abcnovels
Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Chapter 71
Before Choi Yeonseung could think about the meaning of the message, another message arrived.
[’Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead’ is inviting you to her realm.]
[If you accept, you will be moved to the realm of the ‘Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead.’]
“!”
She was alive! He was puzzled since he couldn’t contact her until now. It was nice to hear from her.
The Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead. She was the constellation who started all of this. If she hadn’t recommended Choi Yeonseung to train in the Abyss, he wouldn’t have become a constellation! He didn’t know it at the time, but he could now see how strange her proposal was.
‘Where in the world is there a constellation that throws you into a training ground without giving you the proper strength and says that if you pass it, you can become their household member?’
No constellation would give such a detestable reward. Constellations had to pay in advance!
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says you should be careful of stupid constellations.]
[The ‘Manipulator of Dreams and Desires’ agrees with the cat constellation. The ‘Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead’ isn’t that intelligent, no matter how one thinks about it...]
-I know, but stop treating her harshly.
Choi Yeonseung had no particular ill feelings toward the Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead. He couldn’t enter the training ground and had to wander around the Abyss for over 10,000 years, but it wasn’t the goddess’ fault. Of course, none of this would’ve happened if the goddess had just sent him straight into the training ground, but...
It wasn’t such a big mistake that they had to treat her harshly. The two constellations kept insulting the goddess every time her name came up, so he somehow kept taking her side.
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ is disappointed that the incarnation of training is on the side of the ‘Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead.’ It grumbles that raising a constellation is useless.]
-It isn’t like that.
[The ‘Manipulator of Dreams and Desires’ once again agrees with the cat constellation. She says she’s sad.]
-You weren’t that kind of constellation. Why are you suddenly acting like this?
Unlike the cat constellation, the Manipulator of Dreams and Desires was a cool constellation!
-I’ll end the joke here. As I said last time, I am in favor of an alliance with the goddess. You just have to be careful. Just because she isn’t malicious doesn’t mean she won’t hurt you.
The Manipulator of Dreams and Desires spoke directly to Choi Yeonseung.
-Besides, aren’t you weak toward the goddess?
-I’m not.
-You are.
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says that the incarnation of training is weak against the goddess.]
The two constellations spoke bluntly. Choi Yeonseung was more tolerant of the goddess due to his relationship with her when he was still a human. If he was still a mortal, then that would’ve been fine. However, he was a constellation now. Beings like him had to be composed. They shouldn’t shed blood or tears.
-You’re a constellation now, so you shouldn’t give in to personal feelings. Promise us before you go. If the Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead seems unreliable or won’t be of any help, don’t join forces with her.
-But she knows who I am, doesn’t she?
-I didn’t say don’t ally with her. There are many ways to keep someone’s mouth shut. Once allied, you can stab each other in the back.
It sounded heartless at first glance, but Choi Yeonseung realized that the Manipulator of Dreams and Desires was just worried about him. The realm of the Manipulator of Dreams and Desires and Cat of Lava and Magma was far away on the outskirts of the Abyss. Their lives wouldn’t be in danger even if things went wrong on Earth.
However, Choi Yeonseung was now in the middle of Earth. If things went wrong in a constellation battle, then his existence as a constellation and his life would be in danger.
‘She’s right. I should make up my mind.’
It wasn’t that he didn’t feel indebted to the goddess, but he had to let go of this feeling. Now was the time to focus on the future!
-By the way, after the first constellation battle ended, my ranking among the Earth’s constellations rose. Did you know about this?
[......]
[......]
A collective silence! Considering how they were acting, it seemed neither of them knew. The two constellations were located on the outskirts of the Abyss. Hence, they had no knowledge about the constellation battles on Earth.
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says you should ask the goddess about it.]
‘You just scolded her for being a useless constellation...’
***
Upon accepting the goddess’ offer, Choi Yeonseung was moved to the goddess’ realm in the Abyss. The power of existence possessed by constellations was limitless. Teleporting a person from Earth wasn’t a hard task.
“?”
The Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead’s kingdom was right in front of him. Choi Yeonseung was flustered. Its atmosphere was so...
Shabby.
‘What?’
Choi Yeonseung had fought in numerous realms in the Abyss. A constellation’s kingdom showed what type of constellation its master was. However, the goddess’ kingdom was shabby and desolated. It was as if it was on the verge of collapse.
‘Am I misunderstanding something?’
This kingdom consisted of large and small towers floating in the air. In the center of all of them was a beautiful white tower. Choi Yeonseung entered the tower in the middle. Normally, a constellation’s household members, or the angels in her case, would’ve come out and greeted him...
‘No angels...?’
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ is perplexed. It wonders if this is a trap.]
[The ‘Manipulator of Dreams and Desires’ guesses that the goddess’ situation isn’t good.]
‘Let’s not jump to conclusions. Just because there are no angels doesn’t mean she’s been ruined. The angels could just be busy.’
The door of the tower opened by itself and let Choi Yeonseung inside. As soon as he went in, the scenery in the tower changed and guided Choi Yeonseung. He stopped at a large, pure white hall. However, it was quiet. There were no angels here either.
There was only one being in it. The Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead, whose slender body was wrapped in a white dress and whose eyes were covered to see the future!
“......”
“......”
The two constellations stared at each other, an awkward atmosphere between them.
‘What should I say?’ Choi Yeonseung frowned. He was thinking about where to start. Should he say hello first?
“So…”
“So?”
“I’m sorry!”
“??”
The goddess bowed and apologized. Choi Yeonseung was taken aback.
“What do you mean?”
“I should’ve sent you straight to the tower...”
This was the regret that the goddess continued to feel after Choi Yeonseung went missing! The angels in her household had said similar things.
-Why did you send him a distance away rather than right inside the training ground?
-Why did you do that? Even if you want to create a dramatic effect, you should’ve at least kept a degree of moderation.
-Don’t you feel sorry for Adaquaniel? Adaquaniel has to keep searching for a dead human...
-H-He isn’t dead...! The future is telling me that he could be alive...!
-Master, I’m not ignoring your power, but there are times when you’re wrong!
-That's right. You should step back when necessary.
After Choi Yeonseung was swept away by the magical storm, the goddess sent her household members to search for him Her power kept showing her prophecies that he could still be alive. Of course, her household members complained. How long did they have to search for someone who was sure to be dead?
“No... It’s fine. It was a long time ago, and I don’t blame you for it.”
“!”
Choi Yeonseung’s calm words surprised the goddess. To be sure, she pulled up her blindfold and looked at Choi Yeonseung’s expression. He really didn’t seem to have any resentment.
‘He doesn’t resent me? Really?’
The angels in her household had told her similar things.
-Even if you find him, don’t you think he’ll bare his fangs at you because he thinks he’s been betrayed?
-This is why you should’ve accepted him as a household member first. Why did you give yourself a hard time with such a strange contract?
Contrary to her household members’ words, however, Choi Yeonseung seemed very calm.
The goddess was touched. ‘Look at this! He isn’t blaming me! I really found the right person!’
The goddess thought so, only to pause.
‘Ah... But he has now signed a contract with another constellation...’
What was the point of finding the right person if he would just go become the household member of another constellation?
“...Didn’t the Undefeated Incarnation of Training say anything about you coming here?”
“?”
Choi Yeonseung was confused for a moment. Then he realized what the goddess was talking about. This goddess...
She didn’t know he was a constellation!
‘She thinks I’m the household member of the Undefeated Incarnation of Training!’
He had participated in a constellation battle, so it was actually a reasonable interpretation. When he returned from the Abyss, she normally thought, ‘Oh, he signed a contract with another constellation in the Abyss and returned,’ instead of, ‘Oh, he came back as a constellation.’ It was too much to expect the latter, no matter how much the goddess knew about Choi Yeonseung’s identity.
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says this is very good! It says to pretend to be a household member!]
[The ‘Manipulator of Dreams and Desires’ agrees!]
-Be quiet, you guys.
Choi Yeonseung made them shut up before speaking. “Incarnation-nim is generous and kind. He readily agreed to let me meet you.”
“Ah... I see...”
The goddess’ words trailed off as her fingers twitched. Deep down, she had expected Choi Yeonseung to express his dissatisfaction with the incarnation of training.
It was more painful than she thought to see firsthand a household member she wanted being taken by someone else.
Slap!
“??”
The goddess suddenly slapped herself, which startled Choi Yeonseung.
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says she is crazy...]
-Block the perspective sharing.
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says it will be quiet!]
“Goddess. I came here for another reason.”
“?”
“My master wants to join forces with you.”
“!” The goddess was surprised. It was an unexpected suggestion.
“Ah. That’s right. The Undefeated Incarnation of Training is... He’s a new constellation on Earth, right? He came from a distant place in the Abyss.”
“That’s right.”
“So the suggestion...”
“??”
“... I have to be honest with you. You’ll eventually find out about this anyway,” The goddess said while blushing. This wasn’t something she would say to a mere mortal, but she owed Choi Yeonseung. Didn’t she make him suffer in the Abyss for nothing? She wanted to be honest with him.
“Um... Umm... Ummmm...”
“?”
“... I’m ruined...”
“......”
Her unexpected remark rendered Choi Yeonseung speechless.
***
The Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead was a powerful constellation who went back and forth between the advanced level and the highest-grade level. There were many times when she was wrong, but seeing the future was a powerful ability even in the Abyss. Other constellations bowed to her when they wanted to know the future.
Of course, looking into the future wasn’t free. Every time they needed her power, the constellations had to pay a huge price. Her power of existence as a constellation became more powerful every time they paid her!
… This was a story of the past, however. Now the Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead could barely maintain her power of existence at the level of a low-grade constellation.
“W-What happened?”
“I kept losing constellation battles...”
It was fortunate that her eyes were covered with a blindfold. She was so embarrassed that she wouldn’t have been able to make eye contact with Choi Yeonseung if her eyes weren’t covered.
“......”
[......]
[......]
Unable to speak, the two constellations remained silent.