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Chapter 397: Star, Arcadia (9)
Chapter 397: Star, Arcadia (9)
Chapter 397: Star, Arcadia (9)
The citizens hid inside their houses as a street fight broke out on the narrow road that connected the plaza to the outskirts of Rabralta City.
“Get them!”
“Don’t let them escape!”
The captains barked orders at their soldiers, who responded quickly in turn. Many of them were knights and had the supernatural ability to convert mana into Aura, making them strong enough to stop even twenty citizens from overpowering them. However, even they were on high alert. They had no idea what was happening, but they were pursuing an inquisitor of the ‘Ursa Major’ Order, the Guardian of which was a famous Martial Celestial.
“Halt! Guns!”
The soldiers in front lined up, pulled out their magical guns from their backs, and aimed at Chang-Sun and the death row convicts. Their guns had long barrels similar to Earth’s sixteenth and nineteenth-century muskets and had various magical formulas carved inside them. With each pull of the trigger, the soldiers fired magical bullets so destructive that they were considered artifacts that could threaten even knights on battlefields. Combining those with the guns’ long attack range, they were no different from death reapers for ordinary people.
As Bixter ran beside Chang-Sun, Hiyan, who was in his arms, pointed behind them. “M-Mister!”
The boy was happy, having believed that he could continue living with his father and the villagers, but the Rabralta City Army pursuing them frightened him.
Among various types of soldiers in Arcadia, those with magical guns were notorious for being the trickiest to deal with. Witnessing around two hundred of those people aiming their guns at him and the others instilled Hiyan with indescribable terror.
Hiyan quickly turned to look at Chang-Sun. The latter glanced back, then quietly chuckled. ‘Those guns remind me of the old days.’
He was quite familiar with their weaponry.
“Fire?!”
On the captains’ orders, the soldiers unleashed a volley, the thunderous gunshots reverberating throughout the area.
Bang, bang, bang!
As Paul, Bixter, and the other death row convicts turned pale, Chang-Sun quickly drew runes in the air.
Paaah!
[A Protection Rune has been activated!]
A pool of light flashed, creating a translucent barrier from above Chang-Sun and the others’ heads. The magical bullets helplessly ricocheted off the barrier as a thick, burning smell spread.
“Huh?”
“H-how is this possible...?”
They couldn’t believe their own eyes. Paul and the other convicts’ jaws dropped to the ground, and Bixter chuckled dumbfoundedly. Having been a decurion of the Rabralta City, Bixter was well aware that one magical bullet was comparable to low-class War Mages’ magic spells. Nevertheless, the barrier around them blocked the bullets with ease even though it wasn’t a magic spell that an ‘Ursa Major’ priest could use.
‘Only a Spellcraft Creator above at least Class 5 should be able to do this!’ Bixter thought. Spellcraft Creator was a title given to wizards who had gone above using systemized magic and started pioneering their own field of magic. Hence, Bixter couldn’t help but be curious about the thin-mustached man’s real identity.
Recalling his greenhorn days, Chang-Sun found their reaction funny. “It’s too soon to be surprised.”
[An Explosion Rune has been activated!]
[An Explosion Rune has been activated!]
...
Chang-Sun used new runes, causing the ground where the soldiers were standing to explode.
Boom, boom, boom?!
Woosh, swish, swoosh!
“Arrrghhh! Somebody put this fire out!”
“It’s not going out! Not going out! Urrrrghhh!”
The soldiers’ formation swiftly broke down. Those who unluckily got caught up in the explosions fell to the ground, swallowed by the resulting fire, and those who managed to get away couldn’t approach them or the escapees any further. The captains’ horses neighed and ran wild, causing them to lose their balance and fall off from their mounts.
“Ma-magic...?”
“I-I’ve never seen a magic spell being activated like this.”
Only the four knights were relatively unscathed, having made their horses speed up in time.
“Isn’t he an inquisitor of ‘Ursa Major’? How can he use this kind of heretic craft?”
Heretic craft. Arcadia had extremely advanced magic, and the commonly used ones were derived from or related to the Star Order. Anything that wasn’t part of the existing magic system was classified as heretic crafts. Hence, they couldn’t help but be surprised when a priest from the Star Order used one.
Boooom?!
“Keough!”
“Urgggh!”
The knights tried to apprehend and eliminate Chang-Sun in any way they could, but a huge explosion detonated right in front of them and engulfed them, causing their plan to crumble down as fast as they did.
“...”
“...”
“...”
Chang-Sun’s runes easily blew away the knights, stunning the convicts.
“Let’s get going.” He chuckled as he led them out of Rabralta City.
* * *
Right before they escaped the city, Bixter suggested stealing horses from a stable under the regional lord’s direct management near the castle gate. This way, Chang-Sun and the others wouldn’t have to flee on foot anymore.
‘I wasted too much mana.’ Chang-Sun, who was leading the group, quietly clicked his tongue after checking how much mana he had left.
He had only activated over ten runes, but he could already almost see the bottom of his mana hall. Although the body he possessed had quite a lot of mana, the mana’s severe impurity decreased the efficiency of its usage. Hence, drawing runes required him to use more mana than usual.
His physical state was no different. Even though Chang-Sun was enduring it with his resolve, he was so tired that he could faint at any moment.
‘I should go through a metamorphosis as soon as I get the time,’ Chang-Sun thought.
[The Celestial ‘Ursa Major’ watches you with a confused look!]
‘Ursa Major’ tilted his head in confusion, feeling a sense of discordance from Atran Euhanes, whom Chang-Sun had possessed.
‘Watch me all you want, but you won’t be able to find anything.’
Chang-Sun believed that ‘Ursa Major’ would stop paying attention to him soon since the latter’s priority right now was finding the intruder, whom he would never imagine would be inside one of his followers.
[The Celestial ‘Ursa Major’ stops paying attention to you!]
‘Ursa Major’ disappeared again, likely to continue his search.
‘I’ll have to remove the Terminal when I go through metamorphosis.’ Chang-Sun’s gaze grew sharper.
“Mister,” Hiyan called.
[Your Follower ‘Hiyan’ watches his Guardian!]
Chang-Sun smiled at Hiyan in an attempt to be amicable, but the gesture took the child by surprise.
‘...Do I look too scary?’ Chang-Sun wondered, recalling that this body also looked hideous. ‘I’ll also have to change my appearance as well.’
Chang-Sun hated everything about this damn body.
“Who in the world are you, mister?” Hiyan asked, finally working up the courage to.
Worried about Hiyan, Paul and Bixter gestured at him to stop asking any more questions, but they couldn’t help glancing at Chang-Sun as well. They were also curious.
“Me?” Chang-Sun wondered how he should reply for a moment but found no reason to hide his identity from them. Hence, he simply answered, “Your god.”
“... God?” Hiyan’s eyes widened.
Paul and the other convicts gave Chang-Sun a confused look—an understandable reaction. Chang-Sun was their savior, but calling himself a god just made them think he was crazy or a cult leader. Just like the adults, Hiyan looked at him in disbelief.
“Didn’t you call out to me to help you?” Chang-Sun added.
“Ah!” Hiyan remembered the wish he desperately made as Paul and the villagers were about to be executed. “A-are you the Sky Sword hero?”
“Sky Sword?” Chang-Sun tilted his head, confused about what Hiyan was talking about.
“It’s our village’s sword. It’s said that the hero used it to slay a Demon King!”
“...?”
“So it’s this big and...!” Hiyan used all of himself to describe the Sky Sword from memory.
When Hiyan got to the part where the Sky Sword turned into a shooting star, Chang-Sun nodded, finally figuring out the Sky Sword’s identity. “Ah, you’re talking about [Trollsverd].”
“T-tr... Say that again?”
“This one.” Chang-Sun flicked his fingers.
[A part of your ‘King’s Treasury’ has been opened!]
Through a narrow spatial gap, Hiyan saw [Trollsverd]. The monster slayer sword was shining brilliantly.
“Y-yes! That’s it!” Hiyan expressed his surprise by clapping.
‘[Trollsverd] is the reason why I’m linked with this child,’ Chang-Sun thought.
Relics sent down to the <Saha World> by a Celestial occasionally created their own <Myth> on their owner’s behalf. After all, relics themselves were miracles for mortals. After going through Soul Degradation, Chang-Sun lost all the weapons in his [Omni-Weapon Chest]. Hence, he didn’t find it strange that his weapons built their own <Myths>. [Trollsverd] was also the main component of [Gungnir], making it only even more natural for it to have its own <Myths>.
Without realizing it, Chang-Sun had built an <Order> of his own in Arcadia.
‘My <Order>... It doesn’t sound bad,’ Chang-Sun thought.
Chang-Sun’s ultimate goal in Arcadia had always been to steal this place from <Horoscope> since it was the source of their Faith. The creation of a new <Order> could endanger the entire Star Order.
On the other hand, Paul and the others’ jaws dropped to the ground. Seeing the relic that symbolized their village for generations finally made them believe Chang-Sun.
“A-are you... really the hero?” Paul asked after swallowing down his saliva, his voice quivering.
He couldn’t help but feel surprised. A random folktale that they passed down in the village turned out to be true.
Instead of answering Paul, Chang-Sun inquired, “You’ve all mentioned a hero and Demon King or something. What in the world are those supposed to be about?”
“Ah, that’s...!” Paul told him the folktale, worried that a part of it would upset him.
* * *
“... That was how it’s been passing down? I never could have imagined this.” Chang-Sun chuckled after listening to the whole folktale.
The Demon King in the story was actually ‘Hippocampus’[1], who was the first <Star> Chang-Sun sent plummeting when he achieved <Transcendence> for the first time. Although ‘Hippocampus’ was not one of the Eighty-Eight Star Signs, he was still part of <Horoscope> and reigned Eos with terror. Some time ago, he attempted to steal the <First Star’s Fragment> that Chang-Sun had, so Chang-Sun fought back and defeated him. The incident seemed to have left a strong impression on the villagers.
‘It’s embarrassing.’
Hearing his accomplishments from long ago in the form of folklore made Chang-Sun cringe since he still strongly identified as a human. The new details that were added and changed over time to what actually happened only made it even more cringe. Nevertheless, he didn’t bother to point it out because there was no reason to break their long-time belief. Ever-changing <Myths> occasionally elevated one’s Divine Class anyway.
[The Celestial ‘Divine Twilight’ has gained more followers in the Server ‘Arcadia’!]
[Current followers: 14.]
[Witnessing your incarnation on this land with their own eyes has maximized your followers’ Faith!]
[Your followers believe that you will lead them to a haven.]
[Many of your prospective followers are being discriminated against and persecuted. They are waiting for salvation.]
[Gather the followers who are being persecuted, guide them to a new world, and establish an <Order>.]
“Ah, umm... Dear Lord—Sir Hero...” Hiyan trailed off, trying to find the right way to address him.
“Just call me brother,” Chang-Sun said, patting Hiyan’s head.
When the child stared at him because he was unsure if he could do that, Chang-Sun just nodded.
“Okay, brother!” Hiyan’s face brightened up.
Paul and Bixter were fidgety, but Chang-Sun and Hiyan paid no attention to them. Chang-Sun just hoped that his bubbly follower would continue to stay this way.
“Brother, you’re going to save our village, right?” Hiyan asked, his voice filled with hope.
Paul’s and the others’ eyes wandered, unable to say anything.
Looking at them, Chang-Sun readily nodded. “Of course, salvation is a god’s duty.”
Click?!
Chang-Sun pulled out his iron mask from his [King’s Treasury] and put it on. He believed it would be enough to make up for this damn body’s inadequacies.
“ I’ll get rid of those cumbersome chasers first,” Chang-Sun continued.
Sensing a new group of pursuers tracking them down from not so far away, he realized it would only complicate things if he didn’t stop them and the lord of Rabralta City now.
Underneath his mask, Chang-Sun smirked. Burning down their regional government castle or one of the order’s churches should stop their pursuit.
1. It’s one of the former constellations that is no longer recognized as an official constellation. ?