Chapter 428: Star, Taurus (3)


    Now that Chang-Sun thought about it, the answer was actually very simple and natural.


    <em>It was strange.</em>


    The suspicious circumstances surrounding Bel-Marduk, Chang-Suns mysterious transfer to the <Underworld>... everything happened just so he could return from the dead.


    Ive always found it odd that everything worked out in my favor. I wondered if they were all coincidences, but no matter how hard I tried to reason otherwise, they simply werent. Chang-Sun coldly looked down at Bel-Marduk, who had covered up most of the sky.


    <em>Thud. Thuuuuud.</em>


    Chang-Sun could sensebat underway all over the battlefield. Nevertheless, his expression didnt change. Then I reached a conclusion.


    <strong><em>Hahaha</em>! Did you now?</strong>


    Bel-Marduk burst intoughter, causing clouds to dissipate and the ground to shake precariously. His eyes, which were bigger than Chang-Sun, curved as he grinned, seemingly finding Chang-Sun funny.


    Chang-Sun looked at his reflection in Bel-Marduks eyes. Bel-Marduk didnt confirm his spection, but he didnt deny it either. However, Chang-Sun knew that he should take Bel-Marduks behavior as a form of confirmation.


    Despite their countless encounters, Chang-Sun had never seen Bel-Marduks true face before. During what few direct battles they had, Bel-Marduk always fought in his enormous form, like he was doing right now, or shrouded himself with a pool of light. Either way, he always seemed to be hiding his appearance on purpose.


    Youre trying to be an Emperor, arent you?


    Bel-Marduks eyebrows flinched at the mention of the word Emperor. Such was the words significance. Celestials ruled Worldlines, <Stars> could freely travel between Worldlines, and Beasts led Worldlines into <Extinction>. Free from samsarathe cycle of mortalsthose three became known as transcendental beings.


    Moreover, every now and then, supreme beingsindividuals destined to be rulers-were born. Mortals thought transcendental and supreme beings were from a whole different world that no mortal could reach, but even those beings thought of themselves as halfwits. After all, despite havingpleted their <Transcendence>, they still werent free from thew of casualty. There were beings far superior to them.


    Emperors, they were called. Having broken free from even thew of causality, Emperors obtained true freedom, bingplete and wless. Nothing was capable of damaging them, allowing them to reign as the rulers of Worldlines and the Great Universe.


    <Supreme Light>. <Dull Darkness>. <Deus Ex Machina>. <First Star>. <First Beast>...With less than ten Emperors over the infinite number of parallel universes and multiverses, they were unchallengeable.


    Emperors areplete and wless. They are the only version of themselves across the infinite Worldlines, Chang-Sun said.


    Chang-Sun had already met an Emperor<Deus Ex Machina>, the Machine God and Mediator of space and thew of casualty. He was the reason Worldlines could properly function.


    <em>My Divine Name is <Deus Ex Machina>, but biologically speaking, I am the son of Saturn and Ops. I am also Ye-Euns older brother, <Deus Ex Machina> had told Chang-Sun back then. </em><em>However, at the same time, I am no longer their son. I became an Emperor when I surpassed thew of causalitys restrictions, severing any ties I had with everyone I knew.</em>


    His position as the Mediator of thew of causality prevented <Deus Ex Machina> from saving Cha Ye-Eun, his little sister. Saving her in every Worldline was impossible. Therge gap between someone with only one version and someone who existed in every Worldline raised a new question.


    <em>Every Emperor is the only one of their kind in all Worldlines, but what if one were to meet the requirements to be an Emperor in a reverse order?</em>


    As it turns out, I can go about it in reverse. I can artificially create an environment that will allow me to be an Emperor instead of seeking enlightenment to be one. That would give other versions of me the chance to rece me, but wont I still end up bing the one-and-only,plete, and wless being for as long as I stop a new me from being created?


    <strong>Whoa?</strong>


    It is impossible for ordinary gods since they normally cant travel outside their Worldlines, but a <Star> can. After all, theyre transcendental beings artificially made by absorbing an Emperors fragment.


    Since <Stars> could freely travel from Worldline to Worldline and devour worlds, they could also eat up the other Wordlines versions of themselves.


    <strong>Thats an interesting deduction. It sounds usible enough to persuade me, but what does that have to do with me sneaking you off to the <Underworld>?</strong>


    You wanted me to be tasty prey. Chang-Suns eyes got colder. Youre not just nning to swallow every Worldlines version of you, are you?


    Worldlines infinitely multiplied. A new Worldline was created by an ordinary person making a different choice, which meant new Lee Chang-Suns and Bel-Marduks were popping into existence as they spoke. Despite how powerful Bel-Marduk was, he couldnt run around every Worldline to find them.


    My <Myths> would be very tempting, so you wanted me to serve as the tool that would drastically increase your Divine ss.


    Considering Chang-Sun initiated the <Myth War> and returned from the <Underworld>, his <Myths> were already at the level of a Celestial King. He could even stand toe-to-toe against Bel-Marduk now, his power rivaling even that of the Nine Heavens. If Bel-Marduk ate Chang-Sun, his Divine ss would increase astronomically.


    I look very simr to your true form, dont I? Chang-Sun deduced.


    <strong></strong>


    After a brief silence


    <strong><em>Hehe</em> <em>Hahahahahaha</em>!</strong>


    Bel-Marduks manicughter echoed.


    <strong><em>Hahahaha</em>! I knew it! Youre amazing, Twilight! Youre too smart! This is why I like you! Ive met countless me, but I can assure you that youre different from them all. </strong>


    Bel-Marduk was having so much fun.


    <strong>I decided to use you as an ingredient for my Transfiguration. Youll bring me closer to bing an Emperor. Your knowledge, way of thinking, behavior Everything about us is the same. Its like looking at myself in a mirror.</strong>


    Bel-Marduk still remembered the first time he met Chang-Sun. With his back on the sunset, Chang-Sun stood aloof on a barren in as red as twilight, exuding unapproachable coldness. He was an untamable beast, much like Bel-Marduk.


    Holding their horns high, bulls would charge across fields and trample over everything in their path. With Chang-Sun behaving like one, Bel-Marduk was instinctively reminded of himself. Moreover, among his countless versions, Chang-Sun looked the most simr to him. That was also part of the reason he chose him as the ingredient that would get him over his slump and start his Transfiguration, which would increase his level several times.


    Youre not even denying my spection anymore, Chang-Sun murmured.


    <strong>I no longer have to! Youre right. Im you, and youre me. We even grew up in simrno, the same environment.</strong>


    Are you from Worldline #800 or something?


    <strong>I ate that ce up long ago. Was it Worldline #799? Worldline #798? Something like that.</strong>


    The closer the Worldlines numbers were to each other, the more simr their inhabitants were. Much to Chang-Suns surprise, Bel-Marduk was from a Worldline quite close to his. Perhaps Bel-Marduk also used to be a professional gamer who was summoned to a different world.


    Revealing the secret he was hiding from everyone, including the Zodiacs, seemed to have made Bel-Marduk very happy. Getting to reveal his true self made him feel refreshed.


    <strong>You have fully ripened. If I devour you, Ill beple!</strong>


    You might stand a chance in challenging Hsan, Chang-Sun interrupted, killing Bel-Marduks joy.


    Bel-Marduks eyebrows flinched. <strong>You!</strong>


    Youll be our only version if you eat me? Bullshit, Chang-Sun snapped, recalling Ye-Euns past, which he saw in the Mirror Maze of Myths. You want to eat me because itll increase your chances of oveing the biggest wall to your goal.


    <em>Hmm? Do you not know me? Thats strange. I was certain you would recognize me.</em>


    Hsan looked the same as Chang-Sun when Ithaca met him.


    <em>It has been so long. Im not even sure what I should use from the inner universes to exin A point of deviation? Im basically your lover, but I made a different choice in a certain section of time.</em>


    Hsan introduced himself as another Chang-Sun. His name was derived from Sun, Ithacas nickname for Chang-Sun. In other words, Bel-Marduk also had to devour him to be their only version, which Chang-Sun thought was easier said than done.


    Hsan was an extraordinary being whom not even Mephistopheles knew much about. He was also powerful enough to defy thew of causality and send Ithaca back to a specific time frame. Compared to Hsan, Bel-Marduk, despite being the Zodiacs leader, was stillcking.


    Hsan is your final enemy, isnt he? With your current Divine ss, you will never win against him. Chang-Sun smiled crookedly. Ourst encounter was in the Nil Domain.


    The Nil Domain. The end of all Worldlines. The Great Universes shell the border that separated the inner and outer universes.


    Chang-Sun continued, You were observingno, monitoring something. It was as if you were waiting for an opportunity.


    Bel-Marduk seemed confident at the time, but he was actually acting as vignt as a beastno, a bull who just came across his natural enemy.


    You were keeping an eye on Hsan, werent you?


    <strong> You know too much. Let me rephrase what I said earlier. Youre no longer interesting. Youre dangerous.</strong>


    <em>Rumble!</em>


    Bel-Marduk narrowed his mirror-like eyes as they filled up with fury. The air around him heated up and turned into a storm.


    <em>Rumble, thud!</em>


    <em>Woosh, swish, swoosh!</em>


    His lightning mixed into the storm and shredded clouds apart, creating a rainstorm inpliance with his will. Chang-Sun believed this to be the difference between them. While Bel-Marduks storm was humid, most of his power was fire.


    That was one quick change. Thanks for having a higher opinion of me, Chang-Sun said.


    <em>Rummmmble!</em>


    <em>Kieeeeeh!</em>


    Chang-Sun created a storm of his own and made it sh with Bel-Marduks, the ghastly wailsing from it sounding especially ominous today. Mixed with <Darkness> and supreme sacred light, the upper body of a Cataclysm Celestial showed up. Its eyes were shining brightly.


    <strong>Come, </strong>hemanded using [Wordwielding]. He grabbed his [Twilight Spear] as various weapons flew out of [Kings Treasury], merging into [Gungnir].


    <em>Click, click!</em>


    I have one more question.


    <strong>What is it?</strong>


    Did your Worldline also have an Ithaca?


    <strong>I had.</strong>


    Do you love her?


    <strong>I did.</strong>


    Chang-Sun didnt miss that subtle difference in verb tense.


    I see. I understand now.


    <em>Click!</em>


    With [Gungnir]s transformationplete, he tightened the grip on his spear so much that his veins began bulging out.


    Even though you knew how much pain she was under, the memories you had with your Ithaca were just a means to achieve your goal, Chang-Sun concluded.


    <em>Woosh!</em>


    An Inferno Sight zed up so fiercely within his [Gnostic Eye] that it looked as if it could incinerate the whole world.


    Die, Bel-Marduk.


    Chang-Sun threw [Gungnir] at Bel-Marduk as hard as he could.


    <em>Woooosh!</em>


    A beam of light flew across the gxy.