The Divine Twilight's Return

Chapter 299: Star, the Source (8)

「Chanaz! I missed you so much!」 Dria jumped into Chanaz’s arms.

Smiling gently, Chanaz unknowingly hugged Dria in response.

Armand, who was standing beside them, also faintly smiled. 「... We’re getting our sisters back one by one.」

「Armand…」

「You’ve gone through a lot, Chanaz.」

Chanaz nodded with a heavy heart. Just like what Armand had said, she had gone through too many hardships ever since she got captured by Munseong. Her gentle smile soon disappeared, replaced by a grim expression.「But our other sisters are…」

Their sisters within the first, second, and third cryptical books had been converted into <Starlight> and absorbed by Heoju and Munseong. Moreover, among them, the one with the Quirinale clan’s power ended up becoming an energy source to create a portal.

The fact that they weren’t rescued became a heavy burden to Chanaz, the guilt that she was the only one who survived emerged deep from her heart. But…

Tap!

「Don’t worry too much.」 Armand grabbed Chanaz’s shoulders, realizing what was on her mind.

When Chanaz looked at Armand with her trembling lips, Armand continued, 「He… will save our other sisters too.」

Chanaz somehow knew whom Armand was talking about. ‘He’ had to be the one locked in an intense battle against Heoju right now, the one who saved her from danger earlier. He had gray hair, navy-blue eyes, and a sword in each hand. What was the name he told her to call him by?

「… You’re talking about Father, right?」

「Cough! Cough, cough! Y-yes, Fa…ther.」

Armand cleared her throat with a slightly reddened face before she referred to Chang-Sun as her father, perhaps because she still found calling him that awkward. Nevertheless, her eyes were filled with trust as she watched Chang-Sun. Although their first encounter wasn’t exactly pleasant, she had absolute faith in Chang-Sun—more than she did with anyone else.

‘Father… He protects me from hardships in the world, provides me with shade to rest in, and is loved by Mother. It is only right that I call him father,’ Armand thought.

「Father will save them,」 Armand said firmly. 「Someday, he’ll save Mother too.」

Dria and Chanaz’s eyes widened, but they soon nodded and grabbed each other’s hands. Although they had no doubt about their father’s victory, they desperately wished he wouldn’t get hurt.

* * *

Woosh, woosh, woosh…!

The fight between Chang-Sun and Heoju was intense. When Chang-Sun aimed for Heoju’s forehead with the [Yuchang Sword], Heoju stopped it halfway through with [Nothung] and deflected it to the side. He then tried to cut Heoju’s waist with [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth], but Heoju distanced himself from him.

They hunted and got hunted as they continuously looked for a weakness they could shove their sharply-edged weapons into. Only one would come out alive of this battle.

Swish, swoosh, swish―!

Clang, clang, clang!

[The Skill ‘Windstalking Tiger’ has been activated, closing in on your enemy.]

[The Additional Skill ‘Cruel Tiger’s Venomous Fang’ has been activated!]

[The Authority ‘Monster Excursion’ has been activated, warning you of danger!]

…

[The State ‘Cruel Tiger’ has been changed to the State ‘Fierce Tiger’, activating the Additional Skill ‘Fierce Tiger Charging’!]

[The Additional Skill ‘Black Tiger Obstinacy’ has been activated as a counterattack!]

…

[The Additional Skill ‘Jackal Tiger Spite‘ has been activated, scanning your enemy’s weakness!]

[The State ‘Strict Tiger’ has changed to the State ‘Mountain Tiger,’ significantly increasing your defense!]

…

Chang-Sun’s and Heoju’s fighting techniques were similar in many ways. Some even seemed duplicated.

『You… I gave those techniques as gifts, so how can you use them like this?!』

One of the reasons was that Chang-Sun had joined the White Tiger Clan, Heoju’s <Order>, and learned every part of Heoju’s skill tree. However, he actually found traces of ‘Divine Twilight’ in many of the techniques Heoju was using right now.

“You gotta be kidding me. Who copied whom?” Chang-Sun frowned.

Heoju idolized ‘Divine Twilight’ so much that he followed in his footsteps. He even went to and gathered Ithaca’s <Starlight> on Earth because it was Twilight’s home planet. Having spent all his efforts into becoming the new ‘Divine Twilight’, many of his creations now resembled the fiend. That was especially evident in his nine [Tiger Forms], his Traits and Authorities.

[Fierce Tiger], the [Tiger Form] that boasted supernatural strength, was similar to [Landslide].

[Jackal Tiger] and [Cruel Tiger] increased one’s tenaciousness and belligerence like [Despising Weakness].

[Roaming Tiger] and [Strict Tiger], which enhanced one’s judgment, resembled [Blood Law].

[Mountain Tiger] and [Four Tigers] increased one’s stamina and defense, just like [False Belief].

Like [Storm Era], [Black Tiger] allowed one to mix various kinds of Skills and attack their enemies in diverse ways.

And [Dream-Eating Beast] was the form of a fight-obsessed fiend—‘Divine Twilight’ himself.

[Dream-Eating Beast]

A tiger that harbors ill omen and ferocity. In this state, the ominous tiger becomes a mountain king that no one dares to challenge.

· Type: Trait

· Effect: Utmost wickedness. Malevolent belligerence.

The [Dream-Eating Beast]’s Effects were the two phrases that were often used to describe the fiend named ‘Divine Twilight,’ who unleashed hell in the Myth War. Heoju basically plagiarized Chang-Sun. Each of his creations was an imitation of the Inverted Pentagram, the five trademark Authorities of ‘Divine Twilight.’

Chang-Sun wasn’t sure why but didn’t give it much thought either when he learned Heoju’s techniques without any difficulties. After all, he didn’t expect Heoju would copy his techniques so blatantly.

A deity stood alone, and a <Star> shone on their own. That was why it didn’t make any sense for their kind to imitate another. Chang-Sun also thought that way, so he didn’t find anything weird until he mastered the [Dream-Eating Beast], the ninth and last [Tiger Form], and finally noticed the similarities.

“You’re a copycat.” Chang-Sun sneered at Heoju.

Heoju didn’t just blindly imitate the Inverted Pentagram, though. He interpreted the Authorities in his own way and recreated them with his own additions. Hence, his nine [Tiger Forms] were basically the Inverted Pentagram’s upgraded version.

‘... but that’s all there is to it.’ Chang-Sun scoffed.

The Inverted Pentagram’s upgraded version meant that they were still the Inverted Pentagram. ‘Divine Twilight’ could have also created it if he hadn’t plummeted.

On the other hand, ever since he plummeted, Chang-Sun had been acquiring and learning various techniques instead of just immediately restoring his Inverted Pentagram. [Triple Samadhi Fire], [Thousand Toxin Immunity], [Divine Thunder Body]… Chang-Sun embraced new techniques and built a colossal vessel, which he filled with the <Darkness> he obtained.

Chang-Sun’s new Inverted Pentagram was nothing like before. He incorporated the Secret Darkness Techniques into them and continued to upgrade them, altering them so much that it was now hard to find the original Inverted Pentagram in them.

『How dare you…!』 Heoju tightly gritted his teeth.

His bloodshot eyes were blazing up with anger. He wanted to rip Chang-Sun to death. Nevertheless, from Chang-Sun’s perspective, Heoju just basically had his super secret diary discovered by the last person he would have wanted to. Humiliation, inferiority complex, shame, anger… Many emotions flashed across his eyes.

“I don’t know why you tried to copy me this much.” Chang-Sun distanced himself from Heoju. He then pulled out all his swords on his belt and threw them in the air. The [Yuchang Sword], [Zhan Lu Sword], [Chunjun Sword], [Tiamat’s Snaggletooth], [Balmung], [Gram], Nameless Short Spears, Nameless Saber, Nameless Knife… They all pierced into the ground.

Stab.

Stab, stab…!

Chang-Sun stood in the center of the weapons, smirking. “I’ll teach you that no matter how hard you try, you’ll never defeat the original with that kind of inferiority complex.”

Chang-Sun gestured at Heoju with his hand to come at him, making Heoju lose his cool.

『I’ll kill you, Twilight!!!』

Boom!

Heoju darted toward Chang-Sun again with [Nothung] shaking fiercely in his hand. As his eyes filled with murderous intent, he transformed back to his tiger form.

[Your enemy is overflowing with the desire to kill you!]

Chang-Sun leaned forward a little as he watched Heoju, whose desire to kill him increased exponentially. ‘It won’t be easy.’

Even though Heoju was a copycat, he had half of Ithaca’s legacy, which was intended for Chang-Sun. With the <Starlight> of a <Shining Star>, a treasure that every <Star> wanted to have, in his possession, he should not be taken lightly.

That was why Chang-Sun stirred up Heoju’s anger. He had to cloud Heoju’s judgment as much as possible to make the hunt easier.

Yes, this was a hunt.

‘I can’t lose to a fake.’

Chang-Sun would teach this copycat the inevitable difference between the original and a copycat.

* * *

Creak, creak―!

Creeeak.

『N-no…!』 Wu Yong screamed in despair when his lower body was cut.

Trying to escape, Wu Yong tried to crawl away, but the sound coming from above him put him in more despair.

『I wasn’t exactly expecting to see something from you.』

Thanatos, the King of the Underworld, was watching him.

『However, this is still pathetic. The Knowledgeable Star is known as the smartest among the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits, yet you’re a mess now.』

The sound of Thanatos clicking his tongue echoed throughout Sanjiva. He wanted to see the ace up Wu Yong’s sleeve, but Wu Yong responded pitifully instead.

『You people were going after R’lyeh, so I thought you made some big, thorough preparations. It seems I was wrong.』

Thanatos opened up one of the Eight Narakas[1]. Although it was only the first one, Thanatos would have to use up a lot of his power to open up even just the first one, but he did it anyway for two reasons. The main reason was so he could spread the news that he had been watching <Heaven> for a long time now, which would serve as a warning for the <Horoscope> and <Purple Star Astrology> Celestials and bait for everyone who still hadn’t given up on R’lyeh. That was also why Thanatos hadn’t made a verdict for the idiotic <Purple Star Astrology> strategist yet. And…

『I knew it… There they are.』

Thanatos looked up to the sky as if someone he had been waiting for just arrived. His eye curved in a crescent shape, showing just how happy he was.

Ping!

Ping…!

One after another, star signs bejeweled Sanjiva’s smoky sky.

.

[The Celestial ‘Tai Wei Yuan’ takes down the barrier over Sanjiva to look inside!]

With ‘Tai Wei Yuan,’ one of the Three Enclosures of the <Purple Star Astrology>, as their leader…

[The Constellation ‘Azure Dragon’ is standing by.]

[The Constellation ‘Vermillion Bird’ is responding.]

… constellations appeared in the eastern and southern sky.

[The <Purple Star Astrology> demonic Celestials have descended!]

Kieeeeee!

The first one to appear was a bizarre-looking bird engulfed in fire from the southern sky. Thousands of meteors followed the bird as they descended, creating a sight more grotesque than beautiful.

Among the Twenty-Eight Mansions that protected the four cardinal points of the <Purple Star Astrology>, seven of them ruled the southern sky—Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wings, and Chariot Mansions. Merging them together created the Vermillion Bird of the South, one of the Four Symbols of the <Purple Star Astrology>.

The Azure Dragon of the East showed up after the Vermillion Bird. It was the monster created by merging the Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Winnowing Basket Mansions. Baring their ferocious fangs, the Azure Dragon glided down to the ground.

However, the Vermillion Bird and Azure Dragon weren’t the ones who caught Thanatos’ attention. It was the beaming five-year-old-looking boy sitting on the Azure Dragon.

“Hehehehe, this is going to be really fun, isn’t it?”

Despite the innocent smile, Thanatos was well aware of the boy’s hidden insidious side.

『The guest of honor has arrived.』

The boy was ‘Tai Wei Yuan,’ the head of the <Purple Star Astrology>.

『It is only proper that I welcome him.』

Thanatos closed his eye.

Paaah…!

At the same time, a gust of sandy wind blew where Thanatos’ eye was, revealing a pale man. Behind him stood an army of ferocious soldiers with red faces led by two divine generals—Ox-Heads, Horse-Faces[2], and Yakshas[3] from the Purgatory Plane.

[The Celestial ‘King of the Underworld’ has descended!]

Thanatos personally led his army.

1. The number of Narakas varies per religion. The concept of Narakas can be commonly found in Buddhism, but it also exists in other religions like Hinduism and Jainism(an Indian religion). ????

2. They’re the guardians in the underworld that appear in Buddhism. ????

3. In Buddhism, they are the underworld’s soldiers, but they are also often depicted as bloodthirsty monsters. Their depictions differ depending on the mythology or religion they appear in. ????