Dividing the hunters into teams without assistance from the Association was quite the hassle, given that everyone belonged to different factions. Thankfully, everyone cooperated well, so it was doable. Most of them paired off in groups of two or three, each carrying a walkie-talkie. Baek Tae-beom and I were set to enter with Lee Myung-won.
“What about the Guildmaster?”
“He’s directing operations from another location. We should be entering this dungeon.”
It was the dungeon entrance closest to Namsan Tower. The thought that Fenrir might be inside made a jolt of tension run through me.
Blue Star waved both arms at us with a buzzing motion.
“See you later~.”
We entered the dungeon.
[You have entered a dungeon that has been fully opened.]
[Dungeon: <Edge of the Cliff>]
[A mountain path crumbled from a high ridge.
Estimated Rank: D
Reward: ???]
[You have entered Channel #32fas91. Current number of viewers: 5]
[‘One Who Weaves Euphoria’ has joined. Current number of viewers: 6]
[‘One Who Is the Purest in the World’ has joined. Current number of viewers: 7]
…Wait a second.
[‘One Who Will Burn the World’ has joined. Current number of viewers: 11]
Suddenly, the number of incoming Constellations exploded—multiplying by tens, then hundreds.
[‘One Who Rules the Sea and Storm’ has joined. Current number of viewers: 65]
[‘One Who Governs Wealth and Prosperity’ has joined. Current number of viewers: 178]
[‘Son of the Sea’ has joined. Current number of viewers: 288]
[‘Goddess Who Protects Maidens’ has joined. Current number of viewers: 450]
[Due to the large number of Constellations entering, a queue has formed. Please wait a moment.]
[The Constellation ‘One Who Seeks to Prevent Destruction’ is synchronizing with the Holy Vessel.]
[‘Queen of Terror’ has joined. Current number of viewers: 601]
[‘The Three Old Women’ have joined. Current number of viewers: 968]
[‘Overflow of Abundance’ has joined…]
My body froze at the absurd spectacle. It felt like thousands of eyes were watching me. No—it wasn’t just a feeling. It was an undeniable fact.
[Countless eyes are focused on you.]
[Power is being drawn toward you.]
An overwhelming pressure bore down on me, enough to make me feel like I might drop to my knees at any moment. The memory of meeting Apollo for the first time flashed unbidden through my mind. My legs trembled. I felt like I’d forgotten how to breathe.
Then a new message appeared in the chat window.
[CH.#32fas91/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Don’t be afraid.]
The nausea in my gut slowly began to subside.
[CH.#32fas91/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: No one can harm you.]
[CH.#32fas91/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: They can’t even touch a hair on your head.]
[CH.#32fas91/Free Wind: Nervous, Ga-hyeon?]
Hermes asked in his usual breezy tone.
[CH.#32fas91/Free Wind: I told you, didn’t I? Countless Constellations are watching your every step.]
[CH.#32fas91/Free Wind: So don’t be surprised. Don’t be afraid.]
As if to counter that gentleness, more aggressive messages flooded in.
[CH.#32fas91/One Who Is the Purest in the World: Only death will be of any benefit to you, little Constellation.]
[CH.#32fas91/Mocking Slaughterer: Hehehe! What do you think something like that can even do!]
[CH.#32fas91/One Who Will Burn the World: I will tear your limbs apart and set them aflame, along with the sacred tree. Are you aware of this?]
[CH.#32fas91/Gnawing Wolf: Look at that terrified face. The world is doomed anyway. Ragnarok is coming.]
[CH.#32fas91/One Who Erases Sin: ……]
[CH.#32fas91/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: ENOUGH, YOU DAMN BASTARDS! WILL YOU SHUT UP ALREADY?]
[CH.#32fas91/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Get lost. Get OUT!]
[The Constellation ‘One More Dazzling Than the Sun’ swings a broom.]
[CH.#32fas91/Goddess Who Protects Maidens: I wondered why you were so clingy. Turns out you’re just scared.]
That Constellation name—it’s definitely Artemis.
[CH.#32fas91/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: What’s your problem now?]
[CH.#32fas91/Goddess Who Protects Maidens: Problem? Who, me?]
[CH.#32fas91/Free Wind: Ahhh, they’re fighting again! Stop it!]
[CH.#32fas91/Goddess Who Protects Maidens: What else would you call cowardly behavior if not fear?]
[CH.#32fas91/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Gonna act like Ares now, is that it?]
[CH.#32fas91/Bloodsoaked Murderer: Huh? What was that, punk?]
[CH.#32fas91/Bloodsoaked Murderer: A half-baked Constellation like this is going to stop Destruction? I call bullshit.]
[CH.#32fas91/Bloodsoaked Murderer: I only kept quiet because you assholes kept nagging me.]
[CH.#32fas91/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Shut it, you uncultured brute.]
[CH.#32fas91/Bloodsoaked Murderer: The fuck did you just say?]
Apollo and Ares were blatantly at each other’s throats.
And to think I was now witnessing a full-blown argument among the gods all at once—just like I’d sensed all along, there wasn’t a shred of dignity among them.
[CH.#32fas91/Bloodsoaked Murderer: I am the mightiest in Olympus—!]
[CH.#32fas91/Eyes of the Owl: Idiot. Shut up.]
[CH.#32fas91/One Who Erases Sin: What amusing creatures… Watching you makes the time slip away unnoticed.]
[CH.#32fas91/Source of Wind: Is this really the time for bickering like fools? Tsk. This is why those myth clowns are always the problem.]
[CH.#32fas91/Gatekeeper of Asgard: Hahaha! This is truly entertaining.]
Athena, Vishnu, Hræsvelgr, Heimdall… An overwhelming torrent of information flooded my mind, making it hard to focus. I forced myself to stay calm and shoved the chat window off to the corner. It kept updating with chimes—ding, ding—as the gods argued, seizing every little word to escalate their fights.
“Hyung, are you okay? You look pale.”
“I’m fine.”
“Hmm… It appears to be a standard field-type dungeon.”
Lee Myung-won said while scanning the area. Just as he said, the dungeon consisted of a single path winding up the mountain. Nothing else was visible. If anything, it was the cliff below that stood out—so deep you couldn’t see the bottom.
But I could feel it—undeniably. The overwhelming presence ahead, so close it was almost absurd. I had no idea how it had crept up this far.
[CH.#32fas91/Bloodsoaked Murderer: A normal dungeon? Hey, Apollo—your Contractor seems like a real idiot!]
[CH.#32fas91/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: What did you just say? You wanna go?]
[CH.#32fas91/Gatekeeper of Asgard: As war-hungry as ever. Thor would be delighted to see this.]
[CH.#32fas91/Goddess of Beauty and War: Hah! If we’re talking about a fool who only knows brute strength, spare me the tale!]
Freya sneered at Heimdall’s comment.
I glanced at the chat briefly and spoke to Lee Myung-won.
“I think this is the place.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes. If we keep following this path… I think we’ll find Fenrir. Looks like we made it to the right spot.”
“Is that part of your ability, Mr. Choi Ga-hyeon?”
If you could call it an ability, sure. More accurately, it was a sense I had as a Constellation. I could feel it—something massive, unstable, and terrifying was waiting just up ahead. Even without Hermóðr saying a word, I knew.
[CH.#32fas91/Horseback Herald: Enough noise. Watch quietly unless you want me to report everything to Father Odin.]
“Something like that.”
“The more I see of you, Mr. Choi Ga-hyeon, the less human you seem.”
At that, I shut my mouth. Baek Tae-beom, who’d been shooting Lee Myung-won a bothered look, blinked quickly. But regardless of our reactions, Lee Myung-won continued speaking calmly as he gazed ahead.
“You’ve come back from the dead… You know the future… You can converse with Constellations… At this point, you’re just a walking mystery. I feel like there’s still more you’re hiding.”
He wasn’t wrong—but the truth was a secret too enormous to tell, not even to Baek Tae-beom.
That this world was a novel—and that I had come from outside of it. A fairy tale of a tale.
And yet, thinking about it now, something felt off. The Apocalypse Chronicles of Another World wasn’t a novel only I had read.
So why did a sense of dissonance suddenly wash over me?
[The Constellation ‘One Who Seeks to Prevent Destruction’ is synchronizing with the Holy Vessel.]
No—maybe it didn’t matter.
“Anyway, let’s get moving.”
We began making our way up the mountain trail. Or rather, it was more of a cliff edge than a mountain. The path was so narrow that a single misstep could send us tumbling down into the void below.
“Hyung, walk a little closer to the inner side.”
“If I slip, you’d better catch me right away.”
At that, Lee Myung-won chuckled.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Choi Ga-hyeon. I’ll even grab your shoes if I have to.”
Baek Tae-beom immediately shot back in a cold voice.
“Why are you answering for him?”
“Wouldn’t it be about time you decided whether to speak formally or not, Mr. Baek Tae-beom?”
“I don’t want to. Sir?”
“You’re so childish, Tae-beom.”
Even after my remark, Baek Tae-beom still looked thoroughly displeased.
“If Hyung falls, I’ll be the one to catch him.”
“Alright, alright.”
I tried not to let Baek Tae-beom’s reaction get to me, focusing instead on walking forward—and that’s when I saw it.
“What is that…?”
