Chapter 159
Chapter 159
Chapter 159: Tartarus (2)
Translation: godtl
-Seriously... Is it for real that only one team arrived in the Transport Battle?
-Where did the other 100 go?
-Where else? Straight to the Styx, lol.
Out of 100 participants, only two made it to the Transport Battle.
The viewers erupted in awe at this overwhelming result—but that was all.
It didn't become much of a topic.
-Archmage Si-mun. What sheer audacity.
-Si-mun... I know you're strong, but Desperado is a bit......
-Those bastards are the real deal, bro.
-This guy had beef with Mogadam too?
-No idea. I've watched all his streams from the start. There's no way he's crossed paths with the Bomb Demon.
Instead, most viewers voiced their concerns.
And rightfully so.
Desperado.
This wasn't just any villain organization like the common street gangs—it was a group where every single member was a formidable force.
And now, Si-mun had provoked them.
Just like countless victims before him, his life could be in danger.
Especially since—
-Aren't Malic and Mogadam the kind even Rankers can't easily touch?
-Yeah, both are core members of Desperado, so they're practically Ranker-level.
-Not "Ranker-level"—they are Rankers. They're insanely strong.
-Seriously, why commit crimes when you're already at Ranker status?
-That's exactly why they do it. How fun must it be when no one can stop you?
-"No one can stop them," my ass. They still tiptoe around the major factions, lol.
-That's a compliment, though. It means they're ruthless and smart.
-You've been lowkey dickriding them this whole time. Are you in Desperado or something?
The core members of Desperado were each Rankers in their own right.
And now, two of them had been dragged into this.
No wonder everyone was worried for Si-mun.
And then—
"Hmm......"
The very subject of concern for over three million viewers—
One of Desperado's core members stroked his chin as he watched the unfolding scene on screen.
Then—
BANG!
"Fuck!"
A loud crash followed by a rough curse echoed through the room.
Shortly after—
"Oppa! Where are you?!"
A woman burst through a door plastered with all kinds of bones.
Perhaps because it was one of the few sources of light in the dim room—
"Oppa! Did you see that bastard's stream?"
She spotted Malic immediately and stormed toward him with agitated steps.
As she reached him, her eyes locked onto the screen in front of him.
"So you did see it? You watched everything, didn't you?"
"Yeah."
Despite having witnessed his sister's humiliation in real time—
His dry reply made Malina flinch for a moment.
But perhaps the sting of her recent disgrace was still too fresh—
"You watched it all, so why the hell are you acting like this?!"
Malina, failing to read her brother's mood—
Made the mistake of screaming with her veins bulging in her neck.
And she paid the price immediately.
THUD!
A heavy impact.
A skeletal fist erupted from the floor and slammed into her abdomen.
Malina didn't even have time to scream before she was sent flying—
CRASH!
"Ghk!"
—and smashed into the ground.
"Malina. Didn't I warn you last time? Stop dragging my name through the mud in the Arena."
A monotone voice dripped from his dry lips.
The lanky black man rose from his chair.
Malic stared down at his sister with eyes so cold it was hard to believe they were siblings.
"O-Oppa......"
He gazed at Malina writhing on the floor.
"Don't you realize the more you get beaten around, the more you're shitting on my reputation?"
"Oppa, I—!"
"Shut it."
SLAP!
Another skeletal hand shot up from the ground and struck her across the face.
Malina bit her lip hard, swallowing the scream that threatened to escape.
"You not only got humiliated after daring to mention me, but you dragged Mogadam into this too?"
Malic's voice, once flat, began to rise.
"Mogadam having a grudge against Kim Si-mun is an internal matter. That his disciple Jace Clark failed to assassinate Kim Si-mun is something only we know! And yet, you—!"
"I-I messed up! I was so angry I couldn't help it...... You saw it too, right? How that bastard treated me—"
"I said shut up!"
Malic's voice finally cracked.
Considering how rarely the gaunt, sinister-looking man ever showed emotion—
It was clear just how furious he was right now.
Malina hurriedly lowered her gaze and tightly sealed her lips.
"......"
Following the order, Malina remained silent, offering no response.
As his sister fell quiet, Malik roughly swept his hand over his forehead.
"Listen carefully. Mogadam's people will be here soon. They'll spew bullshit about organizational secrets being leaked and whatnot."
At those words, Malina's face turned deathly pale.
Malik clicked his tongue and continued.
"Still, I did get a good look at that bastard's ship and his peculiar undead, so I'll cover for you this once."
"Th-thank you, Oppa!"
Malina nodded fervently.
Malik didn't even glance at his sister.
'Kim Si-mun.......'
His eyes fixed on the handsome man on the screen.
'Forget the massive ship—what the hell are those undead warriors from Helheim? I've never seen undead like that before......'
Malik's frown deepened.
'Given how intact their forms are, they must be high-tier undead for sure.'
The colossal ship of death and the undead Si-mun had displayed.
That dim-witted sister of his hadn't grasped it properly, but any Necromancer above Diamond-rank would've noticed immediately.
These were undead unrecorded in any known Necromancy.
Especially—
'That old man, Hrymr, is the most suspicious. I can't even tell if he's alive or dead.'
The elderly man named Hrymr.
Despite his decrepit appearance, the way he commanded those ashen giants unsettled even Malik, a Ranker Necromancer.
Most crucially—
'That ability he displayed with just a single tap of his plain-looking cane......'
The old man who had nullified his sister's summoned creatures in one strike.
And even stirred the waters of the Styx into tidal waves.
Without any preparation or incantation.
Something even Malik himself couldn't achieve.
Therefore—
'It's hard to call it magic.'
This was no mere magical phenomenon.
Perhaps—
'It might be an Authority......'
Pfft.
Malik immediately let out a derisive laugh.
An Authority?
A power even he, backed by a Constellation, couldn't wield.
'Even if a famous Ranker used it, I'd find it hard to believe. And you're telling me some Platinum summon has an Authority?'
Of course, he wanted to keep all possibilities open, but the idea of an Authority was downright absurd.
Was that why?
'Fuck, I want it.'
The massive ship, the old man, even the ashen undead—everything Si-mun had summoned looked irresistibly tempting.
Soon after—
"Ah!"
Malik sighed softly and glanced back at his sister.
"Malina. Lord Quetzalcoatl is quite displeased with you."
Malina, already on the verge of tears, looked like she'd just been handed a death sentence.
"Lord Quetzalcoatl?! Why all of a sudden?"
"I don't know the details either. Seems like those undead you lost to might have some kind of oppositional relationship with Him."
"That can't be! W-wait! Now that I think about it! Those bastards—they acted like they knew about Lord Quetzalcoatl!"
"Whatever the case, lay low for a while and prepare offerings. There's a big operation coming up soon. If you screw that up too, even I won't be able to cover for you."
"O-of course! I'll prepare everything flawlessly!"
Malina clenched her fists and answered fervently.
'That's right. I still have human sacrifices!'
Her deathly pale face quickly regained color.
'Even if I just offer those worthless unawakened trash, I can grow stronger. Infinitely stronger!'
As long as she provided sacrifices.
She could summon as many of Quetzalcoatl's undead as she wanted.
Even higher-tier ones than she had now.
And once that happened—
'Kim Si-mun...... I'll steal every last one of your undead and make you die in the most agonizing way possible!'
She would repay him for every bit of humiliation and disgrace she'd suffered today.
Her burning gaze locked onto Si-mun's broadcast screen.
[The broadcast will now end due to special circumstances.]
Si-mun's broadcast abruptly cut off.
-The fuck is this?!
-Now they're straight-up ending the broadcast?
-Seriously, what's the reason this time?!
-No idea. Must've triggered some hidden piece again.
-Bang bang! Open the damn door!
Naturally, the chat exploded in outrage.
One comment stood out.
-The Arena admins shut it down. You really think they'll reopen it? Lol.
-This is hopeless.
-Wow...... 3.4 million viewers. And they're kicking all of us out?
-You think you're the only one pissed? Si-mun's gotta be the most pissed.
-For real lol. Wasn't this his highest-viewed stream ever?
-But you know this guy won't even bat an eye.
-22 Nah, Si-mun doesn't care about viewers or money anyway.
Since it was the Arena's decision to end the broadcast.
Viewers reluctantly began to leave, one by one.
Many viewers lingered, holding onto a faint hope.
Unfortunately.
Si-mun had no time to spare for his audience.
'Just how deep does this go?'
The descent toward Tartarus alongside the Naglfar showed no signs of stopping.
'It feels like I've fallen into some void. I can't see a damn thing.'
An abyss devoid of even a speck of light.
Whoooosh!
Only the eerie, underworld wind, fluttering his hair and clothes, reminded him that he was still falling through this darkness.
'Had I known it'd be like this, I wouldn't have entered. Then again, it's not like I had a choice.'
Letting out a small sigh, Si-mun recalled the moment before entering Tartarus.
The message asking if he wished to enter.
Before he could even respond—
'The entrance to Tartarus swallowed me whole.'
Hadn't this same pitch-black darkness already consumed him?
The only silver lining was that—
"Wahahaha! Tartarus, of all places!"
"Hoho... In all my long years, I never dared to even approach Tartarus..."
—it had also swallowed the Naglfar and its crew.
Hrymr, his aged robes fluttering, approached Si-mun with eyes brimming with emotion.
"Esteemed guest. Truly, I am grateful."
"Grateful?"
"For granting me such a precious experience."
"Ah."
Si-mun nodded slightly with a sigh.
'For some reason, those aligned with death see Tartarus as a kind of paradise.'
Or, in the terms of the living—something akin to heaven?
In his past life, high-ranking undead and death-related beings had all shared this longing for Tartarus.
Why? Si-mun didn't know.
Even in his past life, where the regular Arena had progressed significantly, no one truly understood.
'After all, Tartarus was a place no one in my past life ever set foot in.'
Beyond the occasional mention from those affiliated with death,
there had been no information about Tartarus whatsoever.
Hrymr wasn't the only one marveling.
[The five Constellations observing you express their awe.]
[The Constellation Hel gazes at you with reverence.]
From the five Constellation-ranked beings of the Pick of Kings,
to Hel, the Naglfar's master—
all the Constellations were in awe.
The only thing that puzzled Si-mun was—
'But I didn't even do anything...'
Entering Tartarus hadn't been his choice.
Again, before he could even respond to the entry message,
the entrance to Tartarus had swallowed him whole.
As that thought settled—
'Right. Come to think of it, something in my inventory was resonating, wasn't it?'
Remembering that this whole ordeal had started from his inventory, Si-mun hurriedly opened it.
Huuuung.
As if declaring itself the culprit,
an item boldly announced its presence.
Si-mun immediately pulled it out.
[Mark of Death]
Grade:?
An item gifted to Player Kim Si-mun by the Constellations of death.
It carries the favor of death.
The description was so simple it was almost baffling—an item whose very purpose was unclear.
Matching its bare-bones info window, it took the form of a small skull, like an accessory.
'This was the reward for clearing that mission in the Black Smeltery.'
Just as the description said, the Constellations of death had given it to him as a reward—so why was it now pulsing with such intensity?
Was Si-mun the only one who didn't understand its value?
"Ah—no! That is—?!"
Beside him, Hrymr's eyes widened as if they might tear.
Then—
UUUUUUNG!!
The Mark of Death let out an even fiercer resonance.
The wind that had signaled their descent,
the hair and clothes fluttering in it—
Snap.
All vanished as if it had been a lie.
No—more accurately, they stopped.
Then—
"Ugh!"
Si-mun's eyes clenched shut.
A sudden force yanked him and the Naglfar downward.
When he finally managed to open his eyes again—
"My god..."
Si-mun couldn't help but be stunned.
Night.
No—closer to space.
The pitch-black darkness that had shown not a single speck of light was gone.
Countless stars of varying sizes shimmered brilliantly beyond measure, and celestial bodies presumed to be planets announced their presence throughout the expanse.
It was a sight so vast that words like "immense" or "boundless" could scarcely do it justice.
Then, into Si-mun's ears—
"Hoho. So this is why so many fragments of death gathered, even writing contracts to unite as one."
A voice so sweet it could make one's eyes close involuntarily.
Turning his head, he saw—
A woman whose long hair seemed to contain hundreds, thousands of galaxies within it, as if entire star systems had been woven into her strands.
At the same time—
[The Constellation Heavenly Demon, Odin, and Baal widen their eyes in shock.]
[The Constellation Zeus lets out a startled cry.]
The astonished reactions of the Constellations flickered through his mind.
As if sensing their shock, the woman with galaxies in her hair turned precisely toward where their reactions had manifested.
"So it wasn't just death that gathered here? Well..."
Then, slowly—
Her gaze shifted toward Si-mun.
"If even his gaze has fallen upon someone, it's no wonder everyone's taken notice."
The moment their eyes met—
"Ugh!"
Si-mun staggered.
The woman hadn't done anything.
'This woman... her body contains a universe...!'
A black hole—
No, it was as if the cosmos itself raced through her at light speed.
The sensation of being instantly sucked into the vastness of space left his mind reeling.
"Oh dear. How inconsiderate of me."
She offered an awkward smile, and as if that were a signal—
"Haa..."
His scattered consciousness snapped back into place.
"My apologies. It's my first time dealing with a mortal."
She grinned.
Then—
Kugugugugugugugugugu—
The space referred to as a galaxy trembled violently.
And in response—
Kwaduduk!
A grotesque sound of flesh tearing echoed.
It wasn't an illusion.
From one corner of this vast expanse—
Gga-deuk!
Gga-deuk!
Mysterious dark-purple tentacles writhed, distorting space as they stretched outward in all directions.
And from within that rift—
"Don't you dare lay a hand on my child."
A voice so maddening it could drive an ordinary person insane—
Yet to Si-mun, it was the sweetest, most comforting sound imaginable.
He instantly recognized its owner.
'Black Goat?'
Having already met the Black Goat once before, he was certain.
But even in the face of the Great Mother of the Void's sudden appearance—
"Long time no see, Shuni. Have you been well?"
Far from being intimidated, the woman's eyes sparkled with delight.
"You wretch! How many times must I tell you not to call me that?!"
The Black Goat's furious roar shook the entire space, yet—
"So prickly. It's endearing, don't you think?"
The woman didn't so much as blink.
As if she'd experienced this situation countless times before.
"Tch. Damn woman."
The Black Goat clicked her tongue in irritation but refrained from further outbursts.
"Hoho. I must admit, out of all of them, you surprised me the most. I never expected you to set foot here."
"None of your business."
The Black Goat's reply was curt, but the woman merely smiled warmly before turning her gaze back to Si-mun.
"Well, seeing you in person, I can understand why you're so taken with him. He truly exceeds expectations, doesn't he?"
"Don't get any ideas. I'll kill you."
"Hoho. Why would I interfere when I'm not even a participant? Still..."
Her smile deepened as she observed Si-mun.
"With so many familiar faces taking such an interest, it's hard not to be curious myself. Speaking of which—Zeus?"
[The Constellation Zeus flinches.]
"Even Shuni came all this way. Do you plan to just sit there? My, how your manners have deteriorated in my absence."
The moment her words ended—
Pazuzuzuk—
A violent surge of lightning erupted from one corner of the cosmic space, stretching outward until it took the form of a long, white beard.
"Ahem! W-Well met."
"Hoho. Indeed. I'd love to greet the other three as well, but..."
Her gaze turned toward the void.
"They seem too terrified to even show their faces. What a riot. Return Kim Si-mun at once."
"Wait—you summoned my child without following protocol?!"
"I kept up appearances. I merely exploited a loophole in those fools' system."
Her words made Si-mun realize why the message had sent him to Tartarus without permission.
'So even that message asking if I wanted to enter... she manipulated all of it.'
All because she had taken an interest in the Token of Death in his inventory.
At this point, rather than wondering why this woman—who seemed to know all the higher-ranked Constellations—had summoned him, he found himself more curious about her very existence.
And since she didn't appear to harbor any ill will toward him—
"If it's not too forward... may I ask who you are?"
Without hesitation, Si-mun asked the woman for her name.
"What's so surprising?"
"Oho-ho!"
For a moment, the woman's eyes widened in circles before she burst into cheerful laughter.
"My apologies. It's just that you're the first person who doesn't recognize me, so I couldn't help but laugh."
She offered a brief apology before answering.
"I am Nyx. Mortals... yes, they call me the Goddess of Night."