3.

From the depths of the Colosseum, now shrouded in silence, I hummed leisurely.

“You kept calling me ‘young child, human,’ emphasizing it as if to mark a distinction. It turned out to be poison for you. You are a Constellation, and I am merely a human. It seems you were unconsciously trying to plant that perception… But, I’m a man with too little oil to be fried with mere wordplay.” (ED: a man with too little oil to be fried = basically means someone who is not easy to fool)

“You.”

A terrifying sound echoed from Mutia’s teeth.

“What difference does it make for someone like you to take the end of a constellation!? Without even having a power, how dare you,”

“A lot has changed.”

That wasn’t my voice.

“Sorry, but I have to keep the contract.”

It wasn’t the voice of any of the two hundred Apostles lying in the Colosseum, nor was it Bae Hu-ryeong’s, or Fox’s. And, of course, it wasn’t Mutia’s either.

I furrowed my brows.

‘…I’ve heard it somewhere.’

I couldn’t immediately recall.

On the other hand, Mutia seemed to instantly know who the owner of the voice was.

“Magician…”

Looking up at the sky, the golden Constellation ground its teeth.

“It’s not over yet! The time for the preemptive strike I requested, it’s still valid!”

“The validity was not determined by [time]. You know, I know, and all the high-ranking people of the tower know, So-ssi, if you start playing with time, there’s no end to it.”

Above.

Looking up from the underground, the sky seemed circularly cut open.

In the middle of that, a person wearing loose-fitting clothes floated, looking down at us.

“Your surprise attack is recognized only as long as [the Death King is unaware of his ascension]. Now that he is aware of becoming a Constellation, there’s no more advantage for you to enjoy.”

The owner of the voice was holding an abnormally long, thin staff. Held lightly with the middle, ring, and little fingers.

A magician, perhaps?

The staff seemed fragile enough to break with a mere flick, but the magician skillfully stirred it.

[The sixth pillar. ‘The Wand Of Ages’ manifests.]

Ah.

After hearing the message, I realized where I had heard that voice.

The same existence as [The Lady Who Walks the Mirage]. The ones who manage this tower and convene meetings to discuss issues when problems arise. One of the six subordinates of the Tower Master. A pillar.

“Hmm.”

The magician slightly turned his head to meet my gaze.

“It’s been a while, trickster.”

“…Trickster? Are you talking about me?”

“From the beginnings, you’ve been convening us with your tricky schemes. Trickster, because you are cunning. I insult you, and it feels good, and you, surprisingly, might feel good being insulted in such a cute pronunciation? It’s a win-win, mutually beneficial communication.”

“What? Uh? No….”

I don’t think I have such tastes.

“There’s quite a lot I have to discuss with you.”

The [Staff] muttered.

With a voice as loose as a pencil without lead.

Without any hostility or malice, merely indifferent as time itself or as bland as water, the [Staff] spoke.

“But before that, let me do what I must.”

The [Staff]’s staff lightly touched the void.

Crack-crack-crack-

It was then the sky cracked like a glass pane.

“No!”

Mutia screamed.

“I cannot accept this! I object to the contract! Call a meeting! Open a discussion! I, [The Ox that Harvests Ruins], request to immediately raise an agenda for discussion on this matter—-.”

“Rejected.”

Crack-crack-crack!

“Already, we’ve allowed too many disadvantages to a child who has just ascended. Mutia. Hishmith Kritz. Because of your requests.”

The sky, once dyed red, shattered loudly. The void fragmented into billions of pieces, scattering everywhere. Just as the wind blew, swirling the red fragments, it seemed as if the sky was bleeding.

[The power of ‘The Ox that Harvests Ruins’ is suspended.]

[The ‘Time Chains’ that were forcibly fixing your growth are released!]

Once more, the sky shed its skin.

[The power of ‘The Eye Living in the Labyrinth’ is suspended.]

[The ‘Information Distortion’ that was blocking some messages to you is released!]

The peeled sky was a black infinity.

Without the sun, the crescent moon, or the Milky Way, only the pitch-black darkness opened its maw there.

In the dark heavens, a serpent covered in blue scales was hiding.

“Damn it!”

Ssshhh.

Like waves on the night sea, the dark blue scales rippled.

The snake was huge enough to occupy a corner of the sky, and in a sky without the Milky Way, it alone was enough to unfold a sea.

“I knew this would happen!”

The serpent’s eyes were triangular.

Unlike humans, who have white sclera with pupils, the giant snake shone with bright blue pupils on black sclera.

“I thought there was a chance if I struck before you were fully awakened as a Constellation! It was my mistake to fall for the words of that bullheaded brat!”

-This is getting interesting. It’s Hishmith Kritz.

Bae Hu-ryeong twisted his lips and crossed his arms.

-Your alias is [The Eye Living in the Labyrinth]. A Constellation that governs information distortion, manipulation, exposure, puzzles, contradictions, mazes, and secrets. You pretended to be interested in this zombie, but it was all fake, huh?

“Aha….”

Only then did I realize the truth behind this battle.

“So, two Constellations conspired to attack me? Before I became stronger than I am now. You seized the opportunity when I hadn’t yet awakened to the powers and authority of a Constellation, to break me in one fell swoop.”

In the pitch-black night without moonlight, feeling regretful, I drew a crescent moon with my lips.

“One controls time. The other controls information. Thanks to the two of you working together, I couldn’t even hear the message that I had become a Constellation. A perfect combination.”

“……Grk!”

The serpent with inverted eyes bared its fangs. Its eyes turned upside down, pouring out a terrifying glare, sharply observing Mutia.

“It was your arrogant assurance that led to this mess, so deal with it yourself!”

“What.”

“I know nothing about it!”

Bluish flames wrapped around the snake’s body.

[‘The Eye Living in the Labyrinth’ flees to its own world!]

Literally, it coiled its tail and ran away.

“You, foolish thing!!”

Left alone underground, Mutia spat blood from his mouth and shouted.

“If I am subdued, the next target will be you! It’s your turn! Whether we become friends or foes, we should have settled it here. Do you think running away will let you live even six more days? Do you think you’ll enjoy your power even a day longer? You, an idiot who won’t be any better off dead!”

“Well, I’ll just take a day off and then go up.”

“…….”

Mutia was at a loss for words.

I smiled brightly.

“If a day seems too harsh, how about I take a full week off? After all, you two formed an alliance just to catch me. It would be bad if you fell out over this. I’ll consider your feelings and not make you feel neglected.”

“Ugh…….”

“Whatever the reason you two banded together to attack me might be, I’ll find out eventually… Hmm. I’ll find out later.”

Even if you don’t tell me, capturing [The Eye Living in the Labyrinth] and dealing with it will suffice.

That was what I meant, and it seemed Mutia understood it as such. The hammers in his hands hesitated.

“Surrender.”

“…….”

“I won’t say that I’ll accept your surrender without any punishment. I will claim what needs to be claimed. However, I promise not to double the weight of the punishment out of spite for ambushing me while blocking my sight and hearing.”

Hesitation flickered in Mutia’s eyes.

Mutia, who had prepared five or six strategies just to capture me, now truly had no cards left to play. With [The Eye Living in the Labyrinth] abandoning her and fleeing, Mutia had few choices left. My suggestion of surrender had narrowed those few choices down to one.

“……What do you, want?”

“Hand over the identity of Sylvia Evanail, the Lady of the Golden Silk, to me completely.”

I started with the most obvious condition.

“Never claim ownership over Sylvia again. Do not contest the fact that Sylvia belongs to my family.”

“…….”

Mutia’s lips quivered. Yes, no, neither answer came out. We both knew this was just the first request.

“……And?”

“You must also assist in capturing [The Eye Living in the Labyrinth]. Where does that Constellation reside? How can we break through easily? Release all the information you have.”

Still, Mutia’s lips did not utter either affirmation or denial.

Because the second demand was too easy.

Hishmith Kritz had betrayed Mutia first. Is there anything easier in the world than betraying someone who has betrayed you? Precisely because it was such an easy request, Mutia must have guessed that there were still heavier conditions to come.

“Is there, more?”

“Kneel.”

“…….”

“In front of the Apostles, make it clear that I am stronger than you, that I have defeated you, that you have surrendered to me.”

Drip.

Blood flowed from Mutia’s mouth.

It wasn’t from biting his lips. His teeth had crushed against each other so powerfully, so intensely, that the gums could not bear it, causing wounds to open between the canines and molars.

“Constellations like you have aesthetics.”

I continued speaking.

“Or laws. A kind of self-discipline. The excuses like ‘I may be kneeling with my body, but my heart remains steadfast’ that ordinary humans might use don’t work here.”

It’s similar to pride but also different.

A Constellation is an entity made of power. Perhaps power is the very reason for a Constellation’s existence.

Like the core for humans.

For me, who possesses a regression skill, Mutia, [The Constellation of Regression], kneeling is like a general admitting defeat to another general, a musician conceding to another musician, acknowledging my superiority within the same realm.

Could Bae Hu-ryeong ever kneel to another swordsman?

After kneeling, could Bae Hu-ryeong still claim to be the supreme swordsman of all ages?

The condition I imposed on Mutia was laden with the weight of gold.

“If you do not accept.”

And it also carried the precise weight of a life.

“I will take the remaining horn you have left.”

“…….”

“I’ll give you 3 minutes.”

3 minutes passed.

A silence like death stagnated at the bottom of hell.

About 160 seconds in, the only sound that rang out made the silence even more ghastly.

[‘The Ox that Harvests Ruins’ activates its power.]

[‘A Music Box Only for You’ activates its power.]

I knew what Mutia had attempted.

He tried to stop time.

Mutia couldn’t gather his thoughts within 180 seconds. He lacked time. He needed the leisure to ponder. He tried to forcibly extend the unpermitted time, and it was thwarted by Fox~nim.

“…….”

And so.

“……I, Mutia.”

An unresolved heart leaked out of Mutia’s hands.

“The Ox that Harvests Ruins.”

Kwoong.

A crack formed where Mutia kneeled, and holes were dug in the ground following the pattern of his five fingers.

“to the Death King,”

Blood dropped.

The blood that flowed from his mouth, down his jawline, and dripped, dripped, seeped into the holes dug by Mutia’s fingers.

“To the sky that gathers screams…, I, surrender.”

I nodded.

“Yes.”

I looked down at the Constellation pressing its forehead to the ground.

“Then I will ask. Mutia.”

“Why did you conspire with Hishmith Kritz to attack me?”

There was a moment of silence.

As the fingers dug deeper holes and more blood flowed into them, making the ground redder, Mutia opened his mouth.

“You, have a connection with us.”

“We met for the first time today.”

“However, from your beginning, it can be said that we have been entangled.”

I tilted my head.

“Why is that?”

“[The Returner’s Clockwork Watch].”

Mutia answered.

With words I hadn’t anticipated at all.

“The very skill of regression you possess was created by none other than me and Hishmith Kritz.”

*****