Chapter 258

Chapter 258
Chapter 258

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Holy Star

By refusing to abandon my own identity, I truly found myself. I came to understand my essence and grasped the significance of my existence as ‘Park Hyunmyeong.’ Was this current development a gift for that realization, or was it a burden?

A second Awakening. I had triggered a transformation that was impossible for a normal participant. Although I was starting from zero, I possessed overwhelming advantages that ensured I would never have to submit to anyone else.

Because of this, I was lost in contemplation.

‘My path forward.’

The trail I would blaze. This was also a journey into the unknown. It required careful, deliberate movement. Yet, looking at it from another angle, a part of me wondered why I should bother being cautious at all.

‘If I show my true colors, what do I stand to gain?’

To start, the tie to Randolph would be severed. No one would associate me with the identities of Randolph or Phantom. Since only those who hadn’t awakened could do so here on the ‘Island of God,’ and not established players, I could draw a definitive line and reclaim my autonomy. Randolph had always been a figure of mystery. I had intentionally kept it that way to avoid the complications of players, the White King, the Empire, and everything else.

But as Park Hyunmyeong, my only concerns were the matters of Earth. I didn’t need to stress over those other entanglements. In short.

‘I can do whatever I want. That’s a pleasant thought.’

It meant I could live according to my own whims. I didn’t have to monitor anyone’s opinions, there was no reason to feel constrained, and if I felt like it, I didn’t even have to stick to—well, never mind that. Regardless, it was a flawless alternate persona.

‘…I can’t believe I’ve actually created a sub-character.’

It wasn’t planned, but I had become a secondary character. I didn’t mind it, though. In fact, I found the idea quite appealing.

‘There are plenty of times where a sub-character ends up outshining the primary one.’

If the primary objectives and the Hall of Fame were interconnected, the time would eventually come when the name Park Hyunmyeong would be carved above Randolph’s. To see the top two spots on the leaderboard both held by me—just thinking about it was exhilarating. For someone like me who obsessed over breaking records, this was the ultimate opportunity.

I would beat the very benchmarks I had established. It wouldn’t be simple, but hadn’t I already navigated this road once? I just had to treat it like a ‘Speed Run.’

‘I will rewrite everything.’

I reached a conclusion. My trajectory was set. With that settled, I began to dominate every aspect of ‘Survival.’ My attempt to domesticate the Hybrid Albatross was merely a test of my curiosity: ‘Can I reach the island’s core by air?’ It didn’t work out, unfortunately. It was a shame, as I thought it might be a hidden objective.

“Since we’ve crossed paths again, let’s try to be on good terms.”

Still, it appeared there were indeed hidden twists in the narrative of life, considering I had run into a familiar face against impossible odds.

‘Kim-bujang.’

Furthermore, it was the same Kim-bujang I had encountered only a few days prior. A man so “competent” that he managed a promotion from Gwajang to Bujang in these times. Naturally, it wasn’t actual talent that got him there. It was his desperate social climbing, his survival instincts, his willingness to discard his dignity like trash, his readiness to sacrifice everything for the company, and his cold-blooded habit of treating subordinates as tools—those were the traits that earned him his desk as Bujang.

‘He must have lost his grip on reality, drunk on the power he suddenly grabbed.’

Or perhaps the hardships of the last forty-eight hours had pushed him to the edge? One thing was certain: he didn’t seem stable. I glanced at the indicator above Kim-bujang’s head.

【Lv.5】

Level 5. For a level reached by only the third day, it was quite impressive.

‘He clearly leveled up by stealing everyone else’s kills.’

In the past, someone named ‘Hudson’ had boosted his level by paying others to let him take the final blow, which eventually backfired. While his level was high, his actual stats were weak, making solo combat impossible. However, at higher levels, solo hunting is mandatory to gain experience, a trend that peaks at Level 9. There was no way Kim-bujang hit Level 5 on his own; he surely advanced by exploiting others. If it was the arrogant Kim-bujang, that was exactly his style.

Squeeze!

Suddenly exerting pressure, Kim-bujang glared at me with a look of extreme self-importance.

‘……This is just sad.’

I sighed internally. Honestly, even back when we first met, I didn’t care much about him looking down on me. To be blunt, he was pathetic. It might have been different if I had just walked away from the company, but from my current perspective—having achieved so much since then—Kim-bujang was less than a bug crawling in the dirt. And no one gets worked up over a bug, right? Even if a lesser creature mocked me, it would just be humorous.

But that bug had now crawled onto my shoe. And it was acting like a king. Claiming to be my better. Expecting me to be afraid. He was trying to bully me the same way he used to do at the office. At this point, I actually felt a bit of gratitude toward Kim-bujang.

‘I’ve evolved. Both inside and out.’

He served as a reminder of how far I had come. He was the benchmark proving I was no longer that old version of Park Hyunmyeong. I let a small smile slip.

Crrraack!

“……?!”

Crunch! Snap!

Structure failed, and shattered fragments tore through the skin, sticking out. The sheer, overwhelming agony left Kim-bujang unable to even form a scream. Without immediate medical help, he would lose the use of that arm forever, but I wasn’t bothered. Whether he ended up as a predator’s meal or was finished off by those he had wronged, that was his burden to carry now.

“Aaaah! My hand! My haaaaand—!!!”

Kim-bujang, his hand completely ruined, wailed and thrashed on the dirt.

Fwaaaa!

Simultaneously, a shimmering golden aura erupted from above Kim-bujang’s shoulder and circled me for a moment.

《The ‘Merciless Constellation,’ who previously turned away, offers you a deal.》
《It claims that if you enter into a pact, it will provide you with a ‘Secret Class’ and its divine favor.》

The Merciless Constellation. That was a title I had never encountered. Among the entities of the Hundred Star Temple that I was familiar with, no such being existed. I knew the names of almost all the hundred entities in that temple. Yet, I had never seen anything resembling the ‘Merciless Constellation.’

‘The beings observing us right now aren’t the ones from the Hundred Star Temple I remember.’

This confirmed it. ……Another Hundred Star Temple had surfaced. There wasn’t just one. Whether they simply managed different zones or had just appeared, I couldn’t say, but they would undoubtedly be useful to me.

So, I gave a specific gesture with my middle finger.

“Get lost.”

I directed the insult at both Kim-bujang and that ‘Merciless Constellation.’ Their attempt to buy me off with such mediocre rewards was insulting.

《The ‘Merciless Constellation’ wipes its eyes in disbelief.》
《The ‘Merciless Constellation’s’ complexion turns crimson.》
《The ‘Merciless Constellation’ is fuming with rage.》

No matter how furious it got, it was powerless against me. I understood that dynamic perfectly. What a constellation wants, above all else, is a narrative. A grand and flawlessly executed story. If it watched the tale I was spinning, it would eventually come crawling back.

《Several constellations are clutching their sides in laughter.》

……The entities here seem to have a lively dynamic. I shrugged and turned my attention to the fairies. Right on cue, two fairies were darting through the air, playfully shouting to the crowd.

—Listen up, everyone! Here is your chance to skyrocket your level!
—Uninvited guests have breached the ‘Island of God’!
—That ‘Follower’ is one of the intruders!
—A disciple of the ‘Heavenly Mountain Demon Cult’!
—‘Survive’ the encounter with that disciple!

Riiip!

A moment later, a figure emerged, tearing through a dimensional rift.

“Is that a person……?”
“What? It’s not a monster?”

To any observer, the newcomer looked human. Looking at the marker above his head, I narrowed my eyes.

【Lv.8】

Level 8! He was a threat at a level that was far too much for newcomers on their second day to face. The only reason these two groups had combined was to handle this single ‘Follower of the Heavenly Mountain Demon Cult.’ It was obvious that besides his high level, his skills would be formidable.

‘……Heavenly Mountain Demon Cult?’

An intruder, no less. Was he a scout dispatched by the Heavenly Demon, who likely had suspicions about those lost memories?

Whirrr!

A Fire Demon (火魔) flared up across the follower’s entire frame. Based on the wind-up, it was a wide-range attack.

Huuuuup!

I drew in a deep breath.

Kwaaaa!

I slammed my heel into the earth, jolting everyone’s consciousness. At that exact moment, the flames the follower was manifesting flickered and died out, completely suppressed. Seeing this, the intruder let out a shocked gasp.

“T-The Heavenly Demon Descent Step (Cheon-ma-gun-rim-bo)……?!”

Those who had slipped onto the Island of God were the ‘Yacha.’ Acting on the decrees of the Leader of the Heavenly Mountain Demon Cult, they were tasked with the vital mission of infiltrating the island and seizing its secrets.

“……Why is the entrance barred to us?”

However, they were blocked. The ‘Blood Moon Divine Maiden (Hyeol-wol-sin-nyeo),’ Commander of the Yacha Squad and Vice-Leader of the Blood Cult, spoke while staring at the unstable portal before her.

“It appears that those exceeding a specific power threshold are restricted from entry, Dan-ju-nim.”

Hearing her subordinate’s explanation, the Blood Moon Divine Maiden scowled.

“So only the novices who haven’t even reached the First-Class stage have made it inside.”

“What are your orders?”

“I wanted to get in before the Ice Moon Divine Maiden (Bing-wol-sin-nyeo), that irritating woman from the Rasetsu Squad, but if this keeps up……”

The Blood Moon Divine Maiden sighed. She wasn’t the only one carrying the Heavenly Demon’s command. She had rivals—rising stars from prominent clans. Among them was the Ice Moon Divine Maiden, who was fast becoming her main competitor. But since the First-Class realm was the cutoff, she had no choice but to linger outside.

Yet, despite the wait, there was total silence. ‘Why hasn’t anyone returned?’ She bit her lip in frustration. Finally, after three full days had passed.

Shuaaaaak!

A figure tumbled out of the rift. It was a man in a black hood marked with the Yacha symbol. But his condition was gruesome. Mangled and broken—it was shocking he was still breathing.

“What happened? Tell me what’s going on inside!”

“Ch-Cheon-se, Cheon-se, Cheon-cheon-se……!”

His face was a mask of pure terror. Screaming the salute reserved only for the Heavenly Demon, the man drew his last breath. The crease between the Blood Moon Divine Maiden’s brows deepened. What could have possibly happened to make a battle-hardened Yacha member die in such a state of religious awe and fear?

Drip!

Just then, the Poison Master (Go-dok-sul-sa), who was checking a container nearby, shook his head and spoke up.

“Dan-ju-nim. It seems every Yacha who entered the island has been wiped out.”

The creatures in the jar—the poisonous insects (Go-dok)—were all dead, lying belly-up. Since the life of the insect was tied to the host, their death meant every Yacha inside was gone.

“……All of them?”

“Yes. But something is wrong.”

“What is it?”

“The condition of several insects…… it looks as if they ended their own lives.”

“You’re telling me a venomous insect committed suicide?”

What kind of stupidity was that? A bug killing itself? There were no recorded instances of a Go-dok taking its own life. The very nature of a poisonous insect was to be the last, most tenacious survivor. She had never heard of such a thing. When the Blood Moon Divine Maiden snapped at him, the Poison Master looked hesitant.

“To be more accurate, I suspect the Yacha members who carried them chose to end their own lives……”

“But why?”

“I… I have no answer for that.”

The Blood Moon Divine Maiden looked back at the fallen Yacha soldier.

Cheon-se, Cheon-se, Cheon-cheon-se.

The man who died wailing as if he had encountered the Heavenly Demon himself.

‘Just who was waiting for them in there?’

……Could he have actually seen the Heavenly Demon? Had the leader himself ordered their deaths? No, that was impossible. He must have been caught in a powerful delusion.

‘This feels wrong.’

An lingering, deeply unsettling sensation continued to haunt the Blood Moon Divine Maiden’s thoughts.

On the morning of the seventh day following the entry into the Island of God, everything changed.

《‘Survival’ has concluded!》
《The top 10 performers are granted an audience with the ‘Angel.’》
《You are being transitioned to the ‘Holy Star’ at the island’s center.》

The gates to the heart of the Island of God had finally swung wide.