'Fate of the Indigenous Constellation' had one of the most chaotic narratives. The proud protagonist of that story committed to mending his own disconcerting story, but all his actions don't matter because they all lead to the same path of despair.
You know what they say about fate: you cannot undo what has been done.
Fate is not to be fooled with. It is a stubborn and cruel fortune.
And for the price of defying his destiny, Shen Haoyu was a star stuck in his own eternal story. It was either to continue existing as the protagonist or not to exist at all.
He brought this upon himself.
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Finally, I got it!
The Chrysalis Gaze, Chrysalis Core, Tongue of the Dead, and the wings of a bat (which I may have bought from the constellation of the winged bat) were all of the ingredients required to make one special elixir.
[The constellation 'Wings of a bat' winks at the character 'Woo Hyunho'.]
Umm, this guy has gotten a strange modifier, but we do not judge a book by its cover.
Back to what I was saying...
A simple Synon elixir. This underrated little thing deserves more credit than it does. One drop of this, and whatever is left of your mana—a large or small amount—would last you for four hours.
Isn't that great?
It is perfect since my magical power is higher than my other basic stats. But I might have been a little too greedy...
"Yo, Hyunho! Would you mind telling us what the wizard made?"
This punk Geonsu... I intended to keep this elixir confidential since it was a hardly known booster, but to be fair, they have been generous to me these past few days. They saved me from many inebriants and kept me sheltered.
Sigh...
I guess I should let the cat out of the bag.
But first.
[Character Profile]
「Name: Lee Geonsu
Age: 20
Status: Mortal
Exclusive Attribute(s): Swordsman (Epic), Main Character Syndrome (Rare)
Personal Skill(s):
>>[Loud Criticism Lv. 2]
>>[Wrists of a fencer Lv. 4]
>>[Feisty Feet Lv. 2]
Primary Stats:
>[Stamina Lv. 4]
>[Strength Lv. 3]
>[Agility Lv. 5]
>[Magic Power Lv. 5] 」
Holy crap.
He had the attribute 'Swordsman' already? The last time I remembered that skill was unlocked on the second timeline when Goo Seok was swallowed by the Queen Serpent.
A cold chill was felt down my neck.
If their advancement was this quick, why were my abilities so lacking?
"It's an elixir. It'll be useful for future battles; considering you have a high level of magic power, you'll need it."
I had five bottles of the Synon elixir, as I handed one of them over to the gremlin.
"Here I thought you'd be leeching on us. Is it a reward for saving your ass many times?"
"Just accept it."
"You haven't even explained its contents. How would I know it's not poisoned?"
This little punk...
"It delays the consumption of your mana. Use it wisely."
"Oh yeah? That's not bad for you, I guess."
I should really upgrade my skills. This kid is really looking down on me.
Let's see how many coins I have.
[Your current balance: 2,200]
Hey, it's not so bad.
[200 coins have been used on Strength.]
>> Strength Lv. 2 ⟶ Strength Lv. 4!!
[300 coins have been used on Agility.]
>> Agility Lv. 1 ⟶ Agility Lv. 4!!
[300 coins have been used on Magic power.]
>> Magic Power Lv. 2 ⟶ Magic Power Lv. 5!!
[200 coins have been used on Stamina.]
>> Stamina Lv. 2 ⟶ Stamina Lv. 4!!
[Your current balance: 1,200]
My reckless spending may leave some people speechless, but if it were to benefit me, then I should not have any problems with it.
Still... 1000 coins quickly vanished from my bank. It feels like I'm back home.
[The constellation 'Bank of the Wealthy' shook his head in disappointment.]
That would only mean I'd have to rely on my combat. Killing more predicaments in this universe was totally a pain. Even the monstrous Shen Haoyu struggled without his allies, but even then, he had to sacrifice what was left of what he had: his companions.
You may be wondering, what is my motive for surviving this ruined world?
It's simple! Be Shen Haoyu's beloved companion.
Although that part is most definitely not easy. He might be a protagonist, but he isn't as kindhearted as Goo Seok. To be exact, he is blunt.
If someone is incapable of following his tracks until the end of his story, he doesn't need them. If they could not substitute the places he lacks in, he abandons them. Companions were merely tools for him.
That is why I say it is nearly impossible to get on his good side.
Goo Seok was lucky to be invited into his team before he evolved into someone greater. I wonder if Shen Haoyu would come looking for him any time soon.
Enough of that.
We should get to the next stage of development: the Shenyang Imperial Palace.
Since the story's progression is all over the place, I would like to take the lead on it. I need to take advantage of it before I get left behind. I was already behind on my skills.
If I were going to meet Shen Haoyu, then I should surpass at least one of his companions, like Goo Seok. But for now, I have absolutely no choice but to rely on him and this brat, I suppose.
"Alright, are you ready, Hyunho? Geonsu?"
Speaking of the devil, I informed them of my clever plan but remained vague with the details. But of course, it was going to take time to gain their trust. After all, our first impressions weren't as great as I wanted them to be.
"Yeah, we got everything. So, where are we headed?"
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Oh dear god...
Here we were, standing before a small, vandalised, stinking building in the middle of nowhere that was once considered a convenience store.
What could have possibly happened to this poor thing?
"Hey, do you want to do another challenge?"
"Pfft, let me guess... you want to see who gets the most items?"
"Hell yeah!"
As if they had encountered this many times, they dashed towards the store without a care. Food and water were a need now that the world had finally collided with mysterious beings that came out of nowhere.
So, I understood their intentions.
I approached the shattered entrance at ease before wandering around the store for any supplies. There had to be some leftovers after the apocalypse happened.
Strolling around the shelves, I stumbled upon a picture of a mother and daughter hiding beneath the empty cans. Well, it was not anything useful, but as I glimpsed at the photo, I captured the essence of triumph in just their contagious grins.
Assuming the location, the child had just graduated from a well-known middle school.
Just looking at them...
I shoved the photo deep down in my pocket. There was no time to get emotional.
[The constellation 'Maiden of the Triad' frowns solemnly, missing her daughter.]
"Time's up!"
In the end, Geonsu held the most resources, handling all 10 at once, while Seok had at least 5 materials, and as expected, I was last.
"You know, the loser has to carry all of our items until we get to our final destination."
Rrr... If I had known about that, I would have taken this stupid challenge seriously.
"That is if we don't have a vehicle. Go check the back of the store."
Eventually, we all shared the weight of our treasures and marched towards the already running car before loading them into the trunk.
"Seok, do you know how to drive?"
"Haha, at my old age, I should know how to. Also, Geonsu, go at the back. The adults need to talk."
"But I'm an adult too."
After the small bickering, Goo Seok took over the steering wheel while Geonsu took the seat at the back, and I occupied the passenger seat beside the driver.
Vrrrr...!
As the car started, so did our new adventure wait.
"Hey, old man, play some music or something."
"Lucky for you, I got a few discs earlier. Let's see if this is worth all the trouble."
I caught a glimpse of the disc's title and assumed it was an old-fashioned song.
'Stars at Night' was the song's name.
The song substituted our silence for something much more comfortable, and it did compensate for everything that happened so far.
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As the song ended, Lee Geonsu was also passed out on the backseat. It was funny to think that a man with a loud mouth could actually sleep with their mouth open.
If I had my phone right now, I would totally capture this rare moment.
"Seok, do you have a family?"
Suddenly, the silence was interrupted by a personal question.
"Not really. What about you?"
"Hm, I had a son, but I'm sure you know how it ended."
Oh? Goo Seok had a son. That's something I've never heard of.
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's fine. It's better if I talk about him rather than forget him."
I never really looked further into Goo Seok's story; after all, he was just a character in someone else's story. Listening to it right now made me feel a sense of... guilt and pity.
But even as I never wrote about his story, at least I could listen to it.
"How old was your son before it happened?"
"He was 14 years old. On his 14th birthday, we received terrible news about his health. Chronic illnesses run through our family."
"That kid was as bright as the sun, you know? He lights up every dim room. But what did you think happened to the Earth when the sun died?"
I wanted to respond, but not even words could convey even the slightest amount of the grief he felt.
"That Earth decayed."
In those simple words, it felt like Goo Seok wanted everyone to despair as well. But only I could remain in silence.
"...I apologize for my rude behavior."
"You don't need to. Words are our only pages."
For a moment there, I thought I saw the corner of his mouth curved. I must be exhausted.
[The constellation 'Foreign to the unknown' has taken an interest in your story.]