Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 202
Chapter Title: Expelling the Constellations and Forming a Family
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And about 30 minutes later.
The Yanbian Undercity, reduced to rubble by the bombardment, was littered with scavenger corpses. The survivors emerged from the underground shelters they'd created with their skills, climbing up to the surface while grumbling.
"Damn... they cleared this place out too? Hey, Pastor Yi~ You okay? What now? Hm? Whoa, look at all this dust."
As it was a regular occurrence, Park Suk-ja didn't panic. She brushed the dust off her clothes and checked on Pastor Yi.
She wasn't worried about him dying. It was just that they now had to find somewhere other than this ruined Undercity, and there were still squabbles ahead with the surviving bastards and the Chinese scavengers.
"Heh heh... Hahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!"
"What's up? Some problem...? Oh! The equipment's busted. More importantly, that... experiment subject we sent seems dead. Aigoo~"
"We can remake it... remake it, sure. But our situation is truly humiliating."
"Well, when have scavenger lives not been like this? You just grit your teeth and endure the humiliation. It's different without the Apostle around......"
Unaware of what had happened with Yoo Seong-won, she was startled to see Pastor Yi's body suddenly swelling up.
He had transformed into the massive form of a Hanwoo beastkin. Having ascended not long ago, his rage would involuntarily revert him to his true appearance.
Of course, they could remake it, but anyone would be furious if the results of their nonstop research and effort crumbled overnight.
[Moooo! I absolutely won't forgive him. Absolutely! Absolutely! Absolutely!]
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, if they bombarded us like this, bounty hunters will show up soon... Cool your jets and get your head straight. If they're calling in missile strikes, there'll be S-Class Hunters involved too....... I'll round up the kids, so pull yourself together in the meantime."
Treating it like just another day, Park Suk-ja shrugged it off casually and went about her tasks.
Pastor Yi, shuddering with humiliation, glared in the direction Yoo Seong-won had vanished. He etched the man's appearance and thoughts of revenge into his mind once more, then began moving to handle what needed doing.
***
Frontline City, Central Conference Room.
After finishing his reconnaissance and business trip, Yoo Seong-won returned to the Frontline City and immediately reconvened the knights and key figures.
He'd roughly wrapped up the long rest and annoying commission quests in a plausible way, and even collected vital intel on Olympus Guild. Now, all that remained was refocusing on his 'mission.'
With the existing four knights, the Cheongeom Army team, and even the newly joined Grand Commanders of the Commander Legion gathered, the bustling conference room looked like a royal court assembly.
"So... where do I even start? Not sure if I should call it my duty or something you all forced on me by pre-approving it, but anyway, it looks like we're in for a seriously tough, arduous, and grueling task. Something utterly ridiculous and massive. Some of you might already know, but... it's about driving every last 'Constellation' off this Earth."
"That's good news."
"About time."
[We've accomplished things across multiple lives. Doesn't matter if it's harder.]
[Nothing but... welcoming......]
[Hahaha! That's why we're etched in the 'Star Records'!]
Even though what came from Yoo Seong-won's mouth was a monstrous task questionable for an entire generation of humanity, the knights didn't bat an eye—they were thrilled.
In contrast, ordinary folk like Shin So-mi and Shin A-young stared in stunned disbelief, firing questions at Yoo Seong-won.
"Is that... even possible? No, how do you plan to do it?"
"No idea. We'll just keep going till we can't. It won't be easy. How many Core Dungeons do we have to tackle? Damn! Anyway, we'll handle it one by one... Just in case something happens to me, I'm planning to leave the Frontline City and Iron Fortress to A-young. And if push comes to shove, I might even raze the Frontline City. No worries thanks to the money we've stacked up... Should be enough to look after everyone here."
"...Boss."
"Anyway, now for the real talk. Olympus Guild ends up on the hit list too, so to keep them in check, we have no choice but to boost rival Constellations. Of course, we still gotta take down the ones calling for humanity's extinction. Haaa~ It's like a seesaw game where you empty it out without letting it tip."
A task akin to boarding a seesaw perfectly balanced—not tipping fully to one side—and extracting every Constellation riding it.
Difficult, but far better than letting it crash one way and dealing with the fallout. As part of that, Yoo Seong-won decided to aid one of Olympus Guild's rivals.
"So tomorrow, I'll kill a day fake-dueling that Cheongeom Grand General friend, then a few months later, head to 'China' under Constellation Dragon-Phoenix King."
"Constellation Dragon-Phoenix King, huh... Not a bad pick."
With Constellation Slaughter King's forces weakened in Manchuria—one of the powers dividing China—the current landscape was a three-way tussle between the Chinese Communist Party government, Constellation Qin Emperor, and Constellation Dragon-Phoenix King. Among them, Dragon-Phoenix King's China stood out as the most ethical, supportive of the international community, and prosperous.
"Of course, we'll have to eliminate Constellation Dragon-Phoenix King eventually, but right now, it's the only option to counter Olympus."
"What about the Chinese Communist Party government?"
"...You wanna team up with scum worse than scavengers?"
"Fair point."
Still called the Chinese Communist Party government now, its old name was the People's Republic of China.
After fully embracing capitalism, it had flaunted itself as one of the world's top two powers from past to present, committing all sorts of atrocities with its massive economy and funds to seize global hegemony. Now split into four nations, saddled with accumulated ills and grudges, even the international community referred to it not as the Chinese government, but the Chinese Communist Party government.
You'd think it'd wise up after ending up like that, but whether due to generations brainwashed with flawed Sino-centrism or the elite still living cushy lives, it kept demanding 'hand it over' this and that—getting squeezed between the impeccably mannerly Constellation Dragon-Phoenix King, who honored absolute contracts like oaths, and Constellation Qin Emperor's overwhelming military might.
"To ally with those guys, we'd have to atone for past atrocities, compensate for all the IP and tech copyrights infringed, apologize for human rights abuses, etc... Too much to pay. They're just like, 'screw you.' Draining their national power and hoarded wealth, forcibly conscripting Awakeners to hold on... Anyway, I'll finish them off."
"Hmm... So you're aiming to unify China under Constellation Dragon-Phoenix King."
"Not a bad idea, right? Sounds great. At least they shoulder their responsibilities properly."
Of course, aiding across borders was off-limits due to sovereignty issues—neither they nor the South Korean government would allow troop deployments—but Constellation Dragon-Phoenix King handled responses to Slaughter King threats admirably, per the messages relayed.
"Another option is Constellation Qin Emperor, but there... it's all spirit and elemental legions, no real choice."
"A Constellation super sensitive to environmental pollution. That's why they hammer the Chinese Communist Party government even harder......"
"Subtly cooperative yet ultimately hostile to human civilization, same as the rest....... Alright, let's prep to head to Constellation Dragon-Phoenix King's China. I'll handle the formal scrap with Cheongeom Grand General. Board game? Rock-paper-scissors?"
With policy set, the Frontline City's members sprang into action.
The first step of a colossal endeavor beyond human limits had begun.
But before that, Yoo Seong-won had one more thing. He left the conference room and gathered just Shin So-mi and her daughters for a talk.
"Uh, suddenly we're tackling this huge thing... Tch, sorry for pushing ahead without consulting."
"No, a bestowed mission can't be helped."
"Now... I'm used to it. Work's familiar too. But when's the wedding? Can't leave Mom like this forever? Daughter needs a cute little sister ASAP."
"Don't most kids get uneasy about new siblings when a stepdad shows up? Anyway, better handle the postponed stuff before things tangle again. Sis, A-young, that... will you become my family?"
Words they'd long awaited—and he'd long delayed. He finally mustered the courage.
The war to erase Constellations would bring chaos; he might lose the chance forever. He had to do it now.
"I lost my family memories in an accident right after birth, grew up in a facility, know nothing of family. So... teach me well about family and let's... let's... work to be happy together."
"Yes, let's."
"Yay! So I can really call you Daddy now?"
Thus, Yoo Seong-won finally formed a new family, no longer alone.
First came the administrative procedures, including marriage registration. Joyous as becoming a family was, it also officially recognized Shin A-young as heir to Frontline City and Iron Fortress.
Next, using 'power of love' and 'marriage buffs' as excuses, they settled the duel with Cheongeom Grand General in a single day and held the wedding...
Internals, including knights, pushed for a grand ceremony to boost unity, but with Shin So-mi's remarriage, media and government buzz would be trouble. So they kept it simple: at a Frontline City hotel, officiated by Elder Baek Ga-yeon, with just Iron Fortress folks in attendance.
"Uh... calling you 'honey' feels super awkward. Ah, gonna take getting used to. More importantly, you sure no trip? We can go anywhere—America, wherever."
"Getting attention anywhere sounds bad... Honestly, isn't Frontline City the best spot? Plus... we already have such a big family."
"Ah... yeah. No way that vibe survives a trip."
"Right."
Now husband and wife, Yoo Seong-won and Shin So-mi nodded, watching their four kids chatter before them.
A bizarre setup: four kids the instant they became family.
Including Shin A-young and the three adopted from Japan—now registered—the Yoo household ballooned to a six-member family overnight.
"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy."
"Papa, papa, papa, papa."
"Daddy~"
"Uh... Mother-in-law?"
"Such a racket......"
No honeymoon in the end, but treating it as vacation time, no one dared interrupt their leisurely days—more satisfying than any trip, scavenger etiquette aside.
Even in urgency, bothering newlyweds was bad manners—except for scavengers.
Thus, basking in long-forgotten domestic warmth, Yoo Seong-won watched over his wife and children.
'This stability... feels different. Hm?'
"Wanna sleep with Daddy..."
"Being with Father feels so good."
"Haa... real family... love it......"
Mostly out working, despite assists, they'd gone ages without direct care—now clinging to him like pets: Jae-young, Su-young, Ha-young.
S-Class Hunters of the Special Forces Unit, yet now utterly defenseless, serene as little animals.
In the kitchen, Shin A-young and Shin So-mi chattered while prepping snacks.
'Is this home... Haa... Definitely different from being alone.'
Feeling he was no longer alone in this happy space, Yoo Seong-won acutely realized death wouldn't just burden him anymore. He vowed never to yield, even against a Core Dungeon teeming with 66,000 demons like Star Constellation.