༺ 𓆩 Chapter 3 𓆪 ༻
「Translator — Creator」
᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃
The Ceremony of Resonance.
A hidden phenomenon triggered when one brings a holy relic to the land where the roots of its Constellation origin are embedded.
‘Even broken, it’s still a holy relic.’
A resonant voice boomed from within the pocket watch.
It had been half a gamble—but one that paid off handsomely.
〔Little mortal. That pocket watch is my holy relic.〕
“I know. That’s exactly why I summoned you.”
〔And still, you dared commit such blasphemy? Even knowing?〕
“If I hadn’t, would you have appeared at all?”
Yujin knew the Constellations well.
Immortal beings, basking in the adoration of mortals, existing eternal and unchanging. Even one as diminished as Chronos, once mighty, still bore pride so immense he refused to share a table with mortals.
“This is the only way to shock you into showing yourself.”
〔And if the relic had shattered under the strain, then what?〕
“It’s already broken.”
〔……?〕
A strange gleam shimmered faintly from the surface of the pocket watch.
〔It truly is…〕
“If it’s you, then you know exactly what it means when the watch is broken.”
〔Little mortal. Did you… truly turn back time?〕
“As you can see.”
Yujin gave a casual shrug.
“To be honest, I owe you. If it hadn’t been for this relic, I would’ve died for nothing.”
A miracle—that was what regression was.
He had received a second chance, all thanks to the design hidden within Chronos’ relic.
“And so, I’ll give you a chance too.”
〔A chance?〕
“Become my patron constellation.”
〔Little mortal. Did you speak those words in earnest?〕
“I always mean what I say.”
A pause stretched out.
Then, longer than the silence that followed his fury, Chronos erupted into laughter; thunderous, full-bodied laughter that shook the very earth beneath them.
〔Kuhahahaha!!! Quite the jester, aren’t you, little mortal.〕
“What’s so funny?”
〔To ask a Constellation to sponsor one who has strayed from the natural order… what a delightful absurdity.〕
As expected.
The Constellations were all stiff-necked bastards, rigid as if their necks were encased in iron; even if Chronos had fallen from grace, he had once been a King of the Gods.
A Constellation on par with Zeus and Odin—of course he’d refuse.
“Fine.”
〔You’re taking that rejection rather well.〕
“I’m strong enough without a patron constellation. Didn’t the activated watch prove that?”
〔Indeed. You achieved the 9th Star Rank using nothing but your own mortal strength and wisdom, unaided by any constellation’s backing.〕
“Yeah, something like that.”
Yujin slipped the broken pocket watch back into his pocket.
〔Wait. Where do you think you’re going?〕
“We’re done talking. You refused my offer, so I’m leaving.”
〔Little mortal. Leave the relic behind.〕
“Why?”
〔Without it, I cannot communicate with others of your kind!〕
Yujin’s lips curled into a lopsided smirk.
“Did I ever say it was on loan?”
〔Listen well. That watch was mine long before it came into your hands!〕
“Then come take it yourself. Why should I return it?”
Without a hint of hesitation, Yujin turned away, striding across the ruins of the Palace of Knossos.
Bzzzzmm—!!!
The tremor of the watch grew even more intense.
〔Little mortal. Don’t do this.〕
“You’re not even my patron constellation.”
〔If you take the relic—my only link to this world—how am I to communicate with mortals again?〕
“It’s not really my concern.”
〔How wicked you are!〕
Really now.
It was a bit rich hearing that from the same cruel father who swallowed his own children in a vain attempt to escape a foretold downfall.
‘So this is the last holy relic left on this land.’
And to think he just blurted out his weakness without even being asked.
That makes negotiations all the more convenient.
‘Push too hard and he might bolt. Time to dangle a carrot.’
Yujin turned back, casting a glance toward the ruins of the Palace of Knossos.
“Don’t you want revenge?”
〔Surely, you’re not asking me that?〕
“Don’t answer a question with another question.”
〔…I am one who has lost everything to the usurper. What point is there in vengeance now?〕
Even with that trembling voice, it didn’t sound the least bit convincing.
Yujin decided to provoke Chronos further.
“I expected more from a King of the Gods. This is all you’ve got?”
〔What did you say?!〕
“I came here thinking at the very least, you wouldn’t have given up on revenge.”
The heartless father who devoured his own offspring upon hearing a prophecy of his fall; there was no way a being like Chronos would have let go of the desire to reclaim what was taken—no way he had forsaken vengeance.
〔Speak your wish.〕
“I’ll say it once more. Make me your patron-bound, and I’ll help you take your revenge.”
〔Foolish child. Even if I aid you, what power could you possibly wield to tear down the glory of Olympus?〕
So you do care about revenge.
How terribly dishonest.
“One of my enemies is Zeus.”
〔Are you speaking truthfully?〕
“I am.”
The Romanov Family was the one that directly harmed Yujin.
However—
It had only been possible for them, a Russian-based powerhouse, to project power into a Far Eastern nation like Korea because the Seven Great Houses turned a blind eye.
‘Better to assume all seven are enemies.’
One of the Seven Great Houses—the Karamanlis Family, rulers of Eastern Europe.
Most of its members had patron stars from Olympus.
And their reigning patriarch, Aden Karamanlis, was acknowledged as the divine avatar of Zeus.
“If I bring down the Karamanlis Family, Olympus’s influence on Earth will surely wane.”
〔That seems a paltry goal to be calling it my revenge.〕
“Then don’t join me. No one’s forcing you.”
〔Hmph. You came to me because even you cannot fulfill your revenge without my help.〕
“There’s no shortage of fallen constellation like you.”
Yujin’s bluster sent a ripple through Chronos’s emotions.
The relic tucked in his pocket began to tremble in response to the Constellation’s shifting heart.
〔Very well. Let us entertain the notion that I choose to sponsor you.〕
Entertain the notion, he said.
Half-convinced already, yet his pride still wouldn’t let him speak plainly.
Yujin stifled the laugh that nearly escaped his lips and waited patiently for Chronos to speak again.
〔Ordinarily, for a Constellation to bestow their blessing, the recipient's abilities and the Constellation's essence must resonate to some degree.〕
“That’s right.”
〔But I possess no power or origin tied to resisting the natural order. How, then, could I grant you my support?〕
Just as Dmitri learned magic from Odin,
each Constellation chose hunters whose natures aligned with their own origins and domains.
Raw strength alone was never enough to claim a patron constellation.
‘That’s why I was always turned away.’
Even Constellations who presided over death—like Hades or Osiris—had found no harmony with Yujin.
That was precisely why...
“I came to you. The god who once governed harvest and time.”
The Grim Reaper.
A figure cloaked in darkness, scythe in hand, reaping lives like crops in the field; the very image conjured in Europe at the mere mention of death.
“The archetype of the Reaper stems from the act of harvest.”
〔And what does that have to do with me?〕
“Time and harvest. Intertwine them, and you arrive at a concept that defies death itself.”
Time and death—two forces that visited all equally.
And once, they were both symbols of Chronos.
〔You wish for me to reverse the essence I once ruled.〕
“Glad we’re on the same page.”
To transgress the natural order—an unclaimed, abandoned domain.
If one were to invert and clash the two principles once governed by Chronos, perhaps the fallen starlight could be reclaimed.
“Isn’t the theory solid?”
〔So you foresaw all this before coming to me.〕
“If it doesn’t suit you, don’t do it.”
But the chance to make a fallen star rise again—to reignite its light from the abyss—was right in front of him.
No way he'd walk away from that.
Even if the domain in question was scorned by all Constellation, a realm of defiance against the natural order itself.
‘An offer you can’t refuse, right?’
Yujin waited in silence for Chronos’s answer.
The sun dipped below the horizon, shadows stretching long across the earth.
〔I will become your patron constellation.〕
Chronos had accepted Yujin’s proposal.
༺ ♰ ༻
[The Harvester has become your patron constellation.]
[This Constellation is not registered in the Pantheon. No blessings have been granted.]
Even with Chronos as his patron, nothing had fundamentally changed for Yujin; the essence of a blessing lay in divine power—[Divinity].
And with all his powers and authority stripped away, Chronos had nothing left to offer.
〔How cruel, to state it so plainly!〕
“Well, it’s true that my Constellation’s utterly useless.”
〔You truly are an incorrigible wretch.〕
“Enough talk. Start accepting the energy I’m channeling.”
Yujin channeled his soul power into the [Damaged Pocket Watch of Chronos].
〔Ho… so this is the nature of a power that defies the natural order.〕
"Don't just marvel at it. Do your job."
He had only ten units of soul power.
Unless he leveled up, this consumption rate meant he’d be drained dry in under a minute.
〔Don’t rush me. A king must act with dignity.〕
Following Yujin’s impulse, Chronos collided the essences of [Time] and [Harvest], and restructured the flow of soul power into a new stratum.
Krrrr—!!! BOOM—!!!
A shift stirred deep within the fallen Constellation.
The concept of Regression—an attribute long unclaimed by any divine being—took root within Chronos.
And in that moment, the dimmed starlight of the fallen god began to glow anew.
[The Divine Name of your patron constellation has changed.]
[Harvester → Giant of Heavenly Reversal]
[A new constellation has risen in the Pantheon.]
〔Kuhahaha!!! At long last, the endless night has passed, and I have returned!〕
“Boast all you want, but you still can’t grant me a single blessing.”
Yujin wasn’t disappointed.
This was all going according to plan.
‘Even if he’s returned as a Constellation, there’s no one worshiping him.’
Constellations—
Beings of legend or myth who, through their feats and renown, carved their presence into the heavens, becoming stars.
Each Constellation governed domains aligned with their legacy—
From forces of nature like the sun and sea, to physical traits like strength and agility, and even abstract emotions like love or rage.
‘Chronos never built a single myth tied to the concept of resisting the natural order.’
No legends.
No mythos. No stories.
Not even a scrap of devotion linking him to such a domain.
The only thread Yujin could grasp was the medieval European notion of the Grim Reaper—just enough to scrape by the conditions.
‘If I’m his only believer, then I’ll have to craft his feats and myths myself.’
Once he reclaimed his former strength from before the regression, it wouldn’t take long to accumulate new achievements aligned with the concept.
The stronger Chronos became as a Constellation,
the stronger the [Blessing] granted to Yujin would become in turn.
〔Contractor. Worry not.〕
“Contractor?”
〔Indeed. You are my one and only devotee—and the mortal with whom I’ve made a pact. Is that not an appropriate title?〕
Chronos cleared his throat with exaggerated gravitas.
〔It seems I have found a way to assist you.〕
“You can finally grant me a blessing?”
〔No. As I said just moments ago, you are my only follower. Therefore, you are eligible to receive divine revelation.〕
A searing light spilled from Yujin’s pocket.
It wasn’t hard to identify the source—it was the [Damaged Pocket Watch of Chronos], glowing with radiant intensity.
〔I name you my Vicar—a Saint.〕
A Saint?
The moment Chronos’s declaration etched itself into Yujin’s mind, a pulse of power—unlike anything he had felt even in his previous life — crashed down through the crown of his head.
“Ghh… Ahk!”
〔Accept it. It is the essence of power born from my newly governed concept.〕
[Your patron constellation has designated you as their Saint.]
[Unique Trait – White Night has been added.]
[Class changed: Necromancer → Saint of the White Night.]
As divine power surged through him, pouring into every fiber of his being, Yujin lost consciousness.
༺ ♰ ༻
When he opened his eyes again, countless stars reflected against his pupils, as though the cosmos themselves had descended upon his vision.
〔How frail mortals are. To struggle so with even this small gift of power…〕
“Who told you to pull a stunt like that without warning?”
A Saint, he said?
There was no mistaking the title.
The highest rank among the clergy classes.
His arrogant, pigheaded Constellation — on a whim, it seemed — had squeezed out what meager power he had to name Yujin his priestly agent.
“A Necromancer turned priest? That’s just absurd.”
Gritting his teeth, Yujin opened his status window to assess the newly acquired changes.
◎ Class – Saint of the White Night
You are the chosen Saint of the Giant of Heavenly Reversal. The efficiency of divine spells powered by the Giant’s power increases by 30%.
You can use Necromancer-class skills without class penalties.
◎ Newly Acquired Trait
White Night
Allows the user to reverse and switch between Divine Power and Soul Power at will.
Grants compatibility with both cleric and magic-based equipment and skills.
◎ Skill
Life Drain
Type: Divine Spell
Inflicts death-aspected divine power to drain the target’s life force. The stolen vitality can be used to enhance the body or stored for healing other targets.
“…Huh?”
White Night.
Even Yujin — who once stood at the very pinnacle of all Hunters before regression — had never heard of such a trait; the ability to convert between divine power and mana?
Wait a second.
‘Doesn’t that mean I can use both Necromancer and Clergy-class spells?’
Insane!
Had he not reflexively clamped a hand over his mouth, he would have shouted in sheer disbelief.
Divine spells required divine power to cast.
Necromancer magic, on the other hand, relied on soul power.
‘This trait is completely broken.’
When casting divine spells, he could channel divine power.
When using Necromancer skills, he could swap his stats through the ability granted by White Night.
He hadn’t expected to gain a unique trait that allowed him to harness more than 100% of his abilities.
〔Do you approve, my Vicar?〕
“So, you didn’t just name me a Saint without a plan.”
〔Kuhahaha! Though I have fallen, I was once a King among Gods.〕
Well, considering the magnitude of what he’d been given, he’d let the boasting slide—for now.
Even the class title, [Saint of the White Night], was nothing short of extraordinary.
It completely negated any class penalties.
Granted, that only meant the penalties were removed—
Ordinarily, someone in the clergy class would find it difficult, if not impossible, to even learn magic-based skills like those of a [Necromancer].
‘But I’ve already figured out how to handle that.’
His lips twitched upward in a smirk he couldn’t suppress—an involuntary response to unexpected fortune.
‘Alright, let’s take a closer look at the divine spell.’
Then, as he re-read the description for [Life Drain]—
“…Is this really a divine spell?”
A spell that siphoned the life force of another?
That sounded more like a curse than a blessing.
Just from the description alone, it reminded him of the dark magic spell [Vampiric Touch].
The key difference?
It allowed the stolen vitality to be stored—either to heal others later or to enhance one's body.
And more importantly, it had the potential to boost his stats.
‘I’ll need to try it firsthand to truly understand.’
Obtaining the unique trait [White Night] meant he was starting off in a far better position than in his previous life.
So he wasn’t about to nitpick over a strange divine spell.
‘The divine spells are just a bonus.’
With [White Night], he could now freely use clergy-class abilities.
But in the end—
He was a Necromancer at his core.
‘Bonuses are nice, but I can’t lose sight of who I am.’
With preparations complete, there was only one thing left to do—grow stronger.
For Hunters, the most straightforward path to power was through monster hunting.
‘And at this point in time… that place should do nicely.’
His next destination was Myeongdong.
There lay a gate concealing a mystery that would only be known far into the future—
[The Ancient Garden].
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