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Chapter 389: Star, Arcadia (1)

[List of Authorities]

1. Soul Division.

2. Celestial Merge.

3. Magnificent Sacred Light.

...

Chang-Sun ran forward as he quickly scanned the list of Taeul’s Authorities. [Soul Division] gave Taeul the ability to create numerous vassals, [Celestial Merge] let him absorb the <Myths> of the souls he devoured, and [Magnificent Sacred Light] released sacred light to overpower his enemies with his Divine Class. He had also absorbed a lot of other Authorities during his travels from Worldline to Worldline.

With over a hundred Authorities to choose from, Chang-Sun couldn’t even understand how Taeul used them all at once. Considering not all of his Authorities were listed here, there had to be hundreds of them at least. That alone showed how he reigned as the absolute ruler of <Purple Star Astrology>.

‘It’s idiotic,’ Chang-Sun thought, finding Taeul’s whole endeavor meaningless. Sealing several Celestials also gave him a large arsenal of Authorities and his own Inverted Pentagrams, which he made from scratch as ‘Divine Twilight.’ Unlike Taeul, however, he merged his Authorities until he only had three or four. Having many powerful Authorities wasn’t necessarily beneficial. How efficiently one could use their Authorities, no matter how many, was what truly mattered.

Chang-Sun believed that Taeul’s failure to understand that was what caused his defeat. He repeatedly exercised Celestial Cannibalism and absorbed his vassals, owning numerous <Myths>. In contrast, Chang-Sun got to where he was with minimum resources but had the chance to reflect on his worst failures and fix the mistakes he made in the past. If they fought on equal grounds, it was obvious who had a higher chance of winning.

That was why Chang-Sun found Celestial Cannibalism undesirable—not for moral reasons. It seemed the conduct would only dull one’s instincts and senses in battle.

‘It’s still better to have what I need since it’ll help sharpen my senses in combat,’ Chang-Sun thought, scrolling down to the end of the Authority list. He clicked his tongue. ‘I don’t like any of it.’

Despite the long list, Chang-Sun couldn’t find anything that he wanted. Did he not have enough Merits or did he have to meet more requirements since it was his Signature? After pondering for a moment, he looked to his side.

[You have greatly contributed to sealing the Celestial ‘Life-Risking Second Child.’ As a reward...]

[You have greatly contributed to sealing the Celestial ‘Two-Tailed Scorpion.’ As a reward...]

...

[You are the greatest contributor in exterminating the Society <Purple Star Astrology>. All Worldlines are aware of this grand achievement!]

[As a reward...]

...

[You have acquired a lot of rewards.]

[You have the option of merging the rewards into one.]

Bringing down <Purple Star Astrology>, which had eaten numerous Worldlines, earned Chang-Sun an astronomical amount of Merits.

[You have converted all your rewards into Merits.]

[You have chosen to use all your accumulated Merits at once.]

[Would you like to proceed?]

Chang-Sun pressed ‘yes.’

[Spending all your Merits have refreshed the list of Authorities you can extort from the Celestial ‘Zi Wei Yuan’!]

[Authority List]

1. Dragonslaying Achievement.

2. Heavenly Celestial Descent.

...

1,117. Heaven and Earth Great Shift

‘There we go.’ Reading through the updated list of Authorities, Chang-Sun pointed to the last entry.

Ding!

[You have successfully extorted the ‘Heaven and Earth Great Shift,’ the Signature of the Celestial ‘Zi Wei Yuan’!]

Paaaah!

Chang-Sun could feel the power surging inside him. The world his [Gnostic Eye] showed him now had various energies, all in different colors. The cold divine power that tended to agglomerate was shown in blue while the hot divine power that often spread was shown in red. They represented yin and yang.

[Heaven and Earth Great Shift]

Celestial ‘Zi Wei Yuan’ acquired this Signature through layers of <Myths>. By forcing the properties of yin and yang—the foundations of mana streams— to reverse, one can randomly change the law of physical phenomena.

Before the creation of Worldline #0, the Original Worldline, a Celestial originating from the world of the Genesis timeline devised the concept and technique of Celestial Cannibalism. With it, the Celestial successfully became an Emperor, but <Supreme Light> annihilated them and sent them plummeting.

Coincidentally discovering that, the Celestial ‘Zi Wei Yuan’ tried to enter the land of Genesis using this technique.

“Who can survive in a place where the law of the skies and the lands has been overturned?”

· Type: Authority.

· Effect: Absolute Domain. Yin and Yang Reversal. Law of Causality Change.

‘The technique... is from Genesis?’ Chang-Sun was astounded. The [Heaven and Earth Great Shift] had been around for way longer than he had originally expected.

It predated the birth of Tiamat and the other Nine Heavens or the concepts of multiverses and parallel universes, which were devised with the creation of Worldlines. It existed even before Worldline #0 was established.

At the time, the universe existed only in the form of an egg or Mount Meru[1]. Considering the technique was created during the time called Genesis, which no one remembered anymore, Chang-Sun couldn’t even begin to fathom the depth of its history.

As soon as he acquired the Authority, he grew certain. ‘He wasn’t putting this good technique to proper use.’

Analyzing the [Heaven and Earth Great Shift] from various angles, Chang-Sun could tell how extraordinary it was. It wasn’t only yin and yang energies that the technique could reverse. It could also do the same to <Darkness> and supreme sacred light, the origins of the universe’s laws!

‘Is it because it originated from the world of Genesis...? The ability is outrageously good, but I’ll have to master the technique first.’

As far as he could tell, substituting yin with <Darkness> and yang with supreme sacred light would allow him to control the two powers as he pleased. He couldn’t even imagine reaching that level due to his lack of Divine Class and insights, though.

Still, the fact that Chang-Sun discovered a way to use those two powers was already a great accomplishment in itself. He found a great treasure in the last place he would expect to find one.

‘I wasn’t planning on using it like this.’ Chang-Sun chuckled dryly before his eyes turned cold. ‘But now that I’ve received such an amazing gift, it is only proper that I return the favor.”

Chang-Sun slammed his foot on the ground.

Thump...!

At that moment, the sound of a temple bell echoed throughout ‘Polaris,’ which was quite different from when he usually used [Avatar’s Descent].

[A new ability of the Authority ‘Avatar’s Descent’ has been discovered!]

[The Divine Ground ‘Polaris’ and the surrounding area are now under the control of the Celestial ‘Divine Twilight.’]

『Wh-what is this?!』

『Urgggghhh! Why can’t I move?! Let me go!』

『No! I just... I just need to go a little more—』

The <Purple Star Astrology> monster and demonic Celestials screamed, having suddenly frozen up amid their escape. No matter how hard they tried to move, they couldn’t even lift a finger. It was as if their divine power also froze up.

『I was wondering what he was doing, but I didn’t expect him to think of something like this.』

Thanatos burst into laughter upon realizing that Chang-Sun’s previous fight had ascended his [Avatar’s Descent] to a new level.

『Dubhe[2] of the Big Dipper! Yes, the first step always matters the most!』

Chiron the ‘Sagittarius’ made [Avatar’s Descent] by imitating the footsteps of <Deus Ex Machina>, who controlled space and mediated the law of causality. Originating from the [Heavenly Demon Reigning Steps], it was made up of seven steps in the Big Dipper. Chang-Sun taking the first step meant that he had begun walking down the path to the origin.

Thanatos marveled as he pictured the look on <Deus Ex Machina>, who was probably watching right now.

[The Authority ‘Heaven and Earth Great Shift’ has been activated!]

The world turned upside down. The monster and demonic Celestial bound by the [Avatar’s Descent] fell from the sky.

* * *

[The Celestial ‘Primordial Evil Dragon’ watches the falling Star Signs with lethargic eyes!]

Tiamat, who had returned to the headquarters of <Nammu>, quietly chuckled in her child’s form. Although <Purple Star Astrology> had lost their leaders, the <Society> used to put Worldline #801 in terror. Even so, they fell so easily that it made her wonder why she even went through so much trouble to take them down.

The fact that <Purple Star Astrology> was just a bunch of mobs implied the remarkableness of the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions. Still, Tiamat couldn’t help feeling dumbstruck.

‘I’m pathetic for getting played by such people. How am I even qualified to have a title as fancy as the Faraway Heaven? I should get some rest after I wrap up this war,’ Tiamat thought.

The desire to conquer and win glory blazing up in Tiamat’s heart until several days ago died out as if someone poured a bucket of ice water over it.

“Mo-Mother...!”

“Please spare us, Mother!”

“We made a mistake!”

As if that wasn’t enough, some people were making her feel worse. Lahmu, Ushumgalu, Kulullu, and Mushmahhu prostrated on the floor and begged for her forgiveness. They used to act all pompous, but they were now frail. If they insisted on their innocence, she wouldn’t have had such mixed feelings.

These children of hers were no longer worthy to exchange conversations with her, however. Hence, she turned away from them and looked at Bashmu. “Do you not have anything else to say?”

Unlike his siblings, Bashmu was silent. He slowly opened his eyes and bitterly smiled. “I made a plot and failed. Losers shouldn’t have the right to say anything, should they? I just hope the victor will be merciful enough to grant me a painless death.”

If it wasn’t for Bashmu’s betrayal, Tiamat wouldn’t have suffered such a devastating loss to Taeul at the end of the fight. He was one of Tiamat’s most treasured children. He was quiet yet understood her way of thinking, which was the reason she considered making him her secretary. From time to time, she genuinely thought of him as her heir candidate. Although her other children’s betrayal was within expectations, she truly treasured Bashmu, worsening the feeling of being betrayed.

“You’re better than them at least,” Tiamat murmured. Bashmu maintained his composure and maturity in the end, which consoled her a little.

“Thank you for the compliment.” Bashmu nonchalantly smiled.

After looking at him for a moment, Tiamat slammed down Bashmu’s head with her small fist.

Crack!

With the sound of his skull getting crushed, Bashmu died. Since Tiamat pulverized his Divine Class, it was safe to assume that he joined samsara.

Brushing off the blood on her hand, Tiamat turned to Lahmu and the others.

“Let me explain—!” Mushmahhu came forward.

Tiamat crushed his head and slowly walked past him. “Forget it.”

Crack!

Thump!

Tap, tap―!

“It’s not like none of you know that your mother never forgives,” Tiamat continued.

“If only you picked an heir—no if you didn’t say that you’d make that uncultured man your concubine, we wouldn’t have gotten impatient!” Lahmu yelled at the top of his lungs after springing to his feet.

His legs wobbled in fear, but he seemed intent on speaking from his heart for the last time.

Tap!

Tiamat momentarily stopped. Various emotions flashed across her face.

“Yeah, that might be true.” Tiamat’s bitter smile deepened. “I don’t know how to embrace my children and never listened to what was on your minds. There can’t be a worse mother than me in the universe.”

“Then—!” Lahmu’s face brightened up, seeing a glimmer of hope.

“Still...”

Smack!

Lahmu fell to the ground, his head missing.

“... you should have accepted it. After all, you’ve been basking in your mother’s glory.” Tiamat threw a flurry of punches, covering her hands in her children’s blood.

With each attack, her children pleaded for their lives, but she didn’t stop. After she was done with her children, she massacred her children’s subordinates next.

Drip!

Drip...!

Sitting on a pile of corpses, Tiamat quietly and plaintively stared at her hands, which were dripping with blood. Pabilsag cautiously approached Tiamat from behind.

“Is it about Uriel?” Tiamat asked.

“I found him.” Pabilsag nodded.

Tiamat already knew that Uriel, who was now on the run, was behind her children’s treachery, which was why Pabilsag was tracking him down.

“We’re going after him,” Tiamat said.

“Yes, Mother.” Pabilsag quietly disappeared.

Left alone, Tiamat wiped her hands on her top, her eyes blazing up quietly. Her desire to conquer and win glory might have disappeared, but her thirst for revenge remained strong.

Tiamat was an Evil Dragon who drove a world into <Extinction>. She would always get her payback even if it meant burning down <Maleakhe>’s Garden of Eden of <Maleakhe>.

“It seems I have to teach them who I am.”

1. It’s a sacred mountain considered to be the center of the universe in Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology. ?

2. A star that is part of the Big Dipper ?