.
Just that alone, but through it, I gained immunity to incomprehensible 'causal changes'.
"Keee… Keuuuuk…"
And on my wrist is a thread snake.
[The Eye Living in the Labyrinth] hangs like a bracelet.
The snake came out of the egg it had made and now must look out at the world outside. It's time not to know the world through the head but to awaken to it with the body.
Perhaps the fortunate part is that the knowledge known in the head is quite, no, the most extensive.
Its ability is 'Complete Secret Disclosure'.
No formidable opponent can hide their secrets in front of me. Birth. Origin. Source. Even strengths and weaknesses.
There may be formidable opponents lacking in information, but there are no longer any without any secrets.
-Heh. Just living the dream, aren't we, Kim Zombie. Immunity to status abnormalities and now you've even got a monster encyclopedia that allows real-time viewing.
Behind me is Bae Hu-ryeong.
[The Sword Constellation] is there.
Let's just skip over this gentleman.
['Goddess of Protection' feels it's about time to sort out the hierarchy.]
Lastly, there's Shiny.
['Goddess of Protection' points out that everything in the world is lined up in a senior-junior relationship. The first constellation to join the hero was herself, and the one that entered through the most proper route was herself, so rightly, the fox and the snake should respectfully refer to her as senior.]
['Goddess of Protection' openly declares that she is generous and lenient towards humans, but strict towards constellations.]
Shiny is… what exactly?
Really, what is it?
How did it manage not to reveal its quirks while with Kim Yul? Or did its quirks start to blossom after meeting me?
-Kim Zombie. They say a sword resembles its master. When it was Constellation Killer's sword, it was as heavy as Constellation Killer, but after becoming your sword, it's as light as rabbit fur. Whose fault could that possibly be?
I couldn't possibly know.
A mystery indeed.
"…No bids?"
From a distance, [The Wand of Ages] spoke.
"Perhaps my voice was too soft? Let me say it again. The 64th floor has been cleared. Now it's time for the 65th floor. If there are any constellations wanting to bid for the stage, please participate. We can't wait forever."
That's right.
There's a reason I started bragging about my constellations. Because nobody was participating in the auction.
I felt like an auction item that was too expensive to sell.
"Sigh…"
Even after three minutes, the auction did not proceed. The magician sighed in disappointment.
"Everyone's scared. They're terrified. After the phoenix got knocked out by the Death King in one hit, they're completely scared stiff. This is why the constellations these days are said to lack willpower. In the past, it was a bit more…."
On and on.
Meanwhile, the hierarchy war between Fox, the thread snake, and Shiny was fiercely accelerating.
['A Music Box Only for You' politely asks about the well-being of the intelligence inside the skulls of B-grade constellations, wondering where they got the nerve.]
['The Eye Living in the Labyrinth' points out as a mere objective fact that it may have been defeated by the Death King, but not by you nobodies.]
['Goddess of Protection' says that speaking of B-grade, being an actual B-grade is truly the strongest, citing Earth's comics as evidence.]
['A Music Box Only for You' snorts at using comic writers as a basis for argument.]
['The Eye Living in the Labyrinth' threatens to expose your ages.]
['Goddess of Protection' says that if they do so, it will reveal that she is the youngest, and tells them to go ahead.]
"Peep?"
"Keeek?"
-Brrr.
Noisy.
They're so noisy!
With three constellations gathered in one place, there's never a moment of silence?!
['Goddess of Protection' suggests a brilliant idea to the hero.]
What is it?
['Goddess of Protection' mentions the very obvious fact that she is also a constellation.]
"Uh… Right. So?"
[Then, she suggests that she could also bid in the auction and win the stage.]
"Huh?"
I blinked my eyes.
"…Wait. Is that even possible?"
['Goddess of Protection' assures that there is no violation of the rules and unsheathes her blade.]
"Ah, don't unsheathe it. I got cut. I'm bleeding now… Anyway."
My mind raced. Swish. Fiddling with the handle of the sword, I estimated one thing after another.
"But to win the bid, you need something in exchange, right? Like devotion or something. Isn't that considered currency for constellations? Do you have money?"
['Goddess of Protection' smiles triumphantly.]
Shiny explained as follows:
1. Originally, she was a high-ranking constellation governing [Protection] and [Immortality].
2. Meanwhile, Constellation Killer founded the Aegim Empire. She established herself as the de facto guardian deity of the Aegim Empire. It was as if she had secured a lifetime pension.
3. But at that exact moment, Kim Yul sealed her.
4. Her followers kept sending their faith, but she couldn't use it because she was sealed. It was like a savings account where deposits kept coming in without any withdrawals, so the faith just accumulated.
5. After a long time, I unsealed her.
6. When she finally checked her neglected account, oh my?
Shiny sparkled brightly.
['Goddess of Protection' is confident there is no other constellation with such financial power as herself.]
In short, Shiny had become a deposit millionaire.
"Indeed… Being sealed was a blessing in disguise in some sense."
['Goddess of Protection' declares she will show her status.]
It seemed more like flaunting wealth than showing status, but I couldn't quite point that out.
In any case, Shiny did what she could and wanted to do.
['Goddess of Protection' places a bid.]
[The Wand of Ages], who had been urging other constellations to participate in the auction, looked this way. Even in the magician's eyes, which seemed carefree about everything, there was a slight trace of astonishment.
If I were to translate that subtle expression into human language, it would be something like, 'Really? Are you really going to do something so petty?'
"Death King, are you really going to do something so petty?"
My translation skills weren't dead yet.
"Oh, it wasn't me. It was my sword."
"Pickpockets also say it was their hand that did it."
"No, it's different. I'm the nominal owner, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have free will. If it wants to do it, how can I stop it?"
"But still, there's something called ethics in humanity…"
['A Music Box Only for You' breaks its savings account.]
Fox~nim growled around my neck.
['A Music Box Only for You' places a bid!]
The magician fell silent.
I argued.
"It wasn't me. It was my scarf."
['The Eye Living in the Labyrinth' places a bid.]
"My bracelet just…"
"Oh, really now."
The magician pinched his forehead.
"These damn balsamic sauce-like creatures. Fine. When has life ever gone as I intended? If there's no violation of the rules, do as you please."
['Goddess of Protection' doesn't care anymore, only asking who placed the highest bid.]
"Sigh."
The magician sighed.
"…I'll change the manager of the 65th floor to 'Goddess of Protection'."
['A Music Box Only for You' protests that this can't be happening!]
['The Eye Living in the Labyrinth' is astonished, asking how much was spent.]
Without me doing anything, the sheath of the holy sword clattered.
['Goddess of Protection' casts a truly sympathetic glance at the juniors' loose purse strings.]
And then, the expected chaos ensued.
[Quest Cleared.]
[The 64th floor stage has been cleared.]
[The 65th floor manager issues you a quest.]
+
[Hero's Swordsmanship]
Difficulty: B
Mission Objective: The ruler of the 65th floor, [Goddess of Protection] Hwiya, demands that you strike a pose of [Hero's Swordsmanship].
※Note, if the Goddess of Protection finds the pose unsatisfactory, you must strike the pose once more.
+
Hmm.
I held the sword at an angle. Like how a transforming robot draws its sword to aim at the enemy in the climax scene.
Appropriately, the moment I angled the grip… flash! A radiant light burst forth from the blade.
[Quest Cleared.]
[The 65th floor stage has been cleared.]
"That's amazing."
I shuddered.
"This is incredibly underhanded…"
"You're the one being underhanded."
But the disgrace didn't end there.
['Goddess of Protection' demands the juniors to call her senior.]
['A Music Box Only for You' immediately jumps into the auction for the 66th floor stage!]
As if refusing to accept this, Fox cried out sharply, and the thread snake also wailed.
['A Music Box Only for You' places a bid.]
['The Eye Living in the Labyrinth' places a bid.]
['Goddess of Protection' sighs with a look of pity.]
['Goddess of Protection' places a bid.]
What could it be…
What exactly are they fighting for…
-Naturally, deciding on a mascot is bound to get heated.
Bae Hu-ryeong chuckled. He perfectly played the part of a local brother enjoying the spectacle.
-Leave them be. They're sorting out their hierarchy among themselves. This too is a kind of loyalty competition.
"I never wished for such loyalty, though…"
-Even if you do nothing, they're willing to clear stages for you. Then what else is loyalty? Be happy and suck the honey.
It was a very subtle kind of honey.
Meanwhile, the chaos intensified.
['A Music Box Only for You' pours in its wealth!]
['The Eye Living in the Labyrinth' reveals its hidden secret savings account.]
['Goddess of Protection' doubles the bid amount.]
The magician pinched his forehead.
"…I'll change the manager of the 66th floor to 'Goddess of Protection'."
For a moment, the fox and the snake cried out as if the sky was tearing apart.
+
[Sword Dance]
Difficulty: B
Mission Objective: The ruler of the 66th floor, [Goddess of Protection] Hwiya, demands that you perform a sword dance.
※Note, if the Goddess of Protection finds the performance unsatisfactory, you must dance once more.
+
The 66th floor was an ancient plain. The time was night, with a full moon hanging in the sky.
In this unexpected moonlit night, I began to dance with a sword in hand. Even to me, it seemed like I might appear quite mad…
[Quest Cleared.]
[The 66th floor stage has been cleared!]
It was incredible.
"Congratulations. Death King. You're the first hunter to break through stages in this manner since the tower was established."
"I wish I'd be the last as well."
"Let's decide that after seeing the next floor's auction."
The magician rolled his eyes.
"Alright. Let's start the auction for the 67th floor."
['A Music Box Only for You' places a bid!]
['The Eye Living in the Labyrinth' places a bid!]
['Goddess of Protection' places a bid!]
Just then.
['The Most Crimson Sommelier' places a bid….]
Finally, a new participant appeared. The magician's eyes sparkled. He immediately raised his staff high.
"Sold! The manager of the 67th floor will be changed to 'The Most Crimson Sommelier'!"
"Peep?!"
"Keeek! Keeiik!"
"I won't accept complaints. I'm both the host and the judge. The bid amounts are naturally confidential, so I can't disclose them. That's the rule I've set."
The magician shouted.
"Hey, Death King! Hurry up and go! Before he changes his mind!"
And so, I did.
6.
[You have entered the 67th stage.]
['The Most Crimson Sommelier' manifests.]
Have you ever heard of crocodile tears?
It's said that crocodiles shed tears when they crunch down on their prey, becoming synonymous with insincere sorrow. What's the point of appearing sorrowful after killing, if killing is killing and sorrow is sorrow, they argue.
"Sniff… Sob…"
But the crocodile tears falling before me now seemed genuinely heartfelt.
"Sob… Huk, sob…"
It was a crocodile wearing a cloak.
This crocodile, designed to walk on two legs rather than four, pounded the ground with its hands, not its front legs. Dressed in a fine suit all over, not just a cloak on its shoulders, it would have passed for a respectable gentleman if not for its crocodile head.
"Why, oh why, does this happen to me…!"
The crocodile gentleman was sobbing miserably.
"How despicable, Death King! Despicable! How could you resort to such underhanded tactics! You should have quietly waited for the other constellations to enter the auction, maybe for 100 or 200 years! Why! Couldn't you wait for that moment and hoard the stages!"
"So, you were planning such a nefarious delay tactic, huh…"
"Despicable creature! Never have I seen someone as vile, venomous, and despicable as you!"
It's not like I did anything, and yet here we are.