[Constellation 'Sung Hyun-sook' Shouts to Snap Out of It!]

Sorry, Mom, but that's gonna be tough.

No matter what, there's a line that can't be crossed.

A constellation was directly unleashing its killing intent. Snapping out of it was impossible.

My body wouldn't budge, as if crushed under a massive skyscraper.

Beyond my unfocused vision, the Witch of Eternal Sleep possessing Oh Chae-rin's body loomed with an indescribably immense presence.

'Strong possession? No. It looks like it's recreating the constellation's true form entirely...'

The base was Oh Chae-rin, but overlaid with the constellation's attire.

If strong possession was mere 'possession' limited to the mind, this was like a 'fusion' blending even the appearance.

Crazy... It could fully use even a portion of a constellation's power?

This was on a whole different level from strong possession, which only manifested faint presence and divine words.

The moment the Witch of Eternal Sleep gazed down at us from the sky with chilling eyes.

"Guh, guh...!"

"Th, this damn... Wh, what's happening-."

Even Choi Kwang-hyun and Jin Soo-hyun were frozen like mice in a trap.

The surroundings lay in ruins.

Jin Soo-hyun's monstrous bird had crashed to the ground, gasping ragged breaths.

Most Association staff and Mad Dog members couldn't withstand the constellation's overwhelming pressure and had already vomited blood, dying on the spot.

The kids beyond the barricade were barely clinging to consciousness—likely thanks to their bodies being enhanced through experiments.

Damn it.

Realizing I was grateful for that in this situation drove home how utterly hopeless it was.

'According to the keyword, there's no way to win...!'

Even facing strong possession had my legs trembling; Unity went without saying.

Just brushing against it might kill me.

'Damn. Throw Eye still needs more time.'

The plausible plan to seal this Unity with its second form couldn't be used right now.

Just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a guess, but Throw Eye's cooldown was about 30 minutes.

And 30 minutes was more than enough for that mad constellation to slaughter everyone here.

I wanted to counter with Unity myself, but it was pointless.

Unity required 'Official' rank or higher.

So my only lifeline now was Mom's sponsorship.

Golden particles rapidly gathered in the air, forming a sphere.

A golden orb sealing the sponsorship item.

It would surely help withstand the witch's pressure, but the problem was...

"Kuh...!"

The pressure crushing my body prevented me from reaching out to grab the sphere.

Damn it all.

As I swallowed the wrenching pain twisting my joints and strained with all my might to move my arm—

-Tick!

The witch smirked and snapped her fingers, firing a black qi bullet.

Kwajik!—!

The qi bullet shattered the golden sphere in the blink of an eye.

"......"

If I could speak properly, I'd have cursed first.

The witch's voice pierced my fading consciousness.

Her lips trembled slightly—her words of fear weren't lies. Her pale face held the pallor of a frightened child.

Kwarung!—!

Shattering the nightmarish silence was a bolt of lightning from Jin Soo-hyun's monstrous bird.

I thought she'd commanded it, but her wide eyes said otherwise.

This was the beast's final desperate struggle, survival instinct at its peak.

But the witch ignored the incoming bolt.

She merely spread her hand lightly, deflecting it, then—

-Whoosh.

With a swat like shooing a fly, the monstrous bird's head exploded entirely.

Jin Soo-hyun nearby was drenched in its blood and flesh.

Deep emptiness filled her eyes as she stared at her惨ly slain familiar.

Now I finally grasped the situation.

'In short, that bitch got pissed because her nurtured game character kept getting beaten, so she stepped in herself.'

What anger management issues.

Of course, the constellation of a natural-born psycho wouldn't be normal.

'...Not the time for jokes, damn it.'

My consciousness flickered like a faulty bulb.

As I gripped my blurring mind and blinked—

The witch was already right in front of me.

Glancing around in panic, I saw Choi Kwang-hyun, Jin Soo-hyun, and everyone else face-down, unconscious.

I finally understood an ant trampled by a human.

Kugugu!—!

Black flames wrapped the witch's hand, and the air grew oppressively heavy.

'Damn it. If only I could control my body...!'

I squeezed every ounce of strength to move my limbs, but they were pinned like nailed down.

...Even the Spirit King's Favor, which nullified all abnormalities, showed no reaction.

A constellation's pressure wasn't a skill or status—it was an incomprehensible, otherworldly force beyond human logic.

'Even the Divine Living Armor, I need to equip it...!'

My breath choked like drowning; I couldn't utter the activation word.

The chill of dying without resistance sent shivers down my spine.

Drdrdr-!

Then, the leather pouch at my waist began to tremble.

The moment the witch's black nail sliced through the air like a guillotine blade—

-Krwaaaang!!

The leather pouch burst open on its own, exploding in midair.

A white silhouette shot out amid scattering leather fragments, slamming into the witch at lightning speed.

Kwa-jik!

The witch's blood-red eyes widened in shock, glaring at her left shoulder.

There—

-Krr...!

Gift had sunk his fangs deep into the witch's shoulder with all his might.

Blue flames of Wolf Fire flared like a mane over his white scales.

Bringing Gift along openly near Jin Soo-hyun's turf felt off, so I'd hidden him briefly on the way out of the basement.

Who knew it'd turn into the reversal pivot.

Clearly displeased by the bite, the witch's noble face twisted in an instant.

-Krruk...!

Kwagwagwa!—!!

A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠torrent of pressure erupted from the enraged witch's body.

The already suffocating killing intent intensified wildly.

But—

The tsunami-like pressure sweeping everywhere subsided as if it had never been.

Beast's Domain.

The familiar's authority to seize control in any disadvantageous situation had activated.

Kwaaaang!—!

The witch's brutish punch sent Gift clinging to her shoulder flying far away.

Without the 40% stat reduction, he'd have a massive hole through him by now.

-Kuh, huk...! Kah...!

Still, it was a mortal wound. He staggered, spewing a mouthful of blood.

It pained me to see my cherished familiar hurt, but there was no time to cry out.

Finally.

"...Protect me."

My breath cleared, letting me speak properly.

The moment I uttered the activation word, the witch swung her beast-like jagged claws.

Kwaaaang!—!

Earth-shattering dust clouds billowed, as if the mantle itself had exploded.

Perplexity laced the witch's low voice.

As the swirling dust cleared, I finally saw my new form.

White cloth wrapped my chest, abdomen, and back. Golden radiance, evoking the noon sun, shimmered brilliantly over my exposed limbs.

Doubts about its combat suitability vanished instantly.

"This?"

This blinding golden glow was shielding me from the constellation's pressure.

"Clothes handcrafted by a far greater constellation than the likes of you."

Patsutsut!—!

Black lightning crackled fiercely around the enraged witch.

The ominous currents soon formed six daggers, then—

----!

They hurtled at me with speed tearing sound itself.

Those would kill on hit.

Flutter!—!

A liberating sensation like shedding skin, and four pairs of golden wings sprouted from my back.

I shot upward vertically to evade, but...

Srrek!—!

One dagger grazed my ankle by a hair's breadth.

"Kuh...!"

Just a graze, yet the pain felt like my entire leg was ripped off.

...No chance in a head-on fight, that's for sure.

Damn.

Even a portion of true power was limited to 'a portion,' right?

Just a fraction of her real strength, plus 40% shaved by Beast's Domain, and still this much?

'Then how strong is the main body?'

Constellations truly were untouchable existences.

The leaping Witch of Eternal Sleep pursued my flight relentlessly.

I spun around, focusing all nerves on my lower-right wing.

Tudududu!—!

Feathers loaded with destructive power rained like bullets on the witch, but she took them bare-bodied without dodging.

...Unbelievable.

Even the 'lower-right wing' couldn't check her.

Before I could marvel further, she thrust both arms forward at me.

Black flames swirled along her slender, black-armored arms.

Puhwaaak!—!

A black hole-like suction pulled me in.

The 5m gap shrank to 1m in seconds.

In that instant, a vision flashed: me, captured in her grasp, vanishing without a trace.

Then—

Geeging!—!

A hot surge roared forth, unleashing a shockwave ahead.

Struck by the unexpected attack, the witch plummeted to the ground.

It reflected the damage she'd dealt me exactly, so this one hurt.

'Just checking and evading won't solve this.'

Without counterattacking, we'd never end it.

I opened Pandora's Box.

Did a weapon exist to face such a monster?

A fleeting doubt crossed my mind, but splendidly, the box placed a weapon in my hand.

The witch quickly composed herself, condensing black flames in both hands.

But as she prepared to launch, she flinched, face contorting in distress.

A light weight settled in my grip: a small dagger with a sinuous blade.

"How should I know? What's the heavenly realm anyway."

I just grabbed what the box summoned.

And once again, the box's judgment was spot-on.

Her smug face was now a wreck.

'Her reaction suggests it can deal meaningful damage... but the reach is too short.'

A spear or sword with longer range would be ideal.

Relying on a single dagger to close in on that monster was too risky.

'Gotta create an opening somehow...'

But how? She was fixated solely on me.

'Think. Brainstorm. There has to be a way.'

I didn't ask for much. Just 3 seconds.

If she showed a gap for 3 seconds, I could stab her heart.

As my mind spun like a top—

-Kwaaaang!

A ground-shaking explosion erupted behind the witch.

Gift, who'd taken a mortal wound earlier, charged at her despite the pain.

-Krwaaaang!

The brief moment her gaze nailed on me shifted backward—

I felt my senses sharpen to a razor's edge.

'...Opening!'

The gap I'd longed for, exposed by the witch.

My 400+ strength surged into my thighs, and—

Quaaak!—!

I kicked the air, rocketing toward her like a missile.

Full throttle, all-out speed.

But.

By then, the witch was fully prepared.

Dark energy gathered over her extended hand, forming a massive scythe.

She gripped it with both hands, twisting her waist toward the charging Gift.

And...

Srrek!

The scythe swung at invisible speed, slicing empty air.

Empty air.

Where the black scythe passed, no dragon flesh or blood as desired—instead,

Hwaruk...

A small blue goblin-fire flickered oddly where the scythe passed, then sank into the ground.

'Smart bastard, Gift.'

Without teaching, he'd perfectly used Wolf Fire's evasion advantage.

'That's instinct for you.'

Even now, pride swelled that I'd claimed Gift as owner amid countless perils.

Any average familiar would've been crushed immobile by the pressure, let alone fight.

-Krwaaaang!!

Patsutsut!—!

In less than a second, Gift's massive form, cloaked in red lightning, collided with the witch amid a deafening roar.

The witch's body launched skyward from the abdominal impact.

That instant.

Soaring upward, the witch realized something and turned.

Too late now.

I'd already descended from above, burrowing fully into her embrace.

"How's it feel getting done in by the 'lowly mortal' you scorned?"

Puwook!—!

The full-force thrust dagger mercilessly pierced the witch's heart.