The Ennead's Gaze

Even after returning to Korea, there was no time to rest.

I resumed climbing the Tower that I had been putting off until now.

“Master, this time I’m going all out!”

“Weren’t you going all out before?”

I never skipped training so I could coordinate with my guild members.

The guild members’ skills had improved over the past month.

In particular, Ping Lei and Lee Jiyoung’s abilities had advanced by leaps and bounds.

They combined their blessings with their unique abilities and freely manipulated far sturdier barriers.

Ping Lei was no different. His clones had grown to the point where they could even use basic Seon magic.

“Master, you won’t be able to block this…… Kugh!”

What nonsense.

I had corroded my metal-reflective armor with the Blessing of Greed and layered Dark Aura over it, so there was no need to defend separately. If he wanted to face me, he should aim for one powerful strike instead of petty checks, yet he still didn’t understand that.

Lee Jiyoung’s barrier held out for quite a while too.

……

The moment I unleashed the techniques in succession, the barrier shattered instantly.

“Master, did you eat some kind of elixir while you were gone?”

Lee Jiyoung shook her head with a pale expression.

Elixir, my ass.

Over the past month I had only been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠busy dismantling two drug cartels. Aside from the Wildfire Hearths, I hadn’t devoured any essences at all.

“Still, you’ve both grown noticeably ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stronger.”

Both of them were properly benefiting from their constellations.

Thomas added a remark.

“Master, perhaps it’s time to start arranging contracts with patron constellations for the other guild members as well.”

“We should.”

“Do you have any particular constellations in mind……?”

“Come on, patron contracts don’t work according to my whims. The constellation has to take an interest first.”

Enrique, who had been watching the training, suddenly cut in.

“Uncle, I’m pretty popular with the constellations myself, you know?”

Enrique shouted as if he were indignant.

Considering his appearance before the regression, that was only natural.

Instead of agreeing, I shook my head and opened my mouth.

“Anything below S-rank is out of the question.”

Enrique’s personality was built on arrogance.

He was talented, but if I pampered him too much he would get full of himself again. I had to keep him in check from time to time.

“Ugh, at least acknowledge up to A-rank!”

“Even A-rank probably won’t be enough.”

“The Seed of War, the Potter’s Guardian, the Hearth’s Keeper, and the Lord of the Volcano are all watching me.”

Oh? Quite a few.

The constellations observing Enrique all happened to be related to blacksmithing.

The Seed of War was Tubal-Cain, who first forged iron tools.

The Potter’s Guardian was the Furnace True Lord, a constellation known from Taoist mythology.

Both were famous for showing little interest in players, yet Enrique seemed to be an exception.

And among the constellations Enrique mentioned was one I had been waiting for.

“Contract with the Lord of the Volcano.”

“Can I decide right away?”

“Hephaestus is one of the Twelve Olympians. There’s no better constellation than that.”

Hephaestus, or Vulcanus.

One of the Twelve Olympians, disciple of the Old God Cyclops, and the powerful constellation who forged countless weapons for the Olympian gods.

“Hephaestus……”

Enrique’s voice was filled with disappointment.

“Why? Are you disappointed?”

“There are so many cooler constellations. Why do I have to contract with a blacksmith?”

“All the other constellations watching you are blacksmiths too.”

“Eek.”

“If you want to bring out your abilities to their fullest, contracting with a blacksmith constellation is best.”

Enrique’s unique ability, Mechanic Control, had excellent compatibility with blacksmith constellations.

Before the regression, when Enrique was called the Machine Lord, he had contracted with the A-rank constellation [Hearth’s Keeper], Kabe.

If he took Hephaestus as his patron, he might become even stronger than in his previous life.

“Fine.”

Enrique still looked displeased.

Greedy brat.

If he just listened to me, he would get everything handed to him on a silver platter.

Youngsoo and Karla still didn’t have suitable constellations attached to them.

“You two just wait a little longer. I’ll find you decent constellations.”

“I’ll trust you.”

“If the Guild Master says so, it must be right.”

Both of them accepted my words without complaint.

Just like with Ping Lei, I would bring them good constellations, so they only needed to wait a bit.

Meanwhile, the Black Market had quickly completed my request.

“Here is the data.”

Young handed over a USB drive.

Thanks to the neatly organized information, I could easily compare it with my knowledge from before the regression.

“It’s definitely gotten faster.”

Before the regression, Earth hadn’t received much attention.

Even when the dimensional competition had just begun, the number of players who had contracted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with constellations was barely one percent.

That one percent included those who contracted with the countless C-rank constellations overflowing in the Pantheon.

Yet now that figure had reached three percent.

The number of constellations watching Earth had increased.

The one who created this turning point was……

“Obviously me.”

I muttered to myself in a low voice, half sighing.

Less than a year had passed since I turned back time, yet the butterfly effect had come crashing down like a gale.

The flow of history I had experienced in the first round was beginning to change.

If things continued like this, the time when I could no longer use my knowledge from before the regression would arrive quickly.

But.

“That’s actually a good thing.”

I thought positively.

There was no reason to fear an uncontrollable flow of change.

The fact that constellations were taking interest in Earth would soon lead to qualitative improvement among the players.

If we could compete with players from other dimensions beyond the 60th floor without falling behind, it would be possible to prevent the Age of Destruction from arriving.

Now was the time to think about how to utilize the changing currents of the world.

A few days later.

The promotion match season that came every month on the 10th had arrived.

When I lightly shook my phone, the other guild members made the same gesture.

Everyone except Shin Junseok, Hong Yunsu, and Thomas—who had already surpassed the relevant rank—would participate in this promotion match.

“Everyone ready?”

“Yes!”

The guild members answered with sharp spirit.

—Huhu, how reassuring.

“This time it’ll be difficult.”

—What will?

“Losing.”

—Arrogance invites defeat, but with such a large gap in strength, I suppose it can’t be helped.

After glancing at the sighing Nyx, I pressed the connection button.

The scenery distorted.

When I closed and opened my eyes, the island I had seen two months ago came into view.

Ping Lei puffed out his chest.

“How about we crush them in one go?”

“Leave them breathing.”

“That doesn’t sound like you, Master.”

“Doesn’t sound like me? Don’t do that to people who bet their lives on essences.”

— How strange. Have you not already devoured the essence of the War Golem?

Nyx asked in a puzzled voice.

“Don’t you remember? On the 1st floor, the goblins’ essences were treated separately.”

— Oh, there was such a thing. I remember now.

“Because the floors are different, even the same War Golem gives a different essence.”

I had to devour every possible essence I could.

Messages from constellations poured in.

These were constellations with unfamiliar auras I had never seen before.

— You are truly popular.

“Popular, my ass.”

I furrowed my brows.

Both the One Who Rules Death and the Watcher with the Eyes of a Hawk belonged to the Ennead.

The Ennead referred to the chief gods of Egyptian mythology, just like the Twelve Olympians.

The two constellations observing me radiated an S-rank presence.

That was only natural.

“Osiris, and Horus.”

The One Who Rules Death was Osiris, god of the underworld.

The Watcher with the Eyes of a Hawk was Horus, son of Osiris and leader of the Ennead.

Two constellations with status comparable to Zeus.

The only god-king level being in the Ennead was the sun god Ra, but since he rarely involved himself in external affairs, these two represented the Ennead.

This didn’t feel right.

“Let’s go take a look at the Egyptian team’s faces first.”

Leading the group, I moved toward the factory located in the middle of the island.

A basin surrounded by low mountains.

Players from the opposing side were already positioned near the factory.

“Master, those are mummies, right?”

Lee Jiyoung pointed at the horde of undead beyond the hill.

Hundreds of the dead.

Undead wrapped head to toe in bandages—mummies.

“On the 30th floor it was Zeus. This time it’s constellations from Egypt.”

Whether my luck was good or bad.

I never expected to face opponents watched by chief-god level constellations while still in Silver rank.

This too must be a butterfly effect caused by the regression.

“Master, these opponents don’t look ordinary.”

“I already crushed Zeus’s contractor. This much is nothing.”

Our side also had no shortage of people backed by chief-god level constellations.

Sun Wukong, Hephaestus, and Athena.

Though they didn’t reach the level of the ‘god-kings’ who represented each mythology, they were all powerful constellations.

And that wasn’t all.

— Huhu, with me here, what is there to worry about?

Even Nyx, who had reached the realm of conceptual gods despite having lost her power, was with us.

“Let’s show them the true strength of the Yeokcheon Guild.”

Smiling faintly, I stepped forward.