The Protagonists Are Murdered By Me Chapter 6: 31-35, a 13 tzameti fanfic

I blankly stared at the flowerpot.

Recalling the three years I spent inside Hell Gate.

Taylor looked at me worriedly, wondering what was on my mind.

There was only one thing I could say after receiving such a gift.

"Thank you."

Feeling relieved, Taylor smiled.

Actually, this flowerpot is more like a scar from a rotten memory.

The memories from inside Hell Gate, something too painful to even think about.

Over time, I overcame it, and now it didn't really affect me.

'Hell Gate…'

A lot happened inside.

Really, too much.

The 7th expedition inside Hell Gate.

Deemed the most successful expedition, of the 500 people who ventured inside, only 47 made it out alive after three years.

And, I was one of those 47.

One of the reasons I was able to come back alive was because I had 'intuition.'

It may sound strange, but that was really the case.

Ever since I was a kid, I've been told such things like, 'you're strangely sensible,' or 'how did you guess?'

So, inside Hell Gate my intuition would sense things that no one noticed until it happened, or when I thought I had to go somewhere no matter how dangerous it looks because I thought I would have a better chance of survival.

Only recently did I realize it was my Intuition (A) talent, but at that time the only thought I had was to survive that hell, and in the end I survived.

"It reminds of the old days."

"So. Isn't it pretty?"

"I'll have to take care of it at home."

"Uh, really? What if the glass breaks, and it turns out to be radioactive?"

"…Do you think Hell Gate is some kind of nuclear power plant?"𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝑚

I took a closer look at the flowerpot.

Spiritual Silver Flower.

Information that could not have been known in the past, present, or future, came to me so easily.

Is this really a F-Rank skill?

Or maybe the existence of spirits is more common than I had thought.

In the modern era, the existence of spirits is like a superstition.

Like ghosts, nobody even knows whether it exists or not.

However, I knew.

Ghosts and spirits do indeed exist.

I've seen a ghost once before, and had heard stories about spirits from a very credible colleague.

In other words, someone like me, who fought on the battlefield for 15 years, had only seen it once before.

This kind of existence.

Silver Spiritual Flower

Description: A spirit grown from the seed of the many who had lost their lives. Must be raised in a special condition for the spirit to be born.

Sunlight: Feeds on the energy of stars. However, this spiritual flower has been stained with death, so too much sunlight can be harmful. Let it absorb a little bit of sunlight for 5 minutes every day in the late afternoon.

Temperature: The ideal temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius.

Soil: This spiritual flower grew up in the land of death, so based on its current vitality, spread some soil from the Essoten fairies, and grind some seeds that have listened to the Essoten fairies' leaf flute for 300 days.

Nourishment: Feeds on negative emotions. On the contrary, positive emotions…

Mental and physical care: Fairies, dragons, and any other transcended species will be able to talk to this spiritual flower. Talk to it from time to time to check the spirit's mental health. It's very fragile before the spirit is born…

After carefully reading the book from the White Witch's library, I soon looked up at Taylor.

Did I do something to deserve this?

Looking at her prideful smiling face, I had a strange feeling seeing her stare at me.

For some reason, I felt apprehensive.

Friends usually don't give each other gifts like this.

Obviously, Taylor and I owe our lives to each other, and I'm confident our relationship is more stable than anyone else.

So it didn't matter what gifts we gave each other.

That's the kind of relationship we have.

A relationship where we can do anything for each other.

However, why was she so adamant to take 'Hell Gate materials' from Lost Day?

'Gift' didn't mean this between us.

We've never given each other gifts that meant anything.

It was the sort of gift that one would just look at once and throw away.

However, it looks like she has been running around for the last month or two with the goal of extorting Lost Day right from the start.

Perhaps, 'Hell Gate materials' wasn't even part of her plan and it just turned out this way.

I looked at her suspiciously, and asked.

"You, is something wrong?"

"…Dude, what?"

"Tell me. If there's something I can help you with, I'll help as much as I can."

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As far as I know, when Taylor acts like this, she's unsettled by something.

She acts selfish, violent, and doesn't care about anyone else but herself, but in fact, that's just her defensive mechanism lashing out in an aggressive manner.

However, whenever she is in dire trouble, she becomes altruistic like now.

I've known Taylor for 15 years.

I can just tell something is wrong by her expression…

"What are you on about?"

"What?"

Strangely, Taylor looked at me with pitiful eyes.

"You can just go and die. A woman painstakingly got you a gift, and that's all you had to say? You, seriously."

"No. I'm really worried about you…"

"What's the point of suddenly worrying about people when you've never done so before?"

Staring at her smiling face, a thought crossed my mind.

"You, don't tell me…"

"Huh."

Looking at my stern face, Taylor stopped smiling and spoke.

"Now that I'm here, can't I do this?"

"…"

"Do I need a reason?"

More than 10 years ago.

When we were both desperately trying to survive on the battlefield, we made one promise.

To comfort each other, hold each other, protect each other, and look after one another.

But let's not share our feelings.

It was a time when I would lose my colleagues, loved ones, and friends day by day.

It was hard enough taking care of oneself, why make it harder by having affections.

So I always drew a line and kept my distance when someone tried to approach me.

It was the same with the other party.

Not because I'm afraid of losing someone, but because I know how the other person might feel when he or she loses me.

"It used to be the case. But now, I've changed, and the times have changed."

Now, I don't have to worry about tomorrow.

Tonight when I go to bed, I don't have to worry about the deaths of loved ones, and my loved ones don't have to grief due to me dying.

"…Ugh. You're annoying, punk. There are serious flaws with your head, and it really hurts me to have to explain these things to you."

"I…"

When I tried to answer, she smiled and gave me a slight slap on the back.

"Never mind, I'm leaving."

Said Taylor calmly before quickly disappearing.

I stood there absentmindedly watching her departing figure.

Only then did emotions welled up inside me, and I felt grateful to Taylor.

For some reason, I had a strange sweet and warm feeling.

I don't know how to describe it.

Somehow, I feel like I've found something that I had lost a long time ago.

It was a very strange and uneasy feeling.

But it wasn't a bad feeling.

After looking at the flowerpot for a while, I carefully placed it down on a nearby workout bench, then turned around to see Celeste staring at me.

"…What?"

"I'm done with my exercises."

With a hoarse voice, she picked up her wooden sword and pointed it at me.

"Uh…Right."

I had no choice but to lift mine as well.

…I haven't even had the time to rest.

After returning home, I carefully placed the flowerpot on my desk, and activated White Witch's Library again.

'Spiritual Silver Flower…'

To successfully cultivate this flower, which had been growing inside Hell Gate, a lot of conditions has to be met, most of which are not possible on Earth.

So it's a problem.

In the first place, I can only go back and forth between worlds, not bring something back.

Fortunately, the Client gave a solution.

There's a way to resolve this.

'Oh? What is it?'

If you acquire a 'subspace' skill, you can bring back things from other worlds, with some restrictions.

'Subspace…?'

It's an ability I've never seen in my life.

'I think I've read about it in a popular novel before….Is it something like storing things in another space?'

Yes.

Just reading the name makes me think it would be really difficult to acquire.

'By the way, is it okay for me to absorb such a skill?'

Subspace is also used by high level wizards and scientists.

'Alright.'

Well, the skills of protagonists didn't abide by common sense in the first place.

Also, the rate a world collapses is not affected by transporting things across dimensions.

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Like bringing Yoo Seodam's homemade food next door, it won't cause much trouble.

It may cause significant changes in the world's science, but in the grand scheme of things, it's only a slight change since the development of science is a natural phenomenon.

To sum it up in two words, it's complicated.

If I get a subspace, I can bring back things from other worlds, and it might even be possible to bring back advanced weapons.

'That's a good idea.'

There were many things on Earth that could not be imagined or made today.

Frankly speaking, the aether dispenser I use is not bad, but it's also a fact that it can't do much damage to the protagonists relatively to its weight.

However, if I can get a 'Holy Sword' weapon like what I saw before, protagonists may become easier to deal with in the future.

Anyways, I can't do much about this flower at the moment, but at least I can give it a better environment.

Although the White Witch's Library skill seemed easier than Vivienda Magic Academy's magic, it's actually very unique and difficult to grasp.

I decided to draw a magic circle on the floor to change the concentration of air, spray fairy energy on the soil, filter the sunlight, and after some struggle, filter emotions as well.

It was nothing more than F-Rank magic, the most basic of magic, but it was enough to create a much better environment than before.

When I breathed in, it was definitely fresh air.

Cleaner than even what one might find in an uncivilized forest.

I can't believe a plant found in Hell Gate needs such fresh air to grow.

It felt so contradictory, but somehow I felt relieved when I saw the flower appearing more lively than before.

'…'

It's the flower Taylor Nine got after going through a lot of trouble.

So, I'm going to raise it diligently.

With that thought in mind, I touched the petals, and the moment I touched it.

A voice was heard.

[…I'm suffocating.]

"W-what?"

Surprised, I jumped back, and instinctively shot out aether from my aether blade.

The voice continued.

[Why are you surprised?]

"Crazy. Was the flower talking just now?"

[Mmhmm.]

It was the voice of a child.

I don't know whether it's a boy or girl, but the monotone voice somehow gave me a mysterious feeling that reached my heart.

Putting my aether blade down, I approached the flower, and it spoke again.

[Your reaction startled me…]

"Isn't it surprising for a flower to suddenly start talking?"

[…Witches are supposed to be able to hear us.]

"Witch?"

Come to think of it, there was a paragraph in the book that mentioned 'transcended' species such as elves and dragons being able to talk to the spirit of the flower.

So witches are transcended species?

Even though I'm not a witch, I have a witch's skill, so I guess that's the reason why I can communicate with this spirit.

[…It's a relief.]

"What?"

[I was scared no one would hear me…]

For some reason, it felt strange hearing the spirit spoke so calmly.

To have a conversation with the spirit of the flower, one has to be a transcended species, but only human beings live on Earth.

And there weren't any beings with intelligence inside Hell Gate.

This spirit was born from death, and would return to death, alone, without bearing any fruit if left inside.

[But you're a little strange for a witch.]

"Because I'm not a witch."

When the flower heard my answer, it stayed silent, and after a while, it spoke.

[Yeah. You're terrible at magic…]

"…"

[Why would you do that if you're not a witch…?]

When asked such a pure question, I wondered if I should feel hurt or not.

[That…That's not how you do it.]

"Huh?"

Shwuah…!

From the flower, a light powder came out and covered my magic circle on top.

Then, the mana flowed slowly, and the magic spell I had drawn on the floor rose into the air.

"W-what?"

It's carving a magic circle in the air?

I've never seen anything like this at Vivienda Magic Academy.

To that extent, the whole magic empire.

What the spirit had just done was a ridiculous feat.

[Why…are you surprised?]

"You, how did you do this?"

[I didn't do it.]

The petals of the flower shook slightly and made a gesture as if pointing at me.

[You did.]

I didn't know what it meant until now.

What it meant for a witch to be a transcended species.

It was greater and more beautiful than I ever could have imagined.

Celeste was learning how to move.

But not just simply moving, rather, she was learning footwork, something practically every martial artist learns.

And unlike her normal footwork, the technique she was learning did not involve big movements.

How to move.

It's really simple.

With one foot supporting the body while the other foot is in front, then pull the foot supporting the body forward and take another step.

The process involves bending the knees and stepping on the heel first so it points outward.

The technique was to combine everything.

The foundation of martial arts is body movement, and the foundation of that lies in the footwork.

Thus, the movement of the foot determines the movement of the whole body.

Celeste was sweating heavily from simply putting her feet to the side, stepping on her heel first, or moving a little more to the side.

"Why is that little child practicing walking?"

"I don't know. Seems like Yoo Seodam instructed her to?

Yoo Seodam watched Celeste from the side.

Since there has been an increase in the number of registered prospects at Geumgang gym after her debut a while ago, quite a few people noticed Celeste's 'walking practice,' even though no one understands it.

They thought perhaps she just wanted to do some unique training.

At first, even Celeste couldn't understand it.

Why practice walking like this when they should be training their swordsmanship?

Or why do movements that are harder and more painful than normal ones.

However, after practicing her footwork for two weeks.

Celeste realized.

'Uh…?'

"Hmm?"

During her spar with director Kim, unknowingly, she used the footwork technique she has been learning for the last two weeks.

The sword of director Kim, a person with C-Rank physique, was too fast to avoid for a D-Rank like Celeste, so she had always relied on her reaction speed, but this time, she was able to see it clearly and avoided it.

"Miss Celeste. Your movement has gotten better, hasn't? Did your physique improve?"

Asked director Kim.

Celeste shook her head.

Her physique was developing very slowly, and not to this extent.

This was purely due to the footwork technique.

A technique that came from a very small fraction of Haren Almus' SS Rank skill, something she would never know.

That's why it's so effective, even though it's an imitation.

However, in the end, it's still an imitation and pale in comparison to the original version.

If the original skill was SS-Rank, what Seodam copied was at most D-Rank.

Nonetheless, this is the result of a D-Rank superhuman training in the footwork for two weeks.

'Good. If I keep this up…!'

Unknowingly, Celeste became excited.

She could sense that her growth has reached a higher level.

The fact that she can now avoid attacks from a C-Rank.

Stretching out her sword instinctively.

"Ah…!"

An awkward step that didn't match her body movement, she tripped and fell.

Celeste used to enjoy training.

After awakening an E-Rank physique at an early age, every time she trained, she could feel that she was making progress.

If put into numbers it was like going from 10 to 11, 12 to 13, and so on.

When others were stuck, she was able to progress by putting in a little more effort, so because of that, Celeste used to frantically train.

However, one day, all those accomplishments crumbled.

The confrontation against Sanagi Okamoto, a rival the elders arbitrarily chose, became her thorn.

Sanagi Okamoto.

A woman who became a C-Rank superhuman at the age of twenty.

A year ago the D-Rank Celeste was defeated in a competition against Sanagi, and since that day, she has devoted herself to training, even going so far as to forgo her meals occasionally.

However, her growth was still the same.

Of course, just growing steadily is already amazing, but to her, that alone was not enough.

Both Celeste and Sanagi were growing at the same rate.

If she is growing at the pace of 16 to 17 to 18, then Sanagi is growing at the pace of 26 to 27 to 28.

The same pace.

This gap that can't be narrowed.

It became her first 'wall.'

Obviously, their talents were about the same.

However, Sanagi was born first and awakened her physique first.

In spite of being rivals, Celeste would never be able to catch up to her.

Salvatore, who couldn't stand seeing his daughter depressed, invited many world renowned swordsman instructors, but Sanagi also had a similar background, so their level of education was the same.

'Our physique growth rate is clearly the same.'

'So, why don't I just compete in swordsmanship, rather than physique?'

Although Sanagi has a stronger physique than Celeste, her swordsmanship was worse than Celeste's.

To Celeste, Sanagi's swordsmanship only has superficial power and speed.

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However, their difference in power and speed was so overwhelming that it was impossible to overcome despite that simple thought.

She couldn't catch up.

Although it was frustrating, there was nothing she could do about it.

She had accepted that reality.

That was until she met someone who overcame the difference in strength and speed.

Yoo Seodam, with his D-Rank strength, overwhelmed her with his sword.

Seeing him, she thought.

'I've finally found a way to break this wall.'

People only think superhumans with superpowers are talented.

However, before there were superpowers, there were clearly talented people in education, sports, entertainment, and so on.

Even though it has been overshadowed by superpowers in the modern era.

A talent for the sword exists.

Celeste, who swung and swung her sword every day, was given the opportunity for this talent blossom.

She enjoyed it.

It was different from her past self, mindlessly wielding her sword.

Everything she learned from Yoo Seodam was new and different from what she was taught or knew.

Even the smallest details, like how to move or breath.

It was a new territory for her.

Late into the night, all the other prospects are gone, and only Celeste remains.

"Are you feeling better?"

Asked director Kim.

He used to live in the gym, so it didn't matter who stayed.

However, he was still concerned about her.

Director Kim, resting on a nearby bench with a worried look, handed Celeste a water bottle.

Recently, he has been seeing her overwork herself to the point where it looked like she wasn't doing too well, but strangely, she didn't seem exhausted at all.

Rather, the more she wielded the sword, the more powerful it seemed, which was quite surprising to him.

"Yes. Thank you."

She drank the water in silence.

Yoo Seodam was away today.

Although he's a hunter, lately, he's been heading to the gym and library, and has rarely gone to a dungeon.

When director Kim asked if Seodam was worried about money problems, Seodam just replied saying he was not because he recently cleared a dungeon by himself.

'Also, library…'

There are certainly some hunters with good academics, but most were terrible.

Unless it was needed to hunt, they studied very little outside the basic essentials.

Yoo Seodam was already much more knowledgeable than any hunter, and Celeste knew he was very smart.

Still, a hunter going to the library…

It was a very weird place to be at.

'What are you even studying there?'

When she asked, Seodam just said that he was studying as much math as he could, and didn't really give a proper answer.

"Uh…"

"Hmm?"

Celeste looked at director Kim.

There was a question she has been meaning to ask for a long time, but was very reluctant to do so.

"Did Yoo Seodam really beat my father?"

Although her father has retired, he is still a SS-Rank hunter.

It's hard to imagine Yoo Seodam, a F-Rank hunter, winning.

Hearing her ask such a question, director Kim awkwardly smiled.

She was reluctant to ask Yoo Seodam directly.

Director Kim didn't feel right to be the person to tell her….

But he thought she would eventually find out anyways, so it's better that it came from his mouth.

"It happened 8 years ago."

Salvatore Costantini led a team of 12 hunters, one of them being the F-Rank hunter Yoo Seodam.

They used to hunt monsters in desolate areas, and Salvatore would ask other members to spar with him whenever they had free time.

He didn't discriminate against people without superpowers.

So despite being S-Rank, he also sincerely wanted to duel with Yoo Seodam, a F-Rank hunter.

"The result was obviously 99 wins in 99 duels for Salvatore. Thus, Yoo Seodam had never won a duel."

"Then…?"

When she wondered if Yoo Seodam had lied to her, director Kim continued with a bitter look.

"Their mission at the time was almost done. All they had to do was seal a gate to stop the monsters from leaking out. That's when the worst villain, 'Curse Virus,' appeared."

A superhuman with a ridiculous SS-Rank superpower called Curse Virus that had been placing 'curses' around the world, taking many lives in the process.

Curse Virus hid himself before Salvatore and his team arrived at the location.

Salvatore Costantini, the first person to encounter the Curse Virus, had the curse placed on his daughter.

"Huh…?"

In other words, Celeste was cursed eight years ago without even realizing it.

"The curse simply took away the lifespan of the target, and most died within a week. To a certain extent, it depended on the condition of the superhuman…However, miss Celeste was nine years old at the time and was in critical condition because you were an ordinary human."

It was then.

Salvatore, one of the top S-Rank superhumans at the time, awakened a 'frenzy' ability.

An ability later evaluated as SS-Rank, it was an ability to harness a greater power than one normally could.

This was also how Salvatore became one of the 37 SS-Rank superhuman on Earth.

However, there was a downside to this ability.

He could not identify foe from ally, and would indiscriminately attack every living thing in sight.

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People around him were surprised that Salvatore, who always had a smile on his face, could make such a scary face.

But, he had to be stopped.

If the villain Curse Virus is killed without the curses being removed, everyone including Celeste would die.

'If Salvatore follows us here, we won't be able to fight the monster!'

'Damn it, I can't believe we're up against a SS-Rank ally and a SS-Rank villain at the same time. We have no chance of winning."

'When are the reinforcements coming!?'

'Will they be able to stop him once they arrive?'

'Once Salvatore sees Curse Virus, he'll definitely try to kill him. Yeah, It's possible with that power. But…'

Someone reluctantly brought up the dilemma.

'Once the frenzied state is over and he finds out his daughter died because of him. Will he be able to continue living normally?'

Absolutely not.

Thus, the 11 hunters tasked themselves with the difficult mission of not killing Salvatore, who had the ability of SS-Rank, while trying to subdue a SS-Rank villain.

It seemed impossible.

When everyone thought as such.

Yoo Seodam, who remained silent up until that point, spoke.

'I'll try to stop mister Salvatore.'

'…What?'

The only F-Rank here.

However, no one doubted his ability.

Although he was an ordinary hunter, his ability alone was noteworthy.

And more than anyone else here, he had the best judgement.

Still, no one thought Yoo Seodam could hold out against Salvatore.

Everyone had the same thought.

'Yoo Seodam is sacrificing himself.'

Only then could they successfully subdue the villain and stop Salvatore, at the cost of one casualty.

'…Try to hang in there.'𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝓶

'Alright, we'll quickly overpower that bastard and come back.'

'We'll be right back and figure something out, so stay alive!'

The 10 hunters succeeded in defeating the villain.

They even successfully stopped the Curse Virus' superpower, lifting all the curses that had spread throughout the world.

But, it was too late.

It took a week to stop the villain.

They thought there was no way Yoo Seodam could hold out after a week.

Nevertheless, they tracked down the signal from Yoo Seodam, and ran to retrieve the body.

However, what they saw was an unbelievable sight.

Far from dying, Yoo Seodam had knocked Salvatore out, and was waiting alone.

'…Did you subdue Salvatore?'

'I was lucky. There just happened to be a power plant nearby…'

Yoo Seodam had spent an astronomical sum during the battle with Salvatore.

He said he had miscalculated beforehand, so he had no choice but to blow up the nearby power plant and even used a tank.

And that he had to rely on technology because an ordinary person couldn't win against a superhuman, but no one paid it any mind.

Only the fact that a F-Rank hunter subdued a frenzied SS-Rank was remembered.

Recounting the story, director Kim nodded his head.

"Come to think of it…Yoo Seodam is miss Celeste's benefactor."

It was her first time hearing about how countless hunters fought to save her life.

"Such a…person. I had no idea at all…"

Said Celeste with a trembling voice, then director Kim spoke.

"It's understandable. What happened back then was kept a secret. You know, a frenzied superhuman doesn't paint a very good picture to the world. And it was critical at the time that Salvatore's position was not shaken. Well, that's a political story for another time, so let's skip that.

"Yes…"

"You don't have to feel burdened. After what happened, Salvatore compensated Yoo Seodam."

Director Kim, who spoke up to this point, said he had to go take a phone call.

Celeste silently sat on the bench, trying to gather her thoughts.

Such as, how has she been treating her benefactor.

'He must think I'm crazy. I am…Hiring him to be my sword instructor as a favor?'

Feeling a deep sense of shame, Celeste lowered her head and covered it with both hands.

After a long time, Seodam, wearing a black shabby padded jacket, opened the gym doors and walked in, carrying a flower pot in one hand and a plastic bag in the other.

"Wow. You're still at it?"

"…Yes."

"Really? Do you want some ice cream?"

"No."

Said Celeste resolutely.

With a sullen look, Seodam looked down at the bag in his hand.

"Alright…I'm going to eat both by myself."

"No. Let's go out to eat. Could be…anything. Anything is fine, I'll buy it. Restaurant? Buffet? Lobster? Steak? What do you like?"

"…?"

Seodam checked his watch.

"It's 3:00AM in the morning…?"

Before Seodam could finish, Celeste interrupted, saying she wanted to treat him, right before rushing to take a shower.

"What's wrong with her? I wonder if the sun will rise from the west today."

[The sun doesn't rise from the west…]

"…That's what I meant."

[It doesn't make sense…]

"Really, this rascal of a flower."

Three months quickly passed.

Seodam has not gone on another protagonist hunt due to spending all of his time studying swordsmanship and magic while personally teaching Celeste.

Though, as a veteran hunter, he could go monster hunting whenever he wanted, so there wasn't much trouble except for when Taylor wanted to tag along.

Over the last three months, there have been many changes within him.

[Skill White Swordsmanship's second form has opened.]

The first form was Apathetic Introspection.

It was like seeing oneself as a blank piece of paper and finding one's limit.

Which kind of sword fits, which swordsmanship is best suited, which technique to complement it, and even how to breath.

The moment he grasped all that, the second form opened.

Seodam hasn't had many chances to use his sword these days except when hunting monsters since aether blades were the most efficient.

So recently he has started swinging his sword day and night, and the results have finally begun to show.

Celeste, who was learning swordsmanship from Seodam, was also growing at an alarming rate.

And unlike Seodam, Celeste was able to imitate the Almus Swordsmanship to a respectable level.

Seodam's current physical ability is almost D-Rank, but fighting Celeste now would be more difficult than when he was F-Rank.

Pah!

"Ugh!"

When their wooden swords collided, Celeste fell backwards, then Seodam wiped away his sweat.

Although it has gotten tougher, he did not lose.

Still, it was a close fight, meaning Celeste has improved significantly.

"It hurts."

"It's normal to get beaten to grow stronger."

"That sounds like something an aging adult would say."

"I don't know about the aging part, but you did get beaten…"

Bringing in the New Years, Seodam is now in his 30s.

It was the age where hunters with no superpowers would retire.

However, Seodam is now in better shape than when he was in his early 20s.

Even Taylor had mentioned that his muscles were much toner, his face younger, and his skin looked better.

In fact, Taylor is the same age as Seodam, but she looked so young that everyone thought she was a college student at most.

It was hard to believe how old she actually is.

This is one of the phenomena that occurs when a S-Rank superhuman is able to control their aether to its limit, and is a similar case with Seodam who uses mana.

However, it was peculiar that Seodam's mana is already similar to S-Rank superhumans, even though at best it's D-Rank.

"Let's take a break now. Didn't you say you were leaving today?"

"Yes."

After being told to take a break, Celeste went and sat in a corner as she wiped her sweat with a towel, then she turned on her phone.

At first, Seodam would show her one or two videos of Sanagi every day so they could strategize on how to beat her, but now she was accustomed to watching videos of Sanagi herself.

'Another video was uploaded today.'

Sanagi has tens of thousands of subscribers on the internet, a pretty and fierce face, and an extraordinary superpower.

She's been posting videos of herself doing kendo, all of which became a motivation for Celeste.

Celeste, who was watching the video absentmindedly, thought to herself.

'No matter how much I see it…I don't think I can lose.'

Recently, Celeste can be seen with a smile on her face.

When she first came to the gym, she seemed like a child who was just going through the motion of living.

Lately, she found herself looking forward to the sword debate, which was quickly approaching, and facing Sanagi again.

Seodam activated White Witch's library to study while they were taking a break.

His magic has gone a long way after three months.

Even though he has no talent for magic, the witch's magic books were clearly explained, so it was easy for anyone to learn as long as they understood the gist of it.

It's like going from studying high school level magic to suddenly studying middle school level magic.

Thanks to the skill, Seodam is now able to use 'Tier 1' magic somewhat competently.

'But it's still not enough.'

Both swordsmanship and magic takes time to develop.

Unlike superpowers where one can simply release more aether.

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Although it's still possible for swordsmen and mages to train, Seodam couldn't.

Because his level limit is F-Rank.

The only way for him to increase this limit is by hunting protagonists and leveling up.

One month left until the swordsmanship debate.

Celeste was scheduled to leave for her tour soon, so there wasn't time to teach her anything else.

Seodam thought it wouldn't be such a bad idea to take this time to ask the Client for another mission.

While he was reading a magic book from the witch's library, Taylor came into the gym as soon as Celeste came back from her shower.

"Are you blanking out again? You're carrying that flowerpot with you everywhere."

Seodam cherished the flowerpot Taylor gave him, and lately, has always carried it with him.

Taylor felt proud of herself, but also felt unhappy.

The reason why she's unhappy…

'Just, you're a fool.'

…It was that simple of a reason.

"By the way, you don't mind me going with Celeste?"

Originally, Celeste couldn't find a senior to go with her, so she was planning to ask Yoo Seodam.

But Taylor, who often came to the gym, volunteered when she heard about it.

The reason was simple.

"I'm going to make a hell of a lot of money riding along, aren't I?"

Celeste, a peak D-Rank hunter, had to complete her 'performance' report soon.

If a hunter did not complete their performance report in a timely manner, they will be disqualified as a hunter.

So Celeste plans to do an 'extra curriculum' for her performance report.

Extra curriculum is a special course where new hunters tour a C or B rank dungeon with talented senior hunters.

It was also used by many guilds these days because even if a B or A rank dungeon was successfully cleared, it would be seen as the act of 'riding a bus' to some extent.

Seodam and Taylor, who have spent their lives hunting without caring about the public, found the performance report ridiculous.

In any case, Celeste plans to tour a dungeon with Taylor and elite hunters from the Costantini family.

She wasn't fond of Taylor going with her, but there was also no reason to refuse a S-Rank hunter's help.

"By the way, is it okay for me to take over your job?"

"Actually, there's something I have to do, so you go ahead."

"Is that so."

Taylor shrugged and continued.

"Then, I'm going to leave the apartment for awhile."

"…It's my apartment."

"Don't get too lonely while your sister is away. Ah, right. When I'm done with this, I have another matter to take care of in Jamsil. I might be gone longer than expected."

Jamsil?

Seodam tilted his head when he remembered that the swordsmanship debate was also held in Jamsil, Korea.

'Taylor doesn't use a sword, so I don't think she has to worry about the debate.'

Thanks to my monopoly on the deformed dungeon from last time, my financial situation was quite good.

At least that was the case until I bought a 1st-Grade aether suit.

Now my savings was barely enough to last a few months, still, I think the investment was worth it.

…I'm sure.

An aether suit is every hunter's top priority.

The 3rd-Grade suits were a combination of a shirt with circuits underneath a vest, followed by a protective suit, then finally a coat.

The 2nd-Grade suits increased several folds in performance while easing some of the covering.

Then what about the 1st-Grade suits?

Even if I have both of my hands in my pockets and wearing gym clothes, I can automatically deploy it.

Truly a state of the art technology.

If there's one drawback, it's that aether is constantly consumed while the suit is worn.

Still, it's easier to carry and the defense was worth investing in until I grew stronger.

Isn't my life more important than money?

If money was more important, I wouldn't even consider it.

Also, 1st-Grade suits not only had temperature control, but also simple digital features, and depending on the price range, there were even ones that had guns, blades, and missiles attached to the suit itself, so it can be said that hunters lived and died by their suit.

My suit as a whole was black, glossy, and ergonomic in appearance as if it has been painted on my body.

Although the design is simple, there was a beauty to its simpleness.

Putting my mega shooter on my back and jumping, I could definitely feel my body being lighter.

1st-Grade suits also have the effect of increasing the wearer's power and speed, enough to give ordinary people F-Rank attributes.

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As I was casting a protective magic circle around the flowerpot and putting it in a hidden aether safe, the spirit spoke.

[Where are you going…?]

"I'm leaving to make money."

[Materialism is ephemeral…]

"…Do you have to put it that way?"

[I'm scared of being alone…]

"Even so, I can't take you."

For some reason, hearing that shaky voice made my heart uneasy.

After comforting the flower for some time, I spoke to the Client.

"Prepare my next mission."

Yes, I'm on it.

Because of the flower, I was rather in a hurry.

I have to gather the materials for the flower so it can blossom as soon as possible because I read in the magic book that if it's delayed the flower will wither.

And, it was my golden opportunity to get a Spirit, so I don't want to miss this chance if I can help it.

That's why lately I've been thinking of ways to help the spirit grow.

I was pondering over it as I looked through the missions.

"Erm…"

The universe was vast, filled with many worlds and many protagonists.

"The missions from the recommendation list have a level bonus reward, right?"

That's correct.

"Then let's go with this."

Clicking on one of the missions from the recommendation list, a message appeared.

#The_game_I_made_has_become_a_reality

#Fusion_Fantasy #Constellation #Observer #Growth #Thriller

Do you wish to go now?

With my mega shooter tightly attached, I nodded my head.

My vision quickly blurred.

[Traveling to Arash's Battle Royale Role Playing Survival Project. The world of the Level 73 protagonist, Arash.]

[10…9…8…]

[Travel completed.]

The world slowly collapsed and reconstructed.

Opening my eyes.𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝐌

Under the vast sky, an expanse of land came into my view.

"…W-what!"

Right, I was flying in the sky.

Unfortunately, my suit does not have a flight function, so in the end, I could only panic and flounder in the air…

'Huh?'

Strangely, there was no sensation of falling.

As if I was floating.

[You became the Keflox Nebula Constellation (temporary).]

[Your current state is 'Astral' and cannot interfere with reality.]

"…Constellation?"

Suddenly, a very different kind of message that did not belong to the Client appeared in my mind.

{ Constellation Yoo Seodam has appeared like a comet! Welcome to the world of Arash Project! }

{ Do you find eternal life boring? }

{ Do you want an avatar representative? }

{ Do you want to discover a new kind of entertainment? }

{ Then vote for your very own avatar! }

Ding!

[Skill Channel Allotted (temporary) acquired.]

[Skill Channel Interference (temporary) acquired.]

[Skill Channel Search (temporary) acquired.]

[Skill Channel Sponsorship (temporary)…]

Looking at the series of messages, I became dazed.

Constellation?

Before I could even digest what was happening, like having a bucket of cold water poured on me, another message appeared.

{ Note, Constellations cannot directly interfere with reality! }

…Uh, then how do I kill the protagonist?

Arash's Battle Royale Role Playing Survival Project.

What a long name.

[Current time dilation is 4.0179x]

After checking the time dilation, I surveyed this world.

Battle Royale etc…

Or, Arash's world for short, looks as if numerous worlds have been woven together, giving it a quite unique look.

The planet was one huge spiral stretching towards the sky.

The spiral, which seems to ignore common sense, had many different layers of worlds.

At the very bottom is a vast meadow world, then a sequence of worlds including lava, mountains, historical sites, ruined cities, undergrounds, caves, and so on.

And between each world…

There appears to be a mysterious bridge reminiscent of the night sky connecting each world.

This was originally a game made by the protagonist Arash.

Game.

Hearing it, this certainly looks like a game.

However, one day, reality and Arash's game world overlapped.

So it was like that.

Arash's game had become reality.

And the countless challengers that were brought here.

It is said that whoever clears the 50th world first will have one of their wishes granted.

Ever since I saw the hashtag, I've been curious about how a game can become reality.

It sounded like something from a novel, but what's in front of me proves it's really possible.

"But wasn't it something that only existed on Earth?"

There are many worlds similar to Earth.

"Oh…"

I slowly flew along the sky, looking at the worlds within the spiral.

There were many people running around in some of the worlds.

Although I'm only a temporary Constellation, I was able to see every stage at a glance, while the people inside couldn't.

Where's the protagonist?

It was too difficult looking from afar, but then the Client spoke.

It'll be faster to you use Channel Search if you want to find a specific human.

"Come to think of it, I did receive a few skills."

That's right. Although you don't have the full power of a Constellation, being a temporary Constellation, you've received all the channel skills .

"Great."

Slowly looking over the skills, I activated Channel Search.

Hundreds, no, hundreds of thousands of channels appeared.

"Hm…?"

Every channel signifies a challenger, so there were at least hundreds of thousands of people in Arash's world.

Looking at the channels, I touched the one that reads 'Best Hot Pick 3,' and saw that there were over a thousand Constellations watching.

[Best of the best!]

[No.1 in channel ranking: Arash]

[Constellations watching: 2076]

Considering that other channels had at most a hundred, this was ridiculous.

Activating my skill, I entered the channel.

Suddenly.

Woosh!

My surroundings suddenly changed, and I felt the sensation of moving.

"Ugh…"

Dizziness, similar to when I travel to other worlds, came over me.

After waking up and opening my eyes, a different world came into view.

Lowering my eyes, I could clearly see a world of lava.

{ The 7th world and stage called Volcano of Despair. }

{ The theme here is 'competition'. }

{ Which challenger will be the first to reach the final destination? }

I guess the humans competing against each other in this artificial lava world are the challengers.

Hovering above the challengers was an angel shouting loudly at them.

[Now now, everyone! At last, we've arrived at the highlight! You're nearing the end of this stage! Five challengers have survived up to this point!]

The final competition leading to the next stage.

A bloodbath between five people.

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It seems like this is the final competition before the next stage.

[The first challenger to pass this stage will receive double the reward! Who will be the one to claim it?!]

{ Losing My Balance Libra: Arash will definitely win. }

{ Laughing Half Moon Bear: Don't you want to see Arash lose? }

{ White Wolf Crying Victory: Arash must not win! }

Seeing the sudden messages, I frowned.

"Chat window?"

A translucent chat window of Arash's channel appeared in front of me.

Here, the Constellations were expressing their own opinions.

{ Dragon That Devoured The Sun: Arash, kill them all! }

{ Witch Departing On A Boat: Pull out their heads and offer their spines to me! }

{ Summer Beneath World Wolf: I will give my teeth to the bravest warrior! }

…Every single nickname truly looked childish.

And even the messages weren't any better.

To put it bluntly, it was like a conversation between elementary school students, or to put it nicely, it's like watching a Shakespeare comedy.

'Hm…'

I slowly watched for the outcome.

100 people were among the first to arrive at the 7th stage.

And of the 100, only 5 remained.

Everything was going smoothly.

That is, if they were all working alone.

[Ah, how could this be! Four of them were a team. How will Arash, the lone challenger, overcome this crisis?!]

As soon as the angel finished speaking, a message appeared in my mind.

{ Challengers have 'level,' 'class,' and 'skill.' }

{ Do you wish to view the challengers' information? }

I nodded my head and their information appeared.

The four challengers teaming up against Arash are a priest, an archer, a warrior, and a mage.

Their average level is 6.

However, Arash is level 9.

He is quite higher level than the rest.

Also…his class looked very unique.

"…Star Cleaving Battle Mage? What class is this?"

{ Hidden class. Only one person per hidden class, and the way to obtain one is extremely difficult. }

However, Arash had one.

Probably because this was his game world.

Really, this is too much.

Thinking about it.

Arash had developed the game.

That means he knows every detail that exists in this world.

Details that I somehow need to get in order to kill him.

But…

Protagonist Hunter Lv.2 is not high enough to see the information of this world.

"Why? I was able to see it last time."

It was due to that world detecting the effect of 'regression.' 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝗆

That…sounds plausible.

Every time Fiolen used his knowledge of the future, I was only able to get a glimpse of the change in the target's future.

In other words, I won't be able to kill Arash using an information advantage like last time.

The situation is looking increasingly grim.

Amid my deepening worry, Arash, who was in a crisis, suddenly started to do something.

The angel shouted with all its might.

[The challenger Arash! He took something out!]

Four level 6 challengers against one level 9 challenger.

I guess it was a foregone conclusion in everyone else's eyes that the four would win, but things didn't go as expected.

[Ah! That's the claw of the Lactarox! Why the hell did challenger Arash take that out…oh?! Oh my! He combined it with the saliva of a Manticore!]

{ Item manufacturing by challenger Arash! }

{ Successfully created 'Plutten Paralyzing Poison Ballon!' }

It was hard concentrating on the announcement and commentary in the channel at the same time.

Was that thing really so great?

Thinking so, the chat window soon became plastered with messages.

[Skyward Sword: Amazing! How clever!]

[Best Necklace Manufacturer: That's my recipe! I can't believe it, it's amazing!]

[Water That Can't Be Put Back: How did he think to do that!]

[Don't Let Your Dreams Be Dreams: A challenger at the 7th stage figured out how to make that?]

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I still couldn't understand it.

What's so great about it?

My question was soon answered.

Arash, holding the claw with both hands, swung it in all directions.

The other four challengers slowly began to lose their strength even though they were not touched by the claw.

[The Plutten Paralyzing Poison Balloon has the effect of paralyzing anyone who breaths in the gasses, and is super effective in hot places! Sure enough, challenger Arash! He predicted everything and had prepared an item in advance!]

Arash, wearing a mask, continued to swing the claw recklessly.

That wasn't the end.

Grabbing the air, Arash pulled out an item and quickly overpowered the four challengers.

In the end, he defeated them all.

A flawless conclusion.

[Number one on the channel ranking somehow reversed an unfavorable situation because of a brilliant idea again!]

The reactions were explosive.

[As expected of challenger Arash!!]

Along with the angel's shout came a series of 'sponsorship' in Arash's channel.

[Crackion Noise sponsors 1000 Star Force.]

[Dragon That Devoured The Sun sponsors 1500 Star Force.]

[Sight That Lost The Light Sponsors 1200 Star Force.]

I was in a daze watching the endless sponsorship messages.

Star Force?

{ Challengers can use Star Force to raise their level and stats, or purchase items. }

Do I have that?

[Remaining Star Force: 370]

…That's all?

This amount of Star Force…the situation is much worse than I thought.

Star Force correlates to your Mana. Once consumed, with time, your Star Force will recover.

Also, Star Force can be gained when your chosen avatar clears a quest, dungeon, or world.

Hu, so there was a system like this.

It was both amazing and annoying.

In the meantime, Arash, who could not see the Constellations, bowed his head and thanked them.

"Haha, thank you! Constellations! When I clear all 50 worlds and become a Constellation, I'll make sure to pay you all back!"

Watching him, somehow I felt hopeless.

From now on, I have to find a way to kill Arash who's being watched by the other Constellations.

I have no information advantage.

And I can't even touch him physically.

The only way to kill the protagonist is through Channel Interference, but with only 370 Star Force, I will be in a terrible situation if I sponsor someone even once, and it was hardly enough to do anything with this amount.

When such thoughts invaded my mind, I took a deep breath and cleared my head.

Yeah, there has never been an easy hunt.

As a F-Rank hunter, no hunt has been a 'freebie.'

When I meet an enemy that seems impossible to defeat, I just make use of anything and everything I have.

While thinking about my dilemma, Arash reached the final destination of the 7th stage.

Then, along with the sound of firecrackers, the angel screamed.

[We finally have a winner!]

Now that first place has been decided, the only thing left was for the other four challengers to come.

The four challengers, who were knocked down before reaching the only wooden bridge, rose up with difficulty, and began to cross it.

Then, Arash putting his hands on his legs, spoke.

"Guys, you know what?"

Everyone's attention was focused on Arash.

He seems to relish in this fact.

"If I give up my first place reward, a 'bug' will cause the only way to the next stage to disappear!"

Said Arash with a bright smile.

"I will give up my first place reward. So, remove the bridge."

As soon as he said that.

The bridge disappeared like it had evaporated, and the four challengers began to descend into the lava.

{ The first challenger to clear the 7th Stage has been determined! }

Immediately, numerous messages and sponsorship flooded the chat window.

[Star Running Horse: What a pleasant surprise! Yes, kill them all!]

[Star Running Horse sponsors 1000 Star Force.]

[Poisonous Plant In Greenhouse: You have to beat them to the point where they can't stand up again.]

[Poisonous Plant In Greenhouse sponsors 2000 Star Force.]

[Knife Sharpening Leaf…]

Watching their insane behaviors, I turned to look at something else.

The four challengers that hadn't fallen into the lava, but were dangling onto each other.

Then back at the Constellations going crazy.

A rather plausible and only method came to mind of how to kill the protagonist.

In this world, only first places, winners, and protagonists are remembered.

That is Arash.

The four losers who are in a bit of trouble right now will not be remembered.

Sajun (Priest/Male/Age 27)

Jaesul (Warrior/Male/Age 24)

Gyulu (Archer/Female/Age 25)

Mayva (Wizard/Female/Age 24)

This was their profile.

Shortly after the battle had ended, Seodam, who was watching the countless sponsors pouring into Arash's channel, suddenly had a thought.

Do the Constellations really like Arash?

I've seen both indiscriminate hate and affection towards Arash, so the Constellations all seem to have varying feelings.

Next, I went to find the four channels of the challengers who are on the cusp of falling into the lava, and found a surprising fact.

The four shared one channel.

It seems like it would be a disadvantage because the Star Force obtained from sponsorship had to be divided in four, but at least it seems to be a reliable way of trusting your allies.

Although they lost to Arash, their channel, led by the warrior Jaesul, still had quite a few Constellations.

However, most were beginning to leave.

The Constellations originally hoped that the four could defeat Arash, but it wasn't worth watching now that they've failed.

The remaining Constellations' purpose for staying was…

Well, there isn't really one.

"Sajun! You crazy bastard! Let go of your hand! So you can live!"

A common soap opera.

Arash had gotten rid of the bridge and while the four were falling, had instinctively held onto each other's hands.

Fortunately, Sajun, who was at the very top was able to hold onto Jaesul, and Jaesul was able to hold onto Gyulu, and Gyulu was able to hold onto Mayva.

An odd sight of hanging from a rock like a string of sausages.

However, Sajun is a priest class and is physically weak.

At this rate, no one will be able to survive.

"Please! Let us go and get out of here, you son of a bitch!"

"How can I do that."

Although Sajun is a priest, he was able to hold on thus far because he is inherently strong with his large frame.

"L-let's live together…!"

Rock pieces fell down from the cliff.

Sajun wanted to say something more, but forced himself to shut up.

Talking was putting a strain on his muscles.

He felt death was imminent.

Even after a long time, the other three couldn't pull themselves up.

As if mocking them, messages from the Constellations flooded in.

[Lost Snail: If you let go of that arm, I'll sponsor 10000 Star Force!]

[Absolute Position: I'll add in 3000 as well! Hahaha.]

[Walking On The Edge: Just snap off the hand that's holding onto you! I will choose you as my avatar!]

The four challengers were sharing the channel, so they all saw the messages.

Not a single one of the Constellations were hoping for their survival.

The Constellations just wanted the four to betray one another and see how they will meet their demise.

So the four hated the Constellations, but there was nothing they could do.

The only way to survive now was to listen to the Constellations.

"…Please. I beg you. Let go of your hand. You'll die otherwise. If you get Star Force, you'll be able to move on to the next stage. Once you get first place, our wish will be granted."

Said Gyulu, pleading.

However, they all knew.

Sajun would never let go, and perhaps they will all die here.

They all felt frustrated and knew it was hopeless.

[Red Acidic Elaphe: Hurry up and let go of that arm!]

[Woeful Toad…]

The four didn't have any expectations in the first place.

But the fact that they are a laughing stock to the Constellations hurt the most.

However, they could do nothing.

This was their end.

After silently watching everything unfold, Yoo Seodam successfully organized his thoughts.

'Maybe these guys…I'm not certain, but maybe they can be of use.'

While checking Sajun's profile, Seodam sent them a message.

However, a warning message appeared.

{ Humans can't handle a Constellation's real name, please decide a proper name. }

Proper name, in other words, a kind of nickname used by the Constellations to hide their real names.

Well, I just need one similar to the other Constellations, right?

[Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Year's Day looks at you with interest.]

Good.

I got a nickname.

I think it's similar to the other Constellations, so they're not going to be suspicious, right?

After sponsoring my Star Force to the channel, I sent a message.

[Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Year's Day sponsors 300 Star Force.]

[Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Year's Day: If all four of you become my avatar, I'll save you all.]

Seeing that message.

The four faces, including Sajun, showed a perplexed expression.

The Constellations never approach the challengers without a purpose.

So they thought it was obvious there was ill intentions behind it.

'What the hell is the point in saving us?'

Constellations are simply beings who seek pleasure.

Raising their own avatar and gaining Star Force.

Then giving the Star Force back to their avatar, and watching them compete like dogs.

They can't understand why a Constellation would choose them, who are dying, as its avatar…

"Damn it, we accept! There's no other choice!"

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That's right.

There's no other choice.

This was the only way they saw to survive right now, so they accepted the mysterious offer from the Constellation.

A message appeared in front of Seodam.

{ Congratulations! You've chosen your first avatar! }

{ Wow, even as many as four avatars at once! }

{ Since all four targets did not have 'blessing,' you will be given 4000 Star Force as a bonus!}

Yes, these are the ones that met Seodam's criteria.

Perfect roles with no prior Constellation, ability to confront the protagonist, and a clear goal.

Seodam sponsored them with the Star Force he just obtained.

[Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Year's Day sponsors 4000 Star Force.]

Then, out of the blue he said a sentence that struck like a bolt of lightning.

[Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Year's Day: Priest, use the Star Force to reset your attributes.]

I had a hunch.

The reason why the Constellations liked Arash is simply because he was winning.

But what if he faces hardship?

Or what if he doesn't satisfy the taste of the Constellations?

Will the Constellations continue to watch him?

I became certain after joining the losers' channel.

The regular Constellation viewers were leaving the channel, and only the Constellations who enjoyed watching the four suffer and newly joined ones were inside.

For Constellations, human beings are just that.

Animals trapped inside a zoo for their entertainment…no, perhaps even lower than that.

Just like a bug.

If they can't please the Constellations, they're not worth existing.

{ When their avatar dies, the Constellation will receive a big penalty. }

I see.

But, with my plan, the four won't die.

[Oh? What the hell is going on! Challenger Sajun! All of a sudden he's showing incredible strength!]

Sajun, who had been struggling up to now, suddenly showcased an incredible feet and succeeded in lifting all four members up.

It became possible because he spent as much as 4000 Star Force to reset his attributes and invested it all into the Strength attribute.

[At the last minute, you've all somehow survived by using your remaining Star Force and resetting your attributes! Amazing! Ahah, however, you've failed the stage, so you all have to go back to the entrance of the 7th stage.]

Having been knocked out of the challenger gate, the four bodies slowly blurred.

Their expressions became grim when they heard they had failed.

Only by being the first to clear the last stage will their wish be granted, but now they were behind after having failed the stage.

And even their priest's attributes were a mess.

They knew it was necessary to survive, but now they don't stand a chance.

Is a priest who lost all their divine power still a priest?

Class reset doesn't exist, so now their priest has to either live with his current attributes, or reset it using a large sum of 4000 Star Force again.

Also.

[Hell Watchman Of Flames leaves the channel with great disappointment.]

[Red Acidic Elaphe leaves the channel saying it's not even funny.]

[Fierce Goat Wailing In The Night leaves the channel saying he's sick of it.]

One by one, all the Constellations looking forward to their suffering or wanted to win over Arash began to leave.

There was no reason to watch the four now.

Maybe they were looking for another toy, or going back Arash.

However, one remained.

Seodam.

[Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Year's Day looks at you with interest.]

Slowly floating down, I approached them.

Although the four can't see me in my astral form, my intention was to get a closer look at them.

"…What the hell is it thinking?"

Maybe they thought I was still watching, so they looked up and spoke.

"Why did you save us? Do you want us to live just so you can watch us suffer again?"

[Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Year's Day: If that was the case, I wouldn't have chosen you as my avatar, would I?]

Choosing an avatar is a considerable risk to a Constellation, so it's not done thoughtlessly.

This is because if the avatar dies, the Constellation's 'name' will fracture.

Since Constellations exist in name, they usually only choose challengers that are likely not to die.

For that reason, Arash already has more than 50 representatives.

Constellations sponsor their avatar with skills or Star Force in the hope of growing their name whenever their avatar achieves certain goals.

However, I'm not a real Constellation.

I have no skills or Star Force to sponsor, and there is no point in growing my name.

I only have two goals.

Raise this four-man team high enough to create a crisis for the protagonist.

And earning Star Force through them.

[I intend to get you to first place.]

"…Why? We don't believe you."

[Then, don't believe me. I just want Arash, who's currently in first place, to fall. You're just a step in my goal.]

It's more convenient to draw a line.

And there was no reason to deceive them.

[Do you understand? I'm sponsoring you because my purpose is in line with yours. Don't think too much and just focus on trying again.]

"That…"

Gyulu looked at Sajun who showed a miserable look.

He was indignant towards the Constellation that made him lose all his priest skills.

But…

In the first place, I didn't do anything before you all screwed up.

So just wait a little bit longer.

[Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Year's Day: Everyone, for now you need to reset your attributes.]

From a ruined character, I'm going to fix everyone of you.

Innermost area of the 7th stage.

There was a small dungeon far from the main path, but now the four challengers have arrived here.

Without any obstructions for a week, I've had them earn Star Force by wandering around.

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The Star Force went to me every time the four accomplished a goal.

I invested it all back into them.

This will be my last investment.

The four, each using a huge sum of 4000 Star Force, reset their attributes and distributed it in a different direction.

#1 became an assassin.

#2 became a warrior.

#3 became an archer.

#4 became a tanker.

As expected, it's easier to remember nicknames.

"Why…We held the same class for three years since coming to this world…"

[Just do as I say.]

At a glance, it appears that the classes are a mismatch.

#4 is a small and timid woman while #3 has a large frame.

However, Seodam just had a feeling.

Ever since I started hunting protagonists, my sense has become keen on catching 'talents,' and looking at the four, I felt they were not making use of their talents.

[Just trust me and go in. Don't you want to catch up?]

"Uh."

#4, who had always stood in the back line, now had to guard her colleagues in the front with her shield.

The tension almost suffocated her…

However, her eyes are sharp.

She was instinctively scouting every nook and cranny of the dungeon.

As expected, her composure and quick wit are pretty good.

[Okay. #4, hold up your shield and prepare to block.]

Originally, #4 was a mage.

Just because she added strength and defense attributes, doesn't mean she has the skills of a tanker.

However, the attributes still provided benefits in other ways.

[#1 take out your dagger and load the crossbow at your waist. Your accuracy with the crossbow is bad, but you're agile.]

#1, she believed in her ability and chose the archer class, but her accuracy is known to be the worst among the Rankers.

As an archer, her disadvantage was close range, so she used to defeat her enemies with a dagger.

That's why I decided for her to switch to Assassin.

[#2, take up your fists. You've heard of a monk, haven't you? The ones who are religious, but also go around beating up people. You're a monk from now on.]

From the start, #2, who ate one too many rice cakes, wasn't fit to be a priest.

No, in the first place, the priest class in Arash's world itself is pointless.

Even with their buffs, potions could replace it, so it was better to become another damage dealer.

[#3, raise your bow. Frankly…your flexibility is terrible, but your underlying strength is decent.]

Normally, archer classes have good flexibility.

The flexibility allowed them to efficiently distribute their power using less strength.

However, the power is clearly limited.

#3, who raised his flexibility by putting points into both strength and agility, can now shoot arrows more efficiently.

Although crude, it will have exceptional power behind it.

The reason why I reduced the number of long range classes is because I believe in their talents.

So, I'm making full use of their original classes and at the same time making use of their talents.

[Well then, go on inside.]

There was only one thing I could do for the four of them now.

Instruct.

Other Constellations support their avatars with skills and Star Force, but I can't afford to do so.

No, in the first place, Constellations would not do such trivial things as interacting with their avatars.

Monsters of this world have a pattern.

[Hey! That's just the back of its head! How many times do I have to tell you its back is its weakness!]

[Okay? One hit by that and you'll die. Also, once that attack ends, there's a 5 second window. Aim for the body at that moment.]

[Its joints look like a weakness, right? However, don't be fooled by that.]

I've always been a good observer.

In fact, when I pressed the [etc…] button in my talent list, I saw that I had an Observe (C) talent.

In other words, I'm a genius at observing things.

Or, more precisely, I can easily and quickly understand 'pattern' and 'weakness' of monsters, as well as map out routes.𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝚖

This world was built from a game.

Every monster has no reason or self awareness.

It just moves and behaves according to a predetermined pattern.

To me, who is used to dealing with monsters full of variables, it's safe to say that these 'monsters' are really easy.

Thanks to my support, the four were able to steadily rise much more efficiently in the span of a month than their past three years.

"Ah…"

"Well, it's thrilling. To beat things with a shield."

"Um…the bow doesn't fit my hands and it feels weird guessing where to shoot."

The four stayed in the 7th stage clearing the remaining dungeons, and were surprised when they cleared dungeons that they never thought they could.

Frankly, it had more to do with my support than their classes, but it's fine to let them think otherwise.

Currently, I'm the only Constellation in their channel so I tried not to leave the channel, but now it's time to use the Star Force I've accumulated.

[Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Year's Day: I'm leaving for a moment. I'm preparing for the 8th stage, so take a good rest.]

"Oh yeah? It's just going to be the four of us now?"

After a month, the four have come to trust me unconditionally.

Well, I've taught them a lot.

And, I haven't sponsored them a single Star Force during this time, yet they didn't complain.

The Star Force they've gained in a month from completing goals were more than what they had gained in the past.

[Yes. I have to go somewhere, then I'll be right back.]

"Yes! We'll be waiting!"

Leaving the four of them to themselves, I headed to another channel.

It's none other than Arash's channel.

Upon entering the channel, I saw Arash shouting loudly at the air and aiming his sword at a giant red frog in front of him.

"Everyone, I'll try to cut the Rake Barox's neck within 10 minutes!"

There were still over a thousand Constellations in Arash's channel.

It's not as high as during the ending of the 7th stage, but it's still a considerable amount.

Arash is the only challenger to have reached the 9th stage, so the responses from the Constellations were quite heated.

Heated.

Well, wouldn't it be more fun if you slowly pour more oil?

[Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Year's Day sponsors 500 Star Force.]

[Rice Cake and Dumpling Soup on New Year's Day: If you can do it within 5 minutes, I'll add 5000 Star Force. Deal?]

;)