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Chapter 223: Star, the Fog of War (3)

[You have consumed ‘Nektar’!]

[Your damaged cells are quickly recovering, and your HP and mana are swiftly being replenished.]

[The balance of your soul and body has been restored.]

…

[The level of your Authority ‘Kalokagathia’ has increased.]

[You have temporarily entered the ‘Eternal Youth’ state!]

… gulped down Minerva’s gift and slowly recovered. Chang-Sun opened his eyes again, which had become sharp. His fatigue had disappeared, and his stamina had recovered fully—no, it felt as if his Class itself had increased.

‘It even solved the imbalance caused by the Divinity absorption,’?Chang-Sun thought.

Eternal youth wasn’t just about rejuvenating the elderly or healing one’s chronic illness. It was also the start of immortality, which was equal to gaining Divinity. In addition, it also increased one’s Class, bringing the person closer to <Transcendence>.

‘I didn’t expect her to give me [Nektar].’

[Nektar] was one of the most valuable treasures in <Heaven>. Drinking it gave even an ordinary person eternal youth and pushed a hero closer to achieving <Transcendence>. When drank by a Celestial, it would increase that Celestial’s Divine Class. [Nektar] was often compared to [Azure Essence], [Ten-Thousand Year Tuber Fleeceflower], or [Golden Apple]. It was even sometimes considered as effective as the [Forbidden Fruit], which was known to be the greatest elixir.

Minerva was one of the greatest Celestials of <Olympus>, but even she likely didn’t have that many [Nektar] in her possession. If she did have a lot, she would have already given them to her subordinates and it wouldn’t have been difficult to win the war against the ‘Gemini.’ Nevertheless, Minerva had given Chang-Sun [Nektar], indicating how grateful she was to Chang-Sun.

‘I’m in her debt again.’

Chang-Sun had surely said that he had repaid the debt he had because of [Zhan Lu Sword] by helping Minerva in the war against the ‘Gemini.’ Perhaps Minerva also thought she was just repaying her debt by giving Chang-Sun [Nektar], or maybe she simply wished to maintain their good relationship.

‘Maybe it’s both.’

It was definitely not bad for Chang-Sun. After all, he was now enjoying a luxury that he couldn’t even get as the ‘Divine Twilight.’

‘It wasn’t as tasty as I expected it would be.’

In contrast to the rumors, [Nektar] wasn’t as sweet as honey or as fragrant as flowers, but it was really fresh. It felt as if the [Nektar] would freshen up both his body and soul.

“How are you feeling?” Minerva asked.

“A lot better all thanks to you.”

Minerva examined Chang-Sun. While up against the ‘Gemini,’ she was wearing armor, but she was just in her daily clothes now, making her look very benevolent.

“You’re definitely…different,” Minerva mumbled.

Chang-Sun knew the hidden meaning behind Minerva’s remark. He had become incomparably stronger than the last time they met. In addition, Chang-Sun looked like a mortal named Lee Chang-Sun, not the ‘Divine Twilight,’ who had transcended.

“I sure am,” Chang-Sun replied.

“Can I ask what happened?”

“You have to keep this a secret,” Chang-Sun continued.

“I don’t remember agreeing to this, but I think I’m already on board,” Minerva joked, which also had a hidden meaning. She then chuckled mischievously, so Chang-Sun just substituted his answer with a smile.

Thinking he was truly something else, Minerva smiled and nodded. “I’m the only one who knows your real identity and has entered that divine ground. It seems Serena has noticed something as well, but I’ve ordered her to keep quiet, so don’t worry.”

Chang-Sun nodded. Considering everything they had gone through until now, Minerva and Serena were both trustworthy. Chang-Sun didn’t plan on revealing his real identity to anyone until he had fully regained his Class, but he concluded that he couldn’t act stubborn anymore.

‘The Emperor’s Seat has fallen, so the <Purple Star Astrology> will try to kill me using any means necessary anyway. However, they still don’t know who exactly is behind me, which should make them more cautious, but they’ll attack me once they finish making every preparation. I have to get more allies before then.’

Chang-Sun was making a lot of preparations as well. He was building a skill tree that was way more exceptional than he had originally planned, had restored and made <Muspelheim> his own, and had created the Undead Army. Moreover, he was also conquering many organizations one by one, including the Crna Ruka and the Illuminati. The White Tiger Clan would soon face one of two endings as well: in his hands or destroyed.

However, those were all still just preparations. Chang-Sun was still far from the level of being able to fight the <Purple Star Astrology> head-on. Considering the political situation, there was a limit to how much the <Underworld> could help him. Mephistopheles was friendly toward Chang-Sun right now, but he was more like a bystander. He could walk away the moment he felt as if helping Chang-Sun was bothersome.

Chang-Sun needed reliable allies, so he chose Minerva. It could be impossible to make all the <Olympus> Celestials his allies since <Olympus> stayed neutral even during the <Myth War>. However, Minerva was different. Even before she had found out about Chang-Sun’s real identity, she had already been friendly toward him. They were like comrades in arms.

‘Atrytone… Considering they could stop the ‘Gemini,’’ even if I can’t stop the <Purple Star Astrology>, Minerva can at least be a deterrent to some extent,’?Chang-Sun thought.

Chang-Sun was definitely not a bad hand for Minerva either. She now knew Chang-Sun’s real identity and that the <Underworld> was behind him, which showed he had great potential. Chang-Sun would be worthy of investing in.

Having organized his thoughts, Chang-Sun began telling her his story, hiding the parts that he had to hide. Minerva initially listened to Chang-Sun’s story in interest but eventually felt sadness brewing in her heart. Fortunately, the room they were in was covered with a magic barrier, so there was no danger of someone eavesdropping.

“… So that was what happened to you.” Minerva wondered what to say next.

Lee Chang-Sun, Lee Chang-Sun… Every time she met Chang-Sun, he always amazed her enough to remind her of the being that she served.

“You’ve been making truly outrageous <Myths>.”

Minerva had always thought that her achievements were great. She had guided numerous heroes and fought evil alongside countless warriors. That was why the people in the world called her the glorious warring deity that defeated darkness and brought light, the Celestial with sacred light as hot as the sun. However, would she be able to shine as brilliantly as Chang-Sun after he completed his <Myth>? She wasn’t sure.

“What do you want, then?” Minerva asked.

Unlike the other <Olympus> Celestials, she knew that she could no longer back out from this. The ‘Gemini’—Castor and Pollux—were never the type to end fights on this note. They would come for her one day, and when they did, their battle wouldn’t end in a draw.

‘They’ll make a flashy entrance. They’ll probably even bring more Celestials,’?Minerva thought.

Would she be able to stop them then? She wasn’t sure about that either. Perhaps receiving help from her <Olympus> siblings would change things, but that would mark the start of the second <Myth War>.

… However, it was different for Chang-Sun. He had been the main cause of the previous <Myth War>, and the Zodiacs had a lot of grudge against him. Considering Chang-Sun had made even the Emperor’s Seat plummet, he would surely have numerous plans dedicated to making the twelve Zodiacs plummet from the sky as well. If so, then the ‘Gemini’ would ultimately meet the same end as the Emperor’s Seat as well.

“I would like to make two requests,” Chang-Sun said.

“Not one, but two?” Minerva chuckled in amusement.

Holding up two fingers, Chang-Sun folded one of them as he answered, “One is to select Joachim Wolff as your apostle.”

“… You know how important selecting an apostle is for a Celestial, right?”

“Yes, that is why I’m making this request.”

Minerva currently had one of the best religious orders on Earth, so she had been very discretive about choosing an apostle. Minerva eventually chose Chang-Sun, who wasn’t even her follower, but Chang-Sun was now asking her to choose the candidate he suggested as her apostle instead. An apostle was the enforcer of a Celestial’s will and the shadow of a Celestial that stayed in the <Saha World>.

“I need him to gain power on Earth,” Chang-Sun explained.

Minerva finally realized Chang-Sun’s final goal. “You’re… planning to become the one and only god on Earth, aren’t you?”

Becoming the one and only Celestial of a planet was very serious since it meant that the planet or civilization would dedicate all of its faith to that Celestial. In other words, the planet or civilization would soon gain divinity and choose that Celestial to be their embodiment. A planet deity was naturally very influential within <Heaven> since they possessed an infinite amount of faith. On top of that, considering Earth’s value…

“To be exact, I plan to get rid of those cancer-like beings from Earth,” Chang-Sun added.

“In the end, your priority is to repel all the Celestials of the other planes and stop them from influencing Earth.”?

Thanatos suggested that idea since Earth had to stay neutral.

“So I have to get rid of all the <Horoscope> and <Purple Star Astrology> Celestials of Earth.” Chang-Sun summarized.?

“Yes, that is the only way to close all the Dungeons and keep your family safe… That way, I’ll finally be able to catch my breath as well. We’ll start our fight afterward.”

“You’re asking me to become a Celestial of Earth.”

“Why? Do you not like it?” Thanatos asked.

“No, but it’s a bit funny.”?

Chang-Sun found it funny because, from the perspective of Earth’s people, a worthless alcoholic was turning into a god in a matter of days. Of course, Chang-Sun didn’t reject Thanatos’ idea. Chang-Sun had never liked the fact that the <Horoscope> and <Purple Star Astrology> Celestials were meddling in the affairs of his hometown in the first place, so he wished to close all the Dungeons, which were the reason he ended up in Arcadia in the past.

His goals were certainly possible to achieve if he could turn Earth into his territory, so he readily agreed to Thanatos’ plan. What made his plan even better was that it also came with the upside of steadily supplying Chang-Sun with faith. However, to succeed, Chang-Sun had to… get rid of or conquer all the existing Clans—the Celestials’ religious orders—on Earth.

“Won’t they come to their senses if they are kicked out penniless?” Chang-Sun smiled, making Minerva also smile but bitterly so.

If she didn’t cooperate with Chang-Sun, the Illuminati, her religious order, would end up one of his victims. She thought Chang-Sun would be more than capable of accomplishing his goal.

“Fine. Joachim Wolff will make a good apostle anyway.” Minerva readily nodded.

Up until now, she had never interfered with how the Illuminati operated because of her principle to not affect the <Saha World> unless she had to. Right now, she felt it necessary to interfere. Too many people had twisted or stretched her words for their own profit. Unlike them, Joachim would make for a really good apostle.

‘But he isn’t as good as this child in front of me,’?Minerva thought.

Finding it even more of a shame that she didn’t get to make Chang-Sun her apostle, Minerva asked, “What’s your second request?”

“Can you get me a ticket to <Star Auction> by any chance?” Chang-Sun asked.

“Hmm…?” Minerva’s eyes widened upon hearing the unexpected request.

* * *

This universe had places collectively known as the <Seven Wonders> or the Seven Prohibited Areas. The history behind how these places were created, their <Myths>, legends… Nothing was known about them, but they still inspired wonder and admiration.

One of the <Seven Wonders> was <Star Grave>, which was created from the remains of mysterious stars that had been accumulating for a very long time. Eventually, the place became a popular vacation spot for many Celestials. Since vital forces of stars seeped out from its ground, many wounded Celestials visited it to recover.

Although the place was charming enough to make many <Societies> covet it, no one—not even the <Horoscope> or the <Purple Star Astrology>—had ever dared try conquering this place. Too many Celestials were involved with the <Star Grave> due to its exceptional healing ability. Moreover, the <Societies> that managed it couldn’t be taken lightly.

<Star Grave> was under the management of <Maleakhe>and <L’Infernal>, which were from the Absolute Good faction and the Absolute Evil faction respectively. These incarnations of dualism, the absolute truth and the balancing weights that made up the universe, worked together to protect the <Star Grave>. Hence, no one dared even try invading it.

As a result, the <Star Grave> eventually became a neutral zone. It was opened not only to the Celestials in the two <Societies> that managed it but also to Celestials from other <Societies>. <Maleakhe> and <L’Infernal> regularly hosted various events to liven up the place, and the <Star Auction>, which Chang-Sun mentioned, was one of those events.

While creating <Myths> in various locations, Celestials naturally accumulated different kinds of treasures, some of which were bound to be unnecessary to them. That was why many Celestials wished to make exchanges. Since the <Star Grave> was a neutral zone, <Maleakhe> and <L’Infernal> hosted a large-scale event that allowed Celestials to exchange treasures freely and easily. It naturally became a tradition. Eventually, a proper auction house was even built.

Chang-Sun planned to visit that place, but he was currently just a mortal, which meant he would never be allowed to enter. However, he had to participate in the auction no matter what because of the information he had received from the Emperor’s Seat.

“Some of Kali’s priests got captured by the other hunting parties and ended up in the <Star Auction> house… I was going to buy them all.”

Kali’s priests, the Elfin Root’s siblings, were going to be the <Star Auction> lots.

1. The raw is ????. This is the concept of elixir that appears often in Korean wuxia novels. Although the definition differs depending on the novel, it usually refers to the essence that is created when the energy of nature is accumulated in one place and found deep inside a cave.

2. This is another famous concept of elixir in Korean wuxia novels, but tuber fleeceflower is actually used as an herb in real life.