I think I finally understood why I’d always had such an overwhelming urge to protect others—even at the risk of my own life.
It was a kind of self-defense mechanism.
It was my own desperate struggle to avoid being consumed by Destruction, the soul of the Constellation dwelling within me.
Every time I felt something inside me clashing with something else, my stomach churned violently. The prompt to initiate synchronization no longer appeared.
For some reason, hot tears streamed down my face.
The beheaded body of Angrboda collapsed, crumbling without even a scream.
I gasped for air. It felt like I could hear the sounds of all creation. I couldn’t even move my fingers properly. My breathing came in ragged, heaving bursts, my shoulders trembling as I held the sword slick with dripping slime.
“Haa….”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Cancel that skill right now!]
“No, not yet.”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Not yet? If you keep going like this, you’ll be annihilated for directly attacking a Constellation! Listen to me!]
I looked at the shattered fragments of Mana Stones glittering like stars and the twitching form of Angrboda trying to rise again. Then I stood before Baek Tae-beom and bowed my head.
His eyes blinked sluggishly, tinged faintly red—probably from blood.
The man who had been quietly gazing up at me gave a faint smile.
“Hyung, are you okay?”
How could he ask me that, looking the way I did?
I gently rubbed Baek Tae-beom’s cheek. Bowing my head, I murmured.
“…I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”
“That’s what I should be saying, hyung. I’m the one who said I’d protect you.”
“I can’t always hide behind your back.”
[You have purchased Healing Potion C.]
[Remaining Coins: 3,500]
[You have purchased Healing Potion C.]
[Remaining Coins: 0]
I opened the potion and poured it over Baek Tae-beom’s wounds.
I watched the torn flesh knit itself back together with a crackling sound, the exposed bone disappearing beneath new skin.
Baek Tae-beom didn’t let out a single groan.
Proud of him, I roughly tousled his hair as if rewarding a job well done.
Then I rose to my feet.
Baek Tae-beom looked up at me with a worried face.
A tingling numbness spread from the crown of my head, but it wasn’t as unpleasant as I expected.
“What are you planning to do?”
I didn’t answer.
Instead, I just stared at Angrboda.
She was still a crumpled wreck, taking her time to restore her body. Her eyeballs squirmed as they fixated on me, grotesque enough to be repulsive.
“You… how could you…”
“You won’t strike me directly. If you do, you’ll be obliterated.”
I clenched my fist tight, then relaxed it and readjusted my grip on the sword.
Everything I knew about swordplay, I had learned from watching Baek Tae-beom’s form. But right now, I felt like I could cut through anything.
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Choi Ga-hyeon!]
“And until the moment I get erased, I’m going to beat the absolute shit out of you.”
The dizziness returned.
The remnants of Destruction crawled up through my body.
It felt like they were whispering, It’s still not too late.
That I could still destroy the world.
But my body, reeling from sudden change, wasn’t following my thoughts.
As I stepped toward Angrboda, a hand gripped mine.
I turned reflexively.
Baek Tae-beom was standing there, blood dripping from his body.
“Tae-beom.”
“I’m asking again, hyung. Are you really okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“I don’t know what you and Angrboda talked about in there.”
His voice was quiet, somber.
The golden flicker in his eyes shimmered beautifully. Blood trickled down from his lips.
“I don’t even know what kind of state you’re in right now. But I do know this—right now, you’re stronger than I am.”
“Tae-beom.”
“But honestly, I don’t care about any of that.”
He smiled warmly. And somehow, it felt even closer than ever.
“What I love is you—you as you are. Whether you’re a Constellation or not, whatever you are, it doesn’t matter. Because you’re you.”
He tightened his grip around my hand.
I looked down at it quietly.
“But I hope that doesn’t become a burden to you.”
“……”
“Just as I exist now because of you, no matter what choice you make—I’ll be right beside you.”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Choi Ga-hyeon, please…]
Everything calmed.
The tangled mess inside me was gone.
I looked at Baek Tae-beom, whose hand had fallen away without strength, then turned again to Angrboda.
She was laughing—scraping together scattered shards of Mana Stones with her long arms like it was all a joke.
“What the hell’s so funny?”
“This is why humans… will never understand the true will of the gods.”
Angrboda bared her teeth in a twisted grin.
Not that it was clearly visible, since half her face had been sliced away.
“You’re too late! I’ve already broken the seal!
Little god, your struggle ends here!”
At that very moment, pitch-black light began to pour from Angrboda.
I rushed forward, desperate to cut her down, but was stopped by an invisible, formless barrier.
[CH.#6Eusb1/Horseback Herald: She’s offering herself as a sacrifice. We have to stop her!]
[CH.#6Eusb1/One Who Is the Purest in the World: No, it’s already too late.]
[CH.#6Eusb1/Horseback Herald: Baldr! Brother, how can you say that?!]
[CH.#6Eusb1/One Who Is the Purest in the World: This is the most fitting end for those who merely stood by and watched.]
The scattered fragments of Mana Stones gathered in an instant around Angrboda.
She no longer resembled her original form—just a lump of black, round flesh. Combined with the Mana Stones, Angrboda now looked like a cocoon spun from black thread.
Twitch.
The cocoon gave a great shudder and began to float slowly into the air.
Then, after a moment, something popped out.
A face.
Ghastly pale and grotesquely shaped, it twisted and shifted through various expressions like a clown before gradually solidifying into a complete visage— smooth, handsome, unsettling.
The face curled into a slow smile before tearing apart the jet-black cocoon from within and revealing its full form.
Huge arms and legs emerged first, followed by the torso twisting free of the shell.
Chunks of black flesh rained to the floor with each movement.
“…Holy shit.”
Someone muttered under their breath.
In the chat, someone else typed: Odin, help us.
The pale figure, its body still clinging with bits of raw flesh, tilted its head slightly in greeting. Then, it slowly licked its lower lip as it looked down at me.
[CH.#6Eusb1/God of Mischief: Hey there?]
[CH.#6Eusb1/God of Mischief: Oh.]
[CH.#6Eusb1/God of Mischief: Guess humans can’t understand that, huh.]
[CH.#6Eusb1/God of Mischief: I’ll have to greet you properly then.]
The figure gave an exaggerated shrug of regret and opened its mouth.
“Hello~?”
But no one answered that greeting.
“What, seriously? Not even a hello back? How rude.”
Cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck.
The seal on Loki had been broken.
So Angrboda… did she really offer herself as a sacrifice?
Did she truly wish to bring Destruction upon the world badly enough to give herself up for it?
“Well then, little god.”
Loki moved toward me with inhuman speed.
I barely managed to dodge the hand he thrust out.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance and slammed his foot down onto the floor.
The solid ground of the lab cracked open beneath him.
“I figured you’d be polite enough to respond to my greeting.”
“I heard Odin was supposed to keep you from escaping.”
“Odin, my brother, has… a few blind spots.”
Loki stroked his chin, his narrow eyes curling into a bright, wicked grin.
“He only ever sealed a part of me. He’s probably in shock right now. My God! I sealed Loki to preserve world peace!”
Loki gasped dramatically and covered his mouth with both hands.
“But no! He fell for Angrboda’s little scheme!”
To be honest, it wasn’t even much of a scheme. Loki laughed with a wide, dopey grin.
“Loki slipped right out! What now? Oh, and by the way…”
He leaned in like he was about to share a massive secret.
“I’m in a body that lets me attack a Constellation like you without any consequences~! After all, Angrboda became the sacrifice in my place, so she’s the one who’ll vanish~!”
The words flowed from his mouth without pause.
I said nothing.
Loki, on the other hand, looked completely exhilarated.
“So now, little god, you’ll have to face me all by yourself. What will you do?”
“At this rate, you’ll be obliterated before I ever am.”
He spread his arms theatrically.
The aura of power radiating from him was worlds apart from what Angrboda had emanated.
A crawling, vile sensation crept under my skin.
Loki—the one who would bring forth Ragnarok.
If I didn’t stop him here and now, everything would be lost.
“It’s like being trapped in a eucalyptus tree. So, what’ll you do now?”
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Run, Ga-hyeon.]
Apollo’s voice echoed in my ears.
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Just run. The world may fall, but it’s better than you dying.]
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Run—no matter what, just survive.]
[CH.#6Eusb1/Free Wind: What are you talking about?!]
[CH.#6Eusb1/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Don’t you see? We’ve lost. There’s no winning this anymore! If it goes on like this, only obliteration awaits! I don’t want that for him!]
“You’ve got such lovely friends. I wish I had friends like that.”
Loki sneered, then raised one arm.
In his hand, a pitch-black sphere of energy swirled—the power of the Mana Stones.
“Well then, let’s take this all the way, shall we?”
Loki shouted gleefully.
At that moment, the ceiling shattered, and two figures dropped down.
One of them sliced off Loki’s raised arm in a single stroke.
Schraaak—dark liquid splattered in every direction, chunks of flesh falling to the ground.
Loki’s eyes widened in shock.
“Sorry, kids. We’re a little late.”
Park Gil-seon stood in front of us, her back facing us protectively.
Next to her, Kang Si-hoo casually flicked the blackened blood off his sword and continued the thought.
“You know what they say—protagonists always show up late.”
“This guy couldn’t find the way, so I had to show him how to navigate. Hohoho. He didn’t seem like an enemy, so I figured I’d help out.”
“That’s kind of embarrassing to admit, actually.”
“Kang Si-hoo!”
Kang Si-hoo glanced back at me with a faint smile.
The red in his eyes no longer held any trace of brainwashing.
It was the clearest, most genuine smile I’d ever seen on him.
Loki’s expression twitched.
Clearly displeased, he glanced down at his severed arm, then stared straight at Kang Si-hoo.
“You think this makes up for your sins?”
“Not even a little. I never intended it to.”
Kang Si-hoo’s voice was calm.
“When all of this is over, I’ll answer for everything I’ve done. It’s not something you need to worry about.”
“…Then how did you manage to cut off my arm?”
“Angrboda messed with my body more times than I can count.”
Kang Si-hoo remained composed.
“Her Constellation’s touch altered me so much, I’m practically a mutated husk now. So it’s not all that strange that I can hurt you.”
“Ah, I see!”
Loki laughed like he was thoroughly amused.
Then, with a flick of his remaining hand’s fingers—
The severed arm on the ground twitched, broke apart, and the fragments each morphed into distinct forms—
transforming into monsters in the blink of an eye.
So many pieces—so many monsters.
“Well then… how about this?”
