Chapter 12
Chapter 12
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Sanctuary (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A week after officially joining the Association.
During that time, I relentlessly entered and exited gates to reach 3-star, but in the end, the Stigma of Lyra didn't gain any more strokes.
‘Then again, trying to become a 3-star in just a week is a bit much.’
It was what I expected, so I wasn't particularly disappointed.
“Hoo.”
A tense breath escaped my lips.
I took out my smartphone and checked the date.
November 13th.
The day I was supposed to meet Vega.
‘The Sanctuary.’
The temple of the stars.
The world where the Constellations reside.
I'd heard a lot about it, but this was my first time actually going.
“Damn, my stomach's in knots.”
I thought I'd prepared thoroughly, but the thought of meeting Vega in person and talking to her was already making my stomach churn.
‘Get a grip.’
I took a deep breath, calming my mind.
The moment I make a mistake here, all my plans will go up in smoke.
“Let’s go.”
*Slap!*
I lightly slapped both my cheeks and started walking.
-Murmur, murmur.-
Hongdae, Seoul.
The street, once filled with the passion of youth, was now seething with a different kind of fervor.
“I pray, I pray!!!”
“Oh, great Constellation!!!”
“Grant this lowly insect the power of a constellation!”
As soon as I stepped out of the station, which took about an hour to reach, the thunderous sound of prayers, wrapped in a fervor bordering on madness, echoed all around.
‘Is this what I saw on the news?’
The people swarming in front of the gate to the Sanctuary were sending desperate pleas to the Constellations, hoping to become Awakeners.
“…Seeing a sight like that would probably make me lose any desire to choose them.”
Tattered clothes and layers of dark grime.
A terrible stench, as if they hadn't washed in days, assaulted my nose.
This is a world where the value of life has become a bad joke.
The lives of those without strength, wealth, or power are endlessly miserable.
‘It’s a pity, but.’
...that's all.
I have no obligation, nor the will, to care about the lives of others.
-Woooooong!
Passing the crowd gathered before the gate, I approached the one leading to the Sanctuary.
A massive gate, seemingly over thirty meters tall.
The rift, blazing with blue light, radiated an intimidating pressure that felt overwhelming just to look at.
‘They said there are hundreds of these all over the world, right?’
Damn, it's huge.
“Alright then.”
I strode unhesitatingly toward the blue rift.
There was no one guarding the entrance or checking identification.
‘No reason to guard it, I guess.’
It would be like a rabbit guarding a tiger's den.
What kind of crazy Awakener would dare cause a ruckus in a temple where hundreds of Constellations are gathered?
‘I heard the restrictions of the Law are much looser inside the Sanctuary, too.’
Causing a disturbance would literally lead to a catastrophe.
-Wooooong!
I crossed through the rift burning with blue light.
With a sensation of my body floating—
“...Huh.”
The universe unfolded before my eyes.
Countless stars twinkled in the black darkness.
The Milky Way stretched out, as if splitting the universe in half.
A place where a river of starlight flowed.
‘So this is the Sanctuary.’
Overwhelmed by its beauty, Oh-jin looked around, his mouth agape without even realizing it.
I slowly walked along a path made of silver light.
Following the vast, silvery path upward, I came to a fork that split into several directions.
At the end of each path, temples of various shapes and forms could be seen.
‘It feels like looking at a tree made of the Milky Way.’
The sight felt like fruit hanging from the branches of a giant tree.
“…But how am I supposed to find Vega here?”
There were dozens of temples in sight. Where among them was I supposed to look for Vega?
As I stood there frowning, a passing Awakener spoke to me.
“Is this your first time in the Sanctuary?”
He was a young man with a friendly face, looking to be in his mid-to-late twenties.
“Ah, yes. It is. I came to see my Constellation, but I don't know where to go.”
“Haha. I got lost a lot at first, too. Come this way. I’ll show you where the map is.”
So there is a map.
Makes sense.
Without one, there'd be no way to find anything here.
“Here it is.”
The place he led me to had a large map that looked like a tourist guide.
‘Were there always this many Constellations?’
I saw many constellations I'd never seen before.
‘Let’s see. Vega’s place is…’
I scanned the map, looking for Lyra.
Although hundreds of constellations were drawn on it, finding Lyra wasn't difficult.
‘The highest point of the Sanctuary.’
Using the tree analogy, it was located at the very top.
‘Vega must be a really incredible Constellation.’
The only others at the same height as her were the other North Stars, like Polaris and Deneb.
“Did you find it?”
“Yes. I have to go up quite a ways.”
“…If you're going up that far.”
The young man's eyes widened.
“A-Are you perhaps an Awakener of the Zodiac?!”
He looked at me with eyes full of admiration.
I glanced over and confirmed that the constellations of the Zodiac were located just below Lyra.
*Pfft.*
I gave a slight smile and nodded.
“I was lucky.”
“Wow... so you’re really an Apostle of the Zodiac.”
His voice was filled with envy.
“The Zodiac?”
“Where?”
Did they hear the young man's voice?
I could hear the other Awakeners nearby whispering as they looked our way.
“Ugh... I’m so jealous.”
“If only I had a Zodiac constellation…”
Heated gazes mixed with admiration and jealousy focused on Oh-jin.
The Awakeners around the map were mostly novices visiting the Sanctuary for the first time, so they stared particularly intently.
Oh-jin calmly observed the gazes fixed on him before turning away.
“Well then, I should get going. Thank you for your help.”
“Ah, here’s my business card! If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me!”
As I turned to leave, the friendly-faced young man suddenly held out a business card.
I could feel his determination to somehow forge a connection with an Apostle of the Zodiac.
Oh-jin took the card and nodded.
‘The reputation of one’s constellation is definitely important.’
They come to you, practically bowing and scraping, without you having to do a thing. It couldn't be more convenient.
“Haha. I’ll contact you later, then.”
“Yes, sir!”
The young man replied at attention, like a newly transferred private.
At this point, it was getting hard to tell who had helped whom.
“Now then.”
Time to go meet my goddess.
Oh-jin slowly ascended the path made of a silvery haze.
“Sigh.”
“When will I ever get to go up that path?”
“Wake up, man. How are we ever going to get on the path to the Zodiac?”
The faint sound of the Awakeners' whispers reached him.
‘A Zodiac constellation.’
*Pfft.*
The corners of Oh-jin's mouth lifted as he walked on.
Past the Zodiac.
Toward the temple of Vega.
***
[You’ve come.]
As I entered the silver temple at the apex of the Sanctuary, a beautiful voice echoed in my mind.
An empty temple, with no religious symbols, ornate murals, or patterns.
Inside—a goddess with brilliant silver hair was floating.
“I missed you, Vega!”
I approached her with a bright smile, then,
“Ah.”
I flinched, my shoulders trembling, and stopped in my tracks.
“...I’m sorry.”
I lowered my head with a pained expression.
I bit my lip gently and clenched my fists.
[...It seems you haven't sorted out your feelings yet.]
Vega gave a bitter smile and slowly flew through the air toward him.
The memories of a future that didn't exist for her.
Seeing the regressor suffering from the gap between those memories and reality, her heart grew heavy.
[I am not the woman you remember.]
“...No.”
Oh-jin shook his head, a gentle smile on his face.
“The Vega in my memories—was always as beautiful as you are now.”
[Ahem. You're saying embarrassing things again.]
Vega cleared her throat, *ahem*, and turned her head away.
[Flattering me like that won't get you anything.]
I could see her jewel-like golden eyes trembling faintly.
‘A good start, at least.’
My stomach was churning so much it felt like the calorie bar I ate this morning was about to come back up, but it seems to have worked.
[Be that as it may.]
She hurriedly changed the subject and placed a hand over Oh-jin's left chest.
[To reach 2-star in just a week... Truly, you are the Star of Revolution.]
Oh-jin shrugged and replied nonchalantly.
“It’s something I’ve done before.”
[Huhu. Now that you mention it, that's true.]
Vega nodded with a satisfied smile.
[So, first, I would like to hear in detail about the future you know. To help you, I must also know what is to come, mustn't I?]
“......”
Shit.
The moment of truth has finally arrived.
*Gulp.* Swallowing dryly, I slowly began the story I had prepared.
“In the near future... a being called the Heavenly Demon will appear.”
[Heavenly Demon?]
“Yes.”
It was a title I'd roughly come up with based on Vega's words, 'The one who possesses Black Heaven will destroy the world'.
A demon with Black Heaven, so Heavenly Demon.
It was an incredibly simple title, but lies work best when they're simple and easy to understand.
‘There’s no way he was actually called the Heavenly Demon.’
Heavenly Demon.
It's not some B-grade martial arts novel. Who would use a title like that?
[Then are you saying this Heavenly Demon possesses Black Heaven?]
“That’s right. However…”
*Haaa.*
I took a deep breath.
“The Heavenly Demon thoroughly concealed his identity, so his face, his name, and even whether he was human or not were unknown.”
[Are you saying that even you, a regressor, don't know?]
“Yes. I tried to find out until the very moment I regressed, but I failed in the end.”
[Hmm?]
Vega tilted her head, as if she couldn't understand.
[If you used the 'Star's Pact' to return to the past, it must mean you killed the master of Black Heaven... You couldn't even confirm his face after he died?]
“What?”
What the fuck is the Star's Pact?