Second Incarnation - (1)
A summoning circle for a constellation's descent, laden with countless materials. A red flash sparked there, and then—an explosion.
The ritual circle, drawn in red dye, shattered into pieces. The gathered materials heated up and burst apart.
Crackle.BOOM!!!
"Kyaaak!!!"
"Wh-what?!!"
The avatars scrambled to respond to the explosion sweeping every direction. Protective barriers sprang up here and there. The witch's stunned face froze in shock.
"Y-Yuna! Are you okay?!"
Was Yuna, off to one side of the ritual circle, alright? The blast seemed to start when the materials clumped together. I prayed my apostle—closer than anyone—was unharmed.
[Constellation, Whispering Star Cluster worries for the safety of their first apostle.]
"Cough! Yeah, I'm fine. Just... my clothes got a bit torn."
Yuna emerged, brushing off the dust, looking like a ragged beggar. Fortunately, she'd channeled Cosmic Power—no injuries marred her body. But her clothes were shredded from the shoulders, navel, sides, and even near her chest by the blast.
The witch panicked and blurted out urgently.
"Oh no. Please don't demand compensation for damages..."
"More importantly, do you have any spare clothes? Even if it's just us girls, this is kinda embarrassing."
"Rita, get some clothes for the customer!"
They cleared the ruined materials, offering Yuna a regeneration ampoule and protective suit amid the frantic cleanup. Watching them jogged my memory of the incident.
"We're truly sorry. We must have made a mistake somewhere. Um... could we try again?"
"...What about the cost?"
"We'll cover all material and service fees!"
I'd sent the minimal ritual through the established channel—small enough that it should've manifested perfectly. Yet at the final step, my fragment burst apart. It felt like... pressing a finger on what I thought was solid rock, only for it to crumble like tofu.
Were the materials insufficient to contain even a part of me? Or was it the witch's incompetence?
[Constellation, Whispering Star Cluster breathes a sigh of relief at their first apostle's safety.]
"My lord constellation... m-my clothes... ugh, don't look..."
Her exposed skin embarrassed her; she covered her flushed face with both hands. At least she seemed uninjured—small mercies.
* * *
Crackle.BOOM!!!
"Kyaaak!"
"Yuna apostle? Let's swap the arrangement and try once more. Running mana in reverse should work."
Failure.
Crackle.BOOM!!!
"Hah!"
"C-customer. It seems there's a material incompatible with your constellation's true body. Just one more time..."
Failure again.
Crackle.BOOM!!!
"What's the problem this time?"
"......"
Was this the eighth failure? The initial blast had everyone panicking, but now they handled it routinely. Barriers everywhere, everyone braced—no injuries, thankfully.
Yuna eyed the witch with weary annoyance. The witch, suddenly suspected as a fraudulent hack, averted her gaze awkwardly.
"Th-this shouldn't be happening..."
"Mu-Rakrima recommended you. Are you really an expert?"
"Of course! I've crafted temporary bodies for constellations six times! That puts me among the top mage avatars in this star system!"
"Then why does it keep exploding? Even the planetary officials came by."
"......"
This felt like my fault. Should I tell Yuna? Less the witch's skill, more the scale of my consciousness.
[Constellation, Whispering Star Cluster says it seems to be their own fault.]
"Eh? But my lord, she claims to be one of the top mage avatars in the star system."
Even a top galactic mage might struggle. The black witch probably knew it was my issue but hesitated to blame a constellation—blasphemy, perhaps.
Time to stop. I needed a way to scale down my consciousness.
"Customer, is your constellation's true body far beyond star-system scale? Or does it wield power stronger than typical Planet Spirits?"
"Well... our lord is pretty amazing, yeah."
"Then we need not just standard goods, but heaps of the priciest, rarest premium materials. And more apostles contracted to your constellation... hmm."
More credits, materials, apostles. But instinct said even that wouldn't suffice. Probably my poor power control.
That dimension's Outer God handled it flawlessly—even crafting AI informants. With effort, maybe I could too.
[Constellation, Whispering Star Cluster says let's call it a day.]
"My lord says we're done for now."
"Yuna, customer."
"Yes?"
"Though we failed today, next time I'll surely summon your constellation with my own hands..."
Repeated failures ignited the black witch's scholarly zeal. Watching Yuna brush her off, I closed my eyes—my senses.
Since becoming this, my humanity faded bit by bit. To preserve it, I had to lower my "gaze." Not from an absolute being who saw galaxies as dust, but a mortal's view.
But material descent was impossible now. I needed to master controlling my power.
Compress galaxies. Fuse stars. Carve out a fragment of consciousness, infuse a tiny space. Practice relentlessly.
"My lord? Are you busy now?"
Until I could match eyes with apostles reaching out to me.
* * *
Yuna, who'd come to perform the descent ritual for her other-dimensional constellation, departed. Black witch Selene Arcana let out a small sigh.
"Um, Selene ma'am. Should we clean this up?"
"Huh? Why? It's traces of a failed other-dimensional constellation descent—obviously for research."
"But all the materials are ruined."
"That's why we research it. Hurry—cast preservation spells before the traces fade."
Selene, top mage avatar in the TRS-1095 star system, hadn't lied to Yuna. Her contracted constellation was classified Single Planet Restricted Spirit Body, but she'd clawed her way here through effort.
Contracted to a magic-specialized constellation, she'd toiled endlessly. Probing the knowledge bestowed, delving deeper... crafting temporary bodies, performing descents countless times.
But today's guest was something else.
[Constellation, Sword on the Ash Heap says maintaining a courteous demeanor was wise.]
"Hmm... even you think so, my lord?"
"Pardon?"
"Not you. That Yuna apostle from earlier—register her as VVIP."
"Y-yes?! VVIP?"
The clerk gaped. She'd hired her for decent magic talent, but the ditzy antics... fire her?
Selene masked the thought with a charming smile.
"Yes, VVIP. Her constellation seems extraordinary."
She knew other-dimensional constellations were at least Planet Spirits, able to scout dimensions.
But this level of descent difficulty meant one of two things.
First: the exalted immortal constellation rejecting the ritual themselves. Dismissed—Yuna said her lord ordered it.
Simple, then. The constellation's power was simply too vast. A human-made temporary body couldn't contain a transcendent's fragment.
The Super Galactic Empire Federation's classifications weren't absolute. Some Single Planet Restricted Spirit Bodies neared Planet Spirits like world trees; others ruled dozens of star systems, rated near Galaxy Spirits.
Selene had invested wisely. Impress this potential second Galaxy Spirit in the universe and her apostle? Gains awaited.
Even other-dimensional, they'd reward her. Maybe fulfill her secret wish someday.
But her happy imaginings met a veteran employee's lament.
"Selene ma'am, all merchandise materials are trashed. We'll have to close for a bit."
"Wha-what? Didn't we restock recently?"
"The circle exploded eight times."
"Why didn't you say something midway?!"
"You were so focused on the descent..."
Stubborn zeal to summon the constellation? Lean times ahead.
* * *
Splitting and infusing my consciousness wasn't easy. Time would solve it.
But I needed material descent soon. Immortal, yes—but my time wasn't infinite.
To preserve my waning humanity, mingle with mortals.
Hummm—
Galaxies compressed and fused at my will, repeatedly. Infuse mind. Burst. Remake. Infuse. Endless cycle.
Practicing nonstop, I also scanned other dimensions.
The black witch said: more materials, credits, apostles.
First apostle Yuna saw me as savior— she'd prioritize my descent. Credits and materials solvable gradually.
Then... time for a second apostle.