The Overwhelming One (4)

Not just anyone, but Hades. The ruler of Olympus is arranging a meeting between me and Cheon Hyang-un?

A flash of realization struck him.

Why on earth?

Of course, he knew.

He knew this could be a trap.

But he couldn't refuse.

Cheon Hyang-un and his other companions were the primary reason Lee Jin-hyuk had regressed in the first place.

"I must ask all Constellations except for Hades to leave."

Since he couldn't afford to ignore the offer, Jin-hyuk issued an eviction notice to the gods for the first time.

Once a trial ended, the right to permit Constellations to remain rested entirely with the player.

Whether the others were myth-grade or transcendent-grade, Jin-hyuk could expel them as long as he willed it.

Feeling a sudden, inexplicable chill run down his spine, Jin-hyuk swallowed hard.

"Russell, Elruin."

-Peep?

"I'll be back in a bit. Wait for me."

"……Understood."

Sensing that things were taking a serious turn, Russell nodded, his expression hardening.

"Actually, no. Go ahead to Sichuan first. Once you're there, follow Elruin and meet up with Kaelion."

"Kaelion?"

"Yeah. She's an elf, and my companion."

"An elf. An ancient fairy?"

Trusting Jin-hyuk's word that she was an ally, Russell immediately prepared to set off.

-Peeeeep...! Peep!

Elruin whined, complaining that they were separating again so soon after reuniting, but she was the only one who could heal the divine beasts.

"I'm counting on you. I'll buy you lots of delicious food later."

-Peep……

Knowing she had no choice despite her disappointment, Elruin dejectedly fluttered away. Jin-hyuk could only watch her departure with a bittersweet smile.

I'll have to make it up to her. Later.

But for now.

It was time to settle things with this Constellation.

"The Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult. Do you know where she is?"

Once they were completely alone, Hades's voice began to echo.

Players qualified to climb the Tower generally fell into two categories.

First, those born inside the Tower. Having grown up hearing, seeing, and training with information about the cleared floors and trials, they faced far less burden.

Second, those who came from the outside. These were individuals pulled from one of the countless external dimensions—unknown to the Tower's denizens—either through an accidental anomaly or a dimensional contract.

This was evident from the reactions of the people fighting goblins during Jin-hyuk's tutorial trial. None of them had ever seen a monster before.

Whether by accident or design, those entering from outside the Tower were at an inherent disadvantage compared to those born and raised within. Survival was difficult, and growing stronger was harder still, making it seem as though they possessed no advantages at all.

And indeed, they barely had any.

If one were to wring out a dry towel to find a single benefit, it would be that gathering past information on such players was incredibly difficult. Yet even this advantage was useless against someone like Hades.

His true ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠name was Hades. The Constellation who had ultimately usurped Olympus, the noble heaven and stellar universe.

Having attained the status of God-King, he was a transcendent-grade Constellation possessing power and authority incomparable to ordinary deities.

With his might, digging up information on Jin-hyuk's life outside the Tower should have been child's play. Among the stellar universes where various Constellations gathered, the fallen heaven of Olympus was easily one of the top three factions.

Rumble...!

The sky split open, and darkness itself began to seep through. An infinite abyss spread across the heavens.

It was a bizarre sight. Usually, an abyss was something felt when looking deep into the earth, yet this one had formed in the sky.

His voice is no longer coming through as a system message.

True to his status as a transcendent-grade Constellation, he was tearing through the Tower's barrier to manifest his presence directly.

"I wonder that myself."

The energy of demonic qi and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spirits emanated from the abyss covering the sky. It felt as if the heavens themselves were screaming silently.

Even if an ordinary player couldn't sense the raw power, the sheer visual pressure would have forced them to their knees, retching.

The situation was dire enough to trigger actual system warnings. As one of the strongest transcendent-grade Constellations standing at the very peak, Hades's mere presence felt heavy enough to crush a man's body.

But Hades did not know. In fact, none of the Constellations knew.

The vessel of a Constellation that Jin-hyuk possessed—this extraordinary body—could easily withstand the pressure emitted by any entity.

After all, wasn't the creator of this vessel another transcendent-grade Constellation, Asgard?

Ssssshh!

Regardless of whether Hades manifested directly or not, Jin-hyuk maintained a perfect stance, sword in hand.

Finding the display rather intriguing, Hades let out a dark, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠amused chuckle.

"Just tell me the terms of the deal," Jin-hyuk said, adjusting his grip. "I don't like wasting time on useless chatter."

It was an insolent attitude. Most powerful beings would never tolerate or forgive such disrespect, but Hades was different.

He had already seen far too many sycophants and parasites clinging to power. Thus, Jin-hyuk was actually refreshing.

Of course, no matter how powerful Hades was, there were countless others who refused to bend their wills. Many could not be swayed or tempted by rewards.

Yet, for a mere player—one who had only just reached the 10th floor—to possess the ability to remain completely unfazed in the presence of his descent was a first.

Hearing those words, Jin-hyuk instantly realized how Hades had discovered his connection to Cheon Hyang-un.

The three sisters of fate, the Moirai?

The three Moirai sisters: Clotho, the spinner of the thread; Lachesis, the measurer of the thread; and Atropos, the cutter of the thread. They had played a monumental role in elevating the stellar universe of Olympus to its current status.

They possessed a holy relic called the Thread of Fate, a powerful artifact capable of peering into an entity's past, present, and future. It seemed they could even look into the destiny of Jin-hyuk, despite his Constellation's vessel.

"..."

Jin-hyuk remained silent, wary of reacting hastily without knowing the exact extent of their power.

Save her.

Jin-hyuk swallowed.

Right. She might indeed be in a state where she needs saving.

The fact that Hades used such phrasing meant he likely knew exactly what kind of predicament Cheon Hyang-un was currently facing.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"What is the price?"

Hades smiled knowingly.

Hades. He was the Lord of the Underworld and the master of all spirits.

The sovereign and God-King of countless ghosts, including Wailing Ghosts, Ice-Sinking Ghosts, and Soul-Burning Ghosts. As such, he could sense it.

No matter how much Jin-hyuk had acclimated to his new body, there was a deeply rooted connection between him and the spirits.

"Are you saying that as long as I don't choose either of those two, I will eventually come to you?"

Although his two rivals were also transcendent-grade, Hades exuded absolute confidence.

It's not bad. In fact, considering my situation, it's the best possible offer.

There was absolutely no downside for Jin-hyuk. He had no intention of choosing any Constellation anyway.

This would also serve as a perfect excuse when the lackeys of Asgard or Olympus pressured him to choose them.

It even gave him a justification to present to Hawid, who had briefly been his teacher.

"I swear upon the Milky Way and the Styx. I will not become an apostle or a follower of either Asgard or Olympus."

The moment Cheon Hyang-un's name was mentioned, Jin-hyuk closed his eyes.

With those final words, Hades's presence began to fade. The endless, abyssal universe in the sky dissolved back into the heavens.

...Damn it.

Jin-hyuk slumped to the ground, rubbing his face with both hands.

"If you can, won't you give my sister one more chance?"

Those were the words Cheon Hyang-un had spoken directly to him right before his regression. Her plea to give her sister a "chance."

That request could only mean one thing.

She was asking me to save her sister instead of her own broken self.

He clenched his fists.

...If this is truly your choice.

Memories of the countless events he had shared with Cheon Hyang-un before his regression flashed through his mind.

Alongside Russell and Dang So-wol, he had built deep trust with her through numerous trials. No matter how grand Jin-hyuk's ultimate goal was, making this decision was far from easy.

Yet he could no longer afford to delay or hesitate.

The "Heavenly Demon" Cheon Hyang-un he knew from the past, and the "Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult" Cheon Hyang-un currently alive and breathing in the present.

The two were entirely different entities.

If so... if that was truly the case...

Jin-hyuk chose to honor the will of the future Heavenly Demon Cheon Hyang-un—the one with whom he had shared time and experience.

"I won't hesitate," Jin-hyuk said, standing up and looking toward the sky. "...Not anymore."

As he steeled his resolve, the sky parted, and something fell rapidly toward him.

Hermes?

Jin-hyuk reached out.

Hades must have ordered him to deliver this item.

The item was shaped like a small hat with two wings attached. Thinking it would look adorable on Elruin, Jin-hyuk chuckled and put it away.

"Cheon Hyang-un," he muttered, dusting himself off. "Time to go find you."

Bzzt!

Perhaps because it was a holy relic bestowed directly by Hades, even if delivered by a subordinate, it worked flawlessly.

Flash!

Talaria's Wing Feather left a long, trailing beam of light in its wake. Following this beam to its end would lead him straight to Cheon Hyang-un.

Since he had other matters to attend to first, he deactivated the tracking beacon for now.

"Time to meet up with the others."

Jin-hyuk set off to catch up with Russell and Elruin, who had stepped away.

However, a change he had not yet noticed was quietly taking place.

Thump.

His heart.

Deep within Jin-hyuk's chest, a strange resonance began to echo.

At first, it was incredibly faint, but unmistakable.

Thump! Thump.

Beating in perfect synchronization with his original heart, another heart—shining with a new color—began to beat slowly and steadily.