Chapter 38: Constellation Contract
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 38: Constellation Contract
[Apology from the Six Great Guilds]
To the citizens of our nation,
The Six Great Guilds Alliance feels a deep sense of responsibility and bows our heads in apology for the concern we have caused so many people through the recent series of events.
This issue was not merely a matter of personal deviation but a grave incident that betrayed the trust of both Awakeners and the public. We do not take this responsibility lightly.
However, please do not worry.
The Six Great Guilds will thoroughly reflect on this incident and promise the following measures to ensure such events never happen again.
- Unilateral terminations of sub-contracts with Awakeners will no longer occur.
- We are swiftly preparing a compensation plan for the civilian victims, the details of which will be disclosed at a later date.
- The perpetrators of past incidents will be thoroughly identified and held accountable.
└
- We promise a fair distribution of contributions to all remaining Awakeners.
Through this incident, we, the Six Great Guilds, have been painfully reminded that the reason for a guild's existence is not ‘authority’ but ‘responsibility.’
Moving forward, we will be reborn as an organization that Awakeners and the public can trust through more transparent and responsible management. Furthermore, we will fulfill our duty as the shield and pillar that protects the Republic of Korea.
We once again offer our deepest apologies to everyone who was disappointed by this incident.
September 2, 2028
The Six Great Guilds Alliance
* * *
Surprisingly, the Six Great Guilds had cleanly admitted their fault in the incident and taken a step back.
They particularly acknowledged their wrongdoing regarding the sub-contract issue that the public had demanded action on, and they appeared to be making a genuine effort to prevent any recurrence.
The political world also moved quickly, passing a law to prohibit the unfair termination of sub-contracts.
- ?? ? This is actually happening?
- Wow
- Freedom wins!!!
- This is democracy!! This is what Korea is all about!!!
Of course, the outcome wasn't satisfactory for everyone.
- They’re the criminals, so why are they the ones rooting out the perpetrators? lol fucking hilarious
- Looks like they’re just trying to save the execs and cut their losses, fuck
- So no compensation for the Awakeners who already got screwed out of their contributions. Can’t they just change their tune a year from now and that’ll be the end of it?
- What about the people who were forced out? How are they going to compensate for that? That’s not something money can solve.
- They also conveniently left out anything about waiving the penalty fees for those who left. Fucking hell lol
- What about the ones who already died as meat shields.....
Although many points of dissatisfaction remained, the majority of the public felt a sense of relief.
‘Ah, so they do listen when we rise up…’
The flames of fury that had once burned so fiercely began to subside, just for a moment.
*
After the official statement was released, in the secret meeting room of the Six Great Guilds Alliance.
Six figures, their faces obscured by robes, sat gathered in a dark cave.
The cave was lit by classic candles, and around a round table sat two men of enormous build, two ordinary-looking men, and two women.
"The timing was bad. But this is for the best. Let's use this as a chance to change our image. They're all going to be our slaves next year anyway, right? It's not a bad idea to build a good image now. Voluntary slaves. How great is that?"
The man who appeared to be the leader, with a few strands of white curly hair peeking out, spoke calmly.
"However, we'll need to be a bit more discreet from now on. I never imagined there'd be a bitch audacious enough to stand up to us..."
A man with a deep, dignified voice continued.
"So, how should we deal with that bitch?"
"Lee Do-hee... was it?"
"We have to kill her!!"
Thwack!!
Someone slammed a clenched fist on the round table and shot to their feet.
"Our grand plan was ruined because of that bitch!!! We prepared for years!! My money...!! Aaargh!!! Tearing her limb from limb wouldn't be enough!!"
A large man thrashed about, screaming like a madman.
"Calm down and sit. Killing her now will only reignite the public's anger we've worked so hard to quell. Let's do it the usual way."
"The usual way...?"
"We'll eat away at her reputation and make the stupid masses throw stones at her. Watching a once world-renowned rising star fall to the very bottom will be a very entertaining national sport. We can divert their attention at the same time."
"Oh...?"
The man with white hair let out a maniacal laugh as he spewed his sinister plan.
"Hehehe... She was quite a pretty woman, wasn't she? It'd be best to turn her into a total slut. We'll make her into a whore who only thinks about dick, using gigolos and aphrodisiacs, and then throw her to the public. Since she streams, it'd be great to use her as a public flesh toilet with the broadcast on. The Tower entrance or the 10th-floor town would be the perfect spot. Then, when she's completely lost her mind and the public's interest wanes."
"Wanes...?"
"Chop! Off with her limbs! We'll just keep her breathing."
"Oh..."
"Hehehe... We'll turn her into an onahole that can't die and let the sub-contracted Awakeners use her. It'll satisfy their lust while making them realize. This is what happens when you mess with us."
The white-haired man casually spewed out the horrifying plan.
"Of course, we have to keep her consciousness intact. We'll forcibly inject filthy, semen-laced food into her mouth, and when even the sub-contracted Awakeners get tired of her, we'll use her for human-monster breeding experiments. Hehehe..."
Words that sounded like they belonged on some shady, anonymous online forum were coming from the mouth of the leader of Korea's great guilds.
".......I like it."
"Hehe, I'll have to have a taste myself before that."
"Oh my, men... Can I use her beforehand too?"
"I'll handle the dismemberment myself. She looks like a bitch who'd scream quite nicely."
"Leave the behind-the-scenes work to me."
The other guild masters also seemed to be enjoying and agreeing with this insane plan.
"How beautiful it will be!! How delicious and sweet her desperate emotions will be as she writhes with her remaining torso like a worm, crying and begging for her life!!!"
The white-haired man's mouth stretched into a grin that reached his ears, drool trickling down. His eyes turned white, his hands trembled, and his face contorted into an expression of pure ecstasy.
"You lunatic... there he goes again. Stop it and let's make a plan."
Only when the middle-aged man stopped him did his eyes return to normal.
"Ahem... Ah, of course, it's too risky to do it now. That time would be perfect. When we're tackling the 18th floor, let's infiltrate and get matched with her randomly. The Black Veil Guild can prepare some criminals without identities. Is that possible?"
"Of course."
"So, what floor is that bitch on now? I think I heard she was on the 10th."
"At best, she's probably between the 11th and 13th floors, right? That section is quite difficult."
"Jeez, you can find that out just by searching online, you old geezers~ Let's see... Huh?"
The youngest-looking woman took out her phone to search.
But right after, her eyes widened as if she had seen something shocking.
"What is it?"
"Ah... it says she's already broken through the 20th floor."
"Huh???"
"What?????"
For a moment, silence fell.
"Wait, in one week... she passed all those hellish sections? Read it again!!!"
It was an unbelievable record.
‘But it took all of us over two months to get through there...?’
"Uhm... it's true."
Her trembling eyes met those of the other guild masters at the round table.
"Ah....."
"Ahem."
"Oh."
"Fuck."
"Uh... what do we do?"
The leisure vanished from their faces, which crumpled unceremoniously.
*
About a week ago.
After her bombshell declaration, Lee Do-hee started her stream at 9 AM.
[Lee Do-hee's stream has started: I Will Prove It.]
To be honest, even though I had declared it so confidently yesterday and used this title today,
‘How am I going to do this...?’
Could I really reach the 79th floor in 10 months?
Considering it would take at least a month to enter and clear it, I really only had nine months.
‘I'm fucked...’
If I was unlucky, a single floor could take over a month.
The Tower's trials weren't just about fighting monsters with brute force.
There were escort missions, money-gathering, journeys, artifact collecting, and even deep, time-consuming trials like destroying or protecting a nation.
‘Ah... I don't know. Just go for it!!’
But if I showed any sign of weakness here, the people who had just started to rise up would turn their backs on me and go back to how things were.
I had to give confidence to the people who had risen up, believing in me.
- Do-hee, for real?
- You’re really going to clear the 79th floor?
- It’s time to prove yourself, Lee Do-hee!!
- Our future depends on you.
- Are you really that talented?
- How did a bitch like this become Korea’s hope?
[Viewers: 65,724]
Look at this.
There was already a truckload of people in the chat with their arms crossed, ready to watch me skeptically.
‘There's no turning back.’
"Yes!! I will do it!!"
- I don’t believe you lol
- No matter how I look at it, you’re a perfect fit for an AV actress.
- Upvote if you think the Awakeners are fucked lol
- Am I the only one seeing the bad ending where she becomes the great guilds’ flesh toilet?
- You’re destined to be the great guilds’ flesh slave for life, girl.
- They say there’s a secret in the last stall of the great guilds’ bathroom!
‘Fuck... not that!’
The moment the protestors' fire dies down, I'm finished. I could be kidnapped in some dark alley or disappear from my home while sleeping.
And I would truly experience every humiliation a woman could possibly face.
As my heart raced, I found myself blurting things out.
"No!! I'll show you. I'll break through to the 20th floor in one week. Just one week!!!"
- ???
- Fucking hell, now she’s just throwing out empty promises.
- Do-hee, do you really think people will believe that...
- Upvote if you think Yoon Sung-hwan is fucked lol
- lolololol
Public sentiment was bad.
This wouldn't do.
‘A good idea...’
"If I can't make it in a week..... uhm...."
‘Think, my brain... There must be a way...!!’
- Uh?
- Uuhm?
- What is it?
"I'll do a... Penalty Roulette!"
A Penalty Roulette is when viewers write down punishments they want, and the streamer spins a wheel to perform the one that comes up randomly.
No matter how hard I thought, I had nothing else to offer as a guarantee.
I remembered it from when I was studying streaming; it was something streamers did when they messed up or took on a challenge, so I just threw it out there.
‘Was this a bad idea? Ugh... I'm screw—huh?’
But the result was the complete opposite of what I expected.
- Yes, this is it lololol
- For real? If you lie, we’re protesting at your house.
- Yeah, this is it~!
- The Great Do-hee
- Extreme
- Fan meeting, let's go!!!!!!
- Extreme
- Pleasure
- Alright~ Now we can go protest with a smile on our faces~
- This is great whether she succeeds or fails.
- You think she’ll succeed? lol
- Pleasure
- Finally, a fan meeting!
- Ugh, die Hannams!
- Why do I kind of hope she fails?
- Awesome lol
"Eh...?"
‘What, why did the mood suddenly get so much better?’
I didn't know why, but it worked out, right?
Just in case assassins from the great guilds or their subordinates were waiting for me in the Tower after watching the stream, I skipped my training for the day and ran straight to the Tower.
*
The entrance to the Tower was a magnificent sight.
"Lee Do-hee-nim! Please pass!"
"Let's go, Lee Do-hee!!!"
"You're our hope!!"
"Go, Lee Do-hee~~!!"
‘Isn't that the guy who groped my chest and ran away back then...?’
Anyway, countless Awakeners had come out to clear a path for me.
Reporters who looked like minions of the great guilds tried to push through, but they were thwarted by the wall of Awakeners.
They had personally come out to see me off and protect me.
"Thank you, everyone. I'll be sure to repay you!!!"
After exchanging warm words, I headed to the neutral town on the 10th floor.
*
The neutral town.
It was a town where people gathered in the neutral zone found every ten floors. Most of them were Awakeners, and there was usually one character who was what you'd call an NPC.
The role of the NPC was different for each 10-floor interval town.
The NPC on the 10th floor was just for making a Constellation Contract, and that was it.
"Still, since I'm here, I should at least show you the view."
The place I emerged from was a portal in the town's central plaza.
Looking around, the town was a complex tangle of medieval cities and modern buildings.
The buildings looked like medieval brick houses, but they had utility poles and neon signs, and if you went inside, they were decorated with modern home appliances.
"Ooh... Lee Do-hee?"
"Do-hee-nim, fighting!!"
I gave a light wave to the onlookers who were cheering me on enthusiastically, and then I climbed to the top of the central cathedral.
Passing through the small town with its freely scattered houses, I could see a vast plain stretching to the distant horizon.
The plain was divided into colorful square sections of green and yellow grass.
And looking up past the horizon, a black fog could be seen in the distance, encircling this space in a dome.
The 10th floor wasn't just a neutral town.
Each 10th floor also had a special theme.
The theme of the 10th floor was the Land of Abundance.
‘What's the point of climbing the Tower?’
‘Why do nations get stronger the higher their Tower floor is?’
‘Why do people care about the national Tower rankings?’
The answers to all those questions were right here.
On the 10th floor of the Tower, you could farm.
Land with the best climate and soil for agriculture.
That was the 10th floor of the Tower.
And the higher you climbed the Tower, the more the black fog at the edge of the 10th floor would recede, increasing the amount of farmable land.
It wasn't just any farmable land, either.
‘Crops grow incredibly fast here... and at the highest quality.’
For example, if it takes 100 days for a potato to grow on normal land, here it takes 20 days.
The average growth time was shortened by a factor of five, and you didn't have to worry about soil depletion; you could plant again immediately.
Thanks to the Tower, Korea had surprisingly become a food-exporting nation long ago.
There was no need for fertilizer or pesticides.
Researchers theorized that the Tower's mana and the water, soil, and air imbued with it were extremely beneficial for plant growth here.
And this was where those who had given up on the Tower, the so-called "Tower-quitters," lived in the greatest numbers.
It was more comfortable than the other floors and had plenty of space, so you could earn an average of 6 to 7 million won a month just by farming while casually watching my stream.
There was a reason Tower-quitters had a lot of money.
"Should we stop the tour here? I have a lot to do. I need to make a Constellation Contract and get a weapon that can be used from the 10th floor onwards. Hmm... there's so much to do...?"
- Is that the composure of someone with a lot to do?
- I think this bitch has half given up already lol
- Good for us, though.
- Hey guys, let's start the timer after she starts the 11th floor, okay?
- lololol
- Sure, you won’t clear it anyway.
- Yeah, yeah, sure.
- Do whatever you want, our Do-hee ^^
‘Fuckers...’
"First, I'm going to go meet that NPC."
- NPC?
- Did you just call our Sister Terry an NPC?
- You wanna get canceled?
- Hey, hey, Do-hee, you're talking about someone more innocent than you...
"Ah... alright. I'll go meet Sister Terry."
I descended from the cathedral and entered through the main doors.
Creeaak...
With the sound of the old wooden door opening, I saw a woman sitting in the front row below the distant altar, praying.
Her name was Terry.
The light passing through the transparent stained-glass window fell from the sky, creating an image reminiscent of someone receiving a divine revelation.
‘She's as holy as I remember...’
Long blonde hair and blue eyes.
Slightly downturned eyes and flawless features.
She was a woman of such beauty that it was a shame she was just a one-off Tower NPC.
"You've come, Awakener."
The woman's voice was low and composed.
Even though she wore a nun's habit that covered her entire body, the faint outline of her figure only served to accentuate it.
She was the medium for the 10th-floor Constellation Contract and a nun of absolute defense.
In the past, even when I had attacked her with all my strength, she was a crazy bitch who had blocked it with a smile.
Creak... creak...
With every step I took, the sound of rusted wood echoed.
Finally, I stood directly in front of her and spoke.
"I've come to make a Constellation Contract."
"Please sit next to me and take my hand."
I sat down right next to her, our hips touching, and clasped her white, soft hand, interlocking our fingers.
A warm hand. And a warm butt.
‘Her butt is as big as I remember...’
Her plump, soft buttocks, almost the same size as mine, pressed pleasantly against my own through the thin fabric.
- Wow... she doesn't say anything when a woman sits next to her.
- ? ? Does she normally say something?
- If a guy did that, she'd tell him to back off like he's a bug. If he doesn't, she just shoves him away lol
- Fucking hell lololol
- And guys can't even interlock fingers!!
- That bitch is more expensive than Do-hee.
- FYI, someone died trying to sexually harass her, so you guys better be careful.
"I will now summon the Constellations..."
Sister Terry's blue eyes began to glow brightly.
An intense light shot out, embroidering the space above the altar.
As if projecting the cosmos itself, the beautiful, multicolored lights from her eyes danced about in the air.
‘It feels like I'm watching a hologram.’
And now, it should be about time...
"....?"
‘Usually, I should be hearing the voices of the Constellations by now...?’
- ?
- What’s going on?
- Why is it quiet?
- I think even the Constellations are impressed by her achievements?
- Not impressed, they probably went to jerk off first.
- lolololol
- Why is there no reaction?
"Excuse me...?"
Ten seconds.
Twenty seconds.
Thirty seconds.
No matter how long I waited, there was no response.
And then, a cold voice came from beside me.
"Awakener. You have deceived me."
"What...?"
The nun's eyes returned to their normal human gaze.
"You have already made a contract with a Constellation."
"Huh...?"
Something was wrong.