The Ruler of Serpents and Darkness Is in a Very Bad Mood

The constellation known as the Ruler of Serpents and Darkness was currently in an extremely foul mood. There were, of course, plenty of reasons for it. First, the clash at the public execution site had ended in a complete defeat for the constellation group Underworld. They had never anticipated that the 72 Demons and the Seeker of Supreme Knowledge would join hands, so there were hardly any Underworld-affiliated incarnations present. Only Setin, a knight of the Rampart Knights, Brigadier General Claire of the Intelligence Bureau whom they had summoned just in case, and the troops they had brought along. They had believed that would be more than enough in both status and manpower to execute a single incarnation.

Yet as if openly mocking the Underworld, the execution grounds were already swarming with incarnations from the 72 Demons. Not only the brigadier general from the same military branch, but the mages of the Imperial Magic Corps who had surrounded the site. The Underworld incarnations were by no means inferior to them, but the problem was that none of their own forces had been there. The Underworld incarnations, scattered across various locations because they had failed to predict the situation, would have been too late even if a battle had broken out. And when the Magic Tower mages—who were also 72 Demons incarnations—began to gather as if to flaunt their preparations, the Underworld forces had no choice but to tuck their tails and retreat in front of all the spectators they themselves had summoned.

Naturally, Aisha was released that very day. Thanks to the incident, the name of the constellation group Underworld that she belonged to had become a laughingstock. On top of that, the ridiculous rumor that she—the Ruler of Serpents and Darkness—had sent strange photographs to a top-tier constellation was still circulating.

Since she was no fool of a constellation either, she immediately began thinking of a way to get revenge. After all, what had started this whole mess in the first place? When you got down to it, everything came back to a single incarnation.

She recalled the details about Violet—the incarnation she was now beginning to regret provoking. “Hmm… not bad at all?”

Violet was a commoner woman with a talent for magic. Unbeknownst to her, she had inherited witch blood from her mother’s side. The reason this witch—who suffered from crippling social anxiety and wanted nothing more than to shut herself inside her house, read books, and live out her days in solitude—had stepped out into the world was for one reason alone: to cure her sick younger sister.

That was why she had gathered herbs, brewed potions to sell, and when sales were poor, even taken up work as an adventurer. Yet the magical talent she inherited was weak, she had lost her parents early and received almost no proper education, she possessed zero aptitude for physical labor, and her interpersonal skills were catastrophically bad. No constellation had been willing to take her as an incarnation. Curing her sister had therefore seemed like an impossible dream.

The one who first extended a hand to her was the Seeker of Supreme Knowledge. Violet, who had no friends and barely anyone to talk to, quickly grew close to the constellation. It wasn’t for any special reason—she simply didn’t have to speak face-to-face, which made it bearable. The messages that arrived from the constellation didn’t carry the constellation’s actual voice; they came in a chat-like format. Although Violet had no idea what the internet was, it essentially felt like chatting with an online friend.

With her new constellation, Violet—thanks to appropriate support (things Lee Do-hyun had sent while skipping meals himself)—rose to become a fairly well-known adventurer. The hidden talent of her witch bloodline had finally begun to bloom. Even so, she remained a C-rank adventurer, and her social anxiety was as severe as ever. Most importantly, her constellation was only lowest-tier. The Seeker of Supreme Knowledge had no means to cure her sister.

While her sister’s condition worsened day by day, a contract offer arrived from another constellation—the Ruler of Serpents and Darkness.

In truth, there was no reason for a mid-to-high tier constellation to offer a contract to a mere C-rank adventurer. However, the Ruler of Serpents and Darkness was one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the constellations who collected many incarnations (though not quite as many as the Great Warrior of Tartarus from the same group). Moreover, she viewed her incarnations as collectibles. To her, Violet’s witch bloodline was an attractive enough trophy. The descendant of a rare forest witch was something she wanted to obtain even before the girl ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had awakened her powers. The fact that her hair was purple was also pleasing—purple matched the image of her own “snake” and “poison.”

In short, Violet was the perfect collectible for the Ruler of Serpents and Darkness.

The Ruler of Serpents and Darkness had confirmed that Violet’s sister was ill and that her current constellation was lowest-tier. She lured Violet in with the bait of curing her sister. Violet, watching her sister’s condition deteriorate daily, had no choice but to accept.

Violet said she would first say her goodbyes and give her thanks to her previous constellation. The Ruler of Serpents and Darkness had not liked that at all. Her personality was fundamentally malicious; she was a constellation who took pleasure in the suffering of others. On top of that, she possessed a strong-against-weak, weak-against-strong passive. Thanks to her twisted nature, the very idea of watching a tearful farewell between a lowest-tier constellation and its incarnation made her want to vomit.

So the Ruler of Serpents and Darkness had giggled to herself and given Violet a mission. If she wanted to become her incarnation and cure her sister, she had to recite the exact lines the constellation provided.

And the result was…

Shortly afterward, another alert appeared. It announced that the constellation rank of the Seeker of Supreme Knowledge had been adjusted from lowest-tier to top-tier.

The Ruler of Serpents and Darkness thought to herself, Seeker of Supreme Knowledge? That name sounds familiar… Ah.

As someone with a strong-against-weak, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠weak-against-strong passive, the first thing that came to mind after realizing her massive blunder was the distinct feeling that she had fucked up.

Shit—

She even broke into a cold sweat, something she had never done in front of an incarnation before.

As for Violet herself, she barely managed to keep her expression from collapsing. Fuck fuck fuck fuck… If I had just stayed… I could have been the incarnation of a top-tier constellation…

She forced down the curses that threatened to spill out, certain that the Ruler of Serpents and Darkness was watching her.

More importantly, I’m completely screwed… Right before I terminated the contract… what the hell did I say to my old Constellation…?

She seriously considered going back right now and begging—claiming the lines had been forced on her by the new constellation. But she soon shook her head. She had no particular desire for honor or power. All she wanted was to shut herself in her room, avoid everyone, and live a life of leisure. The only reason she worked as an adventurer was to cure her sister. Being the incarnation of a top-tier constellation? She didn’t need it. Since the Ruler of Serpents and Darkness had promised to cure her sister, that was enough.

Just then, the Ruler of Serpents and Darkness sent down a bottle filled with medicine as a divine grace. Violet hurriedly gave one to her sister. Soon the fever dropped and her breathing grew steady.

The next day, her sister still looked ill. The fever had returned. Violet gave her another pill. The fever subsided slightly and her face relaxed. That evening, the fever rose again. Violet gave her more medicine.

After several days of this cycle, Violet asked her constellation why her sister only improved while taking the medicine and when she would actually get better.

When Violet demanded to know whether the constellation had not promised to cure her sister, the Ruler of Serpents and Darkness replied that the medicine contained a trace amount of purification herb, so the condition would improve gradually. If she kept taking it for about twenty years, the illness should be cured. Therefore, it was not a lie.

Violet trembled violently. She had wanted to terminate the contract after realizing she had been deceived, but then she remembered the torrent of abuse she had hurled at her previous constellation before leaving. Even if she broke the contract now and went back, it was unlikely she would be accepted. Realizing the Ruler of Serpents and Darkness had anticipated even this, Violet shuddered at the sheer malevolence.

That was how things had been.

Then, not long after the huge uproar caused by Aisha’s bombing of the Pantheon, a luxurious-looking potion bottle descended upon Violet as a divine grace. Following the Ruler of Serpents and Darkness’s instructions, Violet gave the potion to her sister.

As if the years of illness had been nothing but a lie, her younger sister rose from the bed.