Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: The 13th Legion (1)
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As I was spacing out, someone appeared in the Outer Constellation channel I’d long had open.
[Curious Sloth] I have arisen~
[Curious Sloth] Ah, Mannyeonjong~~~
I snapped to my senses and checked the channel.
The other stars were nowhere to be seen; today, Curious Sloth was alone.
[Curious Sloth] Just doing my patrol rounds~~ You can probably guess from our channel name, can’t you~~~? This is a border region, so there’s a ton to do~~~
[Curious Sloth] I even cut my slacking short and rushed through my work just to hear your story, Mannyeonjong~~~
To the whining Curious Sloth, who was begging me to tell him what happened inside the satellite city, I explained everything about my encounter with the Starseekers.
[Curious Sloth] Whaaat~~ Starseekers~~~ I can’t believe those hardcore voyeurs are still around~~~~
The stars who looked down upon the mortal realm from the high heavens, and the Starseekers who peeked up at the sky from the ground.
They all seemed the same to me, but instead of arguing the point, I asked what I was curious about.
The Daecheonmun.
Whether there was a way to close this damn gate that had been forced open after I ate the Gaecheondan.
[Curious Sloth] First of all, Mannyeonjong, your whole premise is wrong~~~
The reply was a pointed remark that my thinking had been flawed from the start.
I couldn’t even begin to guess what was wrong.
[Curious Sloth] Cheonjitong, Daecheonmun, Geon-gon-in, Divine Mark, Stigmata… People call it different things depending on the era and region, but they all mean the same thing, you know~~~?
[Curious Sloth] But they all have one thing in common. Do you know what that is~~~?
Thus, I couldn't offer any answer to Curious Sloth's question.
[Curious Sloth] They’re all something you’re born with~~~
It wasn’t making sense.
But I wasn’t so slow as to not understand that the opening on the crown of my head wasn't caused by the Gaecheondan.
[Curious Sloth] It’s not completely unrelated~~ More like it just opened a slightly ajar door a little wider~~~? Anything more than that is impossible, even if you brought the granddaddy of all elixirs~~~~
[Curious Sloth] If a single measly elixir could open the gates between heaven and earth, this world’s monasteries would be overflowing with saints and holy maidens~~~
So, that meant.
[Curious Sloth] That’s right~~~ Yours was already open from the start, Mannyeonjong~~~
[Curious Sloth] Even if it hadn’t been that day, it was only a matter of sooner or later. The same thing would have happened eventually~~~~
My head had been open from the very beginning.
Even before I ate the Gaecheondan.
[Curious Sloth] I can get a pretty good sense just by looking at how open it is~~? Around twenty? It would’ve opened up to its current state by then~~~
Despite Curious Sloth’s kind explanation, my thoughts became even more tangled instead of clearer.
[Curious Sloth] And there’s a high chance you would’ve gone *pop* and exploded on your way up~~
[Curious Sloth] The gate was open, but you weren’t mature enough to withstand the moment of ascension~~~
[Curious Sloth] Even if you got lucky and made it up, you’d just be food for the other stars~~
[Curious Sloth] Either way, it’s just a pointless death~~~~
I should consider myself lucky to have met them, not the stars from other constellations who were obsessed with inter-level travel.
If I had caught the eye of stars like that, I would have been dragged up by force and become their daily meal by now.
I let Curious Sloth’s self-congratulatory remarks go in one ear and out the other.
I was lost in thought.
This didn’t make any sense.
According to the explanation, my past self should have died by the age of twenty at the latest.
But in my past life, I lived for nearly ten years longer than that.
And I died not from ascension, but from being captured and tortured by the enemy.
[Curious Sloth] Honestly, you’re still hanging by a thread~~~
While I was lost in thought, the chatty star kept rambling on.
It said I was barely clinging to life in the mortal realm, first thanks to the orbital elevator being destroyed, and second thanks to the Black Knight’s intervention.
[Curious Sloth] When the gate opens, talent blossoms~~ When talent blossoms, the gate opens wider~~~ This cycle continues until the gate is fully open, then whoosh~~ whooosh~~~ POP~~~~!
But that, too, was nothing more than a lucky escape from imminent death.
The explanation that it was only a matter of time, that I couldn't escape a sudden death, left me stunned.
I’d finally returned to the past, only to be told I had about five years left to live.
It didn’t feel real.
[Curious Sloth] For your information, if you disperse during ascension, nothing is left~~~ You’re completely removed from the cycle of afterlife, reincarnation, and all that~~~ It’s just… the end~~~
The star, casually chattering about my death.
My damned fate.
None of it felt real.
[Curious Sloth] But there’s something I don’t get~~~
[Curious Sloth] About you, Mannyeonjong~~~~
Oblivious to my inner turmoil, the star continued its chatter.
[Curious Sloth] Normally, when the gate is that open, your talent is supposed to just explode, you know~~~?
At the words that I didn’t show the brilliance of a short-lived genius, a talent exchanged for lifespan, I felt a small surge of anger.
That damned word, talent. That damned word, dullard. I was sick and tired of it.
[Curious Sloth] But it’s strangely slow~~~ Why is it so slow~~~? When it’s this open, it should be whoosh~ whooosh~ POP~~ right about now~~?
Was it disappointed that I hadn’t died sooner?
[Curious Sloth] Not really~~~ It’s not entirely impossible to cling to the mortal realm by force~~~ But then things get twisted~~~ They just keep getting twisted~~~~ Everything you do gets tangled up~~~
The string of curses didn’t sound like a joke.
Because that was exactly how my past life had been.
[Curious Sloth] And your personality is strangely good~~~ Usually, guys with open gates are total assholes~~~ Is it because your talent hasn’t properly blossomed~~~?
[Curious Sloth] This is a matter of innate disposition, so it shouldn’t be like this~~~?
[Curious Sloth] To become like you, Mannyeonjong, someone has to be there constantly knocking you down a peg~~~ Every time you start to raise your head, *whack*~~~ That’s exactly how the saints and holy maidens of the monasteries are made~~~
Now, it seemed, even my decent personality was a problem.
[Curious Sloth] Strange~~ So strange~~~~
The star, lost in its own thoughts, fell silent, and a quiet stillness settled over the channel.
But the silence did not last long.
[Elegant Left Hand] Took me a while to catch up, thanks to that one who’s all useless chatter.
This time, Elegant Left Hand appeared in place of Curious Sloth.
[Elegant Left Hand] To cut to the chase, the curse of a short life is not an absolute, insurmountable thing.
Unlike a certain star that had only spouted what sounded like curses disguised as advice, this one seemed willing to offer a solution.
[Elegant Left Hand] Fortunately, the eyes of those who would covet you and drag you up by force are currently veiled.
[Elegant Left Hand] If you use this opportunity to strive with all your might, day and night, you will be able to overcome your fate.
It was welcome news.
Effort, after all, was one of my specialties.
It was a hasty judgment.
I couldn’t fathom how much I needed to grow to overcome my fate, so I asked.
[Elegant Left Hand] Become like a star descended to the mortal realm.
The reply was astounding.
[Elegant Left Hand] The master of the Black Moon by your side—if you reach that level, you should be able to avoid fate’s interference.
Everything it said was utterly absurd.
How on earth was I supposed to attain the status of a star? By what miracle could I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Black Knight?
It was so ridiculous I could only let out a hollow laugh.
And this was its solution.
Perhaps belatedly realizing how unreasonable its demand was, Elegant Left Hand left a faint, awkward cough in the channel and vanished.
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] To think you have inherited the Seal of the Starseeker!
And this time, The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation appeared.
They usually showed up all at once. Why were they appearing separately with such a delay today?
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] That is because the sector assigned to this emperor is several times larger than those of that sloth and that left-handed fellow. Do not dare blame my feet for being slow.
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] It is irritating.
After a moment of irritability, the star resumed its speech.
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] But that is not what is important right now.
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] Have you truly become the hundredth Starseeker?
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] Do you even know what that means?
At this point, I was almost looking forward to whatever new absurdity it would use to blow my mind.
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] The Legacies, created from the birth of the Old Empire to its decline, before the new nations arose, which have survived to this day.
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] It means you have been granted limited authority to operate those among them that lack an ego, as well as any ownerless artifacts.
As expected, The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation did not disappoint.
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] In short, you have hit the jackpot.
Now, on top of everything else, I had apparently become the final administrator of some ancient empire’s legacies I knew nothing about.
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] This satellite city is one of them.
The disbelieving smile on my face froze.
“...What?”
I was completely dumbfounded.
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] I’m jealous! So jealous! I can’t stand it!
[The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation] Oh, the envy!
The star kept pouring out words of jealousy.
***
Despite The Emperor Who Abandoned His Nation’s grand explanation, there wasn’t much I could actually do.
To use his own words, I was a newborn who had just opened its eyes.
He said I would only be able to properly handle the Legacies after I learned to ‘speak’ as a Starseeker.
It seemed I had inherited some incredible power, but it hadn’t quite sunk in yet.
Therefore, I decided to focus on what I could do for now.
“I’m returning to class tomorrow.”
For now, I intended to experience firsthand how the Cradle’s classes had changed in my absence.
And so, the next morning, I headed to the training grounds as usual.
“...?”
There wasn’t a single soul on the training grounds.
“Maybe there’s a notice on the terminal.”
Belatedly remembering the terminal, I returned to the dormitory.
And checked the terminal.
But there were no notices, not even anything close to one.
If only I had joined the squad’s channel, I might have been able to get some information.
Unfortunately, I hadn't joined the squad's channel to avoid exposing my terminal ID.
In the end, there was only one thing I could do.
“What in the world do you think the director’s office is?”
The vice director, who was, as always, holding down the fort in the empty director’s office, sighed upon seeing me.
Regardless, I stated my business.
“I heard there were various incidents inside, so as a consideration, I used my authority to put you on sick leave for the rest of the week.”
For a moment, his gaze lingered on my face.
Wondering if I had something on my face, I touched it, only to belatedly remember the eyepatch over my right eye. I quickly came up with a suitable excuse.
The gist of it was that it wasn’t a problem severe enough to keep me from attending class.
“Having one eye out of commission is a bigger problem than you think.”
“Conversely, it could also be experience in preparation for injuring an eye on the battlefield.”
“...If you insist. I’ll let you have your way.”
The vice director’s warning not to complain later felt somewhat out of place.
Was it really necessary to say all that just because a cadet wanted to return to class?
“Cadet Yan.”
As I tilted my head in confusion, the vice director called my name in a low voice.
I instinctively snapped to attention.
“Assume a wartime footing and stand by at the training grounds. I repeat. A wartime footing. Don’t prepare half-heartedly, lest you shed tears of blood later.”
I will give you exactly one hour.
There was something different about his usual demeanor.
“Sir!”
I replied forcefully without thinking and left the director’s office.
Back at the dormitory, I gathered my personal equipment, including Baegya and Barisada, then stopped by the equipment depot frequented by the cadets to pick up other items.
“Huh? These are all sharpened.”
The weapons I received weren’t the blunted training versions we usually used, but keenly honed, combat-ready ones.
“That’s right.”
I tilted my head at the reply from the quartermaster, who was usually nowhere to be seen.
“Little chick.”
“Yes?”
“May fortune favor you in battle.”
There was something familiar about the quartermaster’s farewell and his expression.
It was just like one given to a new recruit heading to the front lines.
“Don’t tell me...?”
My mind reeling with disbelief, I headed to the training grounds.
“Long time no see, little hero.”
The Knight of the Azure Sky, to whom I was indebted from the descent training, greeted me warmly.
“I heard you insisted on rejoining your squad even though you’re not fully recovered. I knew I wasn’t mistaken about you.”
Sitting atop his griffin, he handed me a flight cloak, his eyes filled with clear admiration.
“Brace yourself.”
The vice director, with an unprecedentedly stern face, ordering me to assume a wartime footing.
The quartermaster at the depot, providing combat-ready weapons instead of training ones.
“Because the world you’re about to experience will be completely different from anything you’ve known.”
Added to that was the griffin rider’s warning, which seemed to carry the scent of blood.
At this point, it was impossible not to know.
Where the other kids had gone.
And where I was headed.
“The 13th Front.”
That was where I was going.