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CHAPTER 6: I Became the Successor of a Constellation.
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6
[Successor of the Nameless Constellation]
[Ability: Communion with Ancient Beings]
[Summon: Ancient Slime Lord]
[Warning: The 12 Constellations and their Successors may detect your presence]
‘The Nameless Constellation… a name not among the 12 Constellations.’
Being a Successor of a Constellation usually meant receiving the blessing of one of the 12 Constellations. But the Nameless Constellation. What kind of being could it be?
‘One thing is certain,’
He must not reveal that he was a Successor. The status window's warning to "be wary of the 12 Constellations" still echoed in his mind. Revealing himself rashly would do no good. It would only increase the danger.
Now was the time to quietly build his strength and gather information.
***
“So, what happened?”
Suyeon’s voice brought Minho back to reality. Pulled from his reminiscence, he lifted his head.
“Ah, work was just a bit more complicated than usual. It gave me a lot to think about.”
“Complicated?”
“Yeah. I guess you could say I’ve been given a new kind of responsibility.”
Minho answered vaguely. It wasn’t a lie. He had truly shouldered a weighty role. It was just that its scale was far greater than Suyeon could ever imagine.
‘A new responsibility?’
Suyeon mulled over Minho’s words. As his younger sister, she knew him well. Minho wasn’t the type to exaggerate or embellish his work.
If anything, he often downplayed things to keep her from worrying.
“Bug brother, did you get a promotion?”
“Well, something like that.”
Minho’s ambiguous smile. It wasn’t a lie. In a way, he had been ‘promoted’ from an F-Rank cleaner to a Successor of a Constellation.
“Does that mean you’ll get a raise?”
Suyeon’s eyes sparkled. It was a direct question, but her concern wasn’t the money itself. Her big brother’s salary was her treatment fund. It always weighed on her mind that he was continuing such difficult work because of her.
“Probably. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Suyeon studied Minho’s expression, and her eyes suddenly lit up.
“Big brother, could it be…”
“What? What is it?”
Minho was flustered. Could he look different because of the Constellation’s power? The warning said the 12 Constellations could detect him, but surely Suyeon couldn’t, right?
“Seeing the life back in your eyes and how bright your expression is, don’t tell me!”
Suyeon dragged out her words, a meaningful smile on her face.
“You got a girlfriend, didn’t you?”
“…Where did that suddenly come from?”
“You can’t fool my eyes. You said you had a special experience at work today.”
Suyeon said with a voice full of conviction. Now she was laying out her reasoning like a detective.
“You met her at work, right? Ah! Big sis Jiyeon? Tell me, are you dating her?”
“…Seriously, since when did you get so sharp?”
A dry laugh escaped him. It seemed his worries were for nothing. Suyeon wasn’t thinking about constellations or systems at all; she was just thinking about a normal relationship.
‘Right, this is what’s normal.’
The tension slowly drained from him. Even if she was his closest sibling, there was no way she could notice something so unrealistic.
“big dis Jiyeon, from what I hear, she seems like a nice person. But did you confess first, Oppa?”
“No, that’s not it…”
“Then she asked you out first! She must be a very forward person!”
Suyeon said with a look of wonder. If a coworker was willing to make the first move, it must mean his reputation at work wasn’t bad. She’d heard that workplace relationships were the most stressful, so this was a relief.
“Suyeon, that’s really not it.”
“Hey, it’s fine. But you have to introduce her to me first.”
Suyeon’s expression suddenly turned serious.
“I have to make sure she’s treating you well. You’re so naive, you could fall for any woman who’s just a little nice to you.”
‘Who’s the naive one here?’
Minho forced himself to swallow the words he wanted to say.
“What do you have to check?”
“I’ll vet her for you. First, where does she live? How tall is she? What’s her personality like?”
Now she was starting to grill him. She seemed even more excited than he was. It was absurd at first, but as he quietly watched her, a small smile spread across his face.
Just moments ago, his mind had been a mess with everything that had happened, but listening to Suyeon’s ridiculous worries made his heart feel much lighter.
He had to become stronger, if only to protect this ordinary daily life.
“Big brother, why are you smiling? I’m being serious.”
“It’s nothing. You’re just cute.”
“What, don’t say weird things all of a sudden. It’s giving me goosebumps.”
Suyeon rubbed her arms, overreacting.
“But for real, when are you going to introduce me to her? You can bring her with you next time.”
“Suyeon….”
Minho took Suyeon’s hand.
“Thank you. For always worrying about me.”
“What’s this? You’re making me flustered all of a sudden.”
Suyeon turned her head away, embarrassed. But a smile played on her lips.
“Alright, big brother, you should get going. You have that check-up tomorrow, right? I need to rest early.”
“Okay. Call me as soon as you get the results.”
Minho stood up and waved.
“Sleep early.”
“Yeah, you too, big bro.”
Suyeon waved back, seeing him off.
“And be good to big sis Jiyeon!”
***
After arriving home, Minho took a quick shower and lay down on his bed. The events of the day felt like a dream.
‘It’s been a really long day.’
The shining crown. The Successor of a Constellation. The encounter with the Ancient Slime. And his own transformation.
On the outside, he was still an ordinary 28-year-old man. The past three years were spent as an F-Rank cleaner, not a Hunter. Could he really change now?
‘But something has definitely changed.’
He felt a subtle shift somewhere in his body. It was as if something that had been dormant was waking up. It was still a vague feeling, but it was a definite change.
He also felt bad about lying to Suyeon. Seeing her joke about him having a girlfriend made it even harder to tell her the secret.
‘And there’s still so much I don’t know.’
What kind of being was the Nameless Constellation? Could it be the 13th Constellation? Or a Constellation that existed in the past and then disappeared? Why did he have to be wary of the 12 Constellations?
He had many questions, but no way to find answers right now.
‘For now, let’s just quietly build my strength.’
As he turned slightly to his side, his gaze fell on a photo album on his nightstand.
A younger version of himself, and Suyeon. And their parents, who had been the two siblings’ shelter back then.
‘Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to protect Suyeon.’
The chaotic events before and after his Awakening. Forcing down the thought that he missed his parents more than usual today, Minho tried to sleep.
Fatigue quickly washed over him, and his consciousness began to fade. He felt his body being pulled somewhere. As if sinking into deep water.
***
“Huh?”
When Minho opened his eyes, he was not in his familiar studio apartment.
In an endless expanse of darkness, there was a vast, circular space. The floor was as smooth as black marble, and the ceiling was too high to be seen.
And in the center…
“A training ground?”
An armory with various weapons lined up. Several types of Training Dummies. In the distance, a giant hourglass was slowly turning.
“What is this?”
Minho got up. He was sure he had fallen asleep in his bed, so how did he end up in a place like this?
‘Is this a dream?’
He touched the wall. A cold, hard texture met his fingertips. It was too vivid to be a dream. He stomped his foot on the floor, and the distinct sound of hard marble echoed.
‘It’s not a dream. Then where am I?’
Looking around, he saw weapons neatly arranged. The Training Dummies were of various sizes and heights.
The giant hourglass turning in the distance seemed to be a device related to time. He couldn’t understand how he had come to such a place.
Kyu?
Just then, he heard a sound. He turned his head to see something small and compact bouncing on the floor.
“Hey, you’re…?”
It was the Ancient Slime he had met in the Dungeon, Minho’s first Summon. When he first saw it, it was the size of a building, but now it was much smaller. Its cute size and squishy appearance were quite adorable.
Kuuu
The slime didn’t run to Minho like a puppy. Instead, it circled his ankles cautiously, as if exploring like a cat.
“Whoa, you’re soft.”
Minho smiled and picked up the slime. Only its size had changed; it had the same soft texture as before. It was squishy yet resilient, making it fun to touch.
“How did you get so cute? You were so intimidating outside…”
At that moment, a thought struck Minho like lightning.
‘Wait a minute!’
He had been told that a Summon normally stays in a specific space and can be called upon when needed. And he hadn't summoned this little guy. But if the Summon was here…
“Could it be?”
The moment Minho muttered, a system message appeared.
[Welcome to the Successor's soul space]
“It really is….”
Minho read the message and looked around again. Only then did it all make sense. This was that special space where his Summon resided.
‘To think a place like this existed.’
It was fascinating yet awkward. Ever since becoming the Successor of a Constellation, every moment has been a series of surprises.
Kuu?
The slime looked up at Minho and made a sound. It was as if it were asking, ‘Do you get it now?’
“Yeah. So this is where you stay. You must have been lonely here by yourself.”
Minho gently stroked the slime. Before becoming his Summon, this ancient being must have endured an endless amount of time alone inside a seal.
The thought that it would have to continue its lonely wait here as well, until someone called for it, pained his heart.
“I’ll try to bring some other Summons quickly. So you won’t have to be alone.”
Whether the slime knew Minho’s feelings or not, it simply rested quietly in his arms with a coy air.
“But what should I call you? It feels impersonal to keep calling you Ancient Slime. I think you need a name.”
At Minho’s words, the slime lifted its head and met his gaze.
“Hmm, you’re cute like this now, but your original form was huge. There can't be any other slime bigger than you. Wouldn't that make you the Slime King?”
Minho fell into thought. Naming things, it seemed, was not his strong suit.
“King Slime... 'King' feels a bit awkward. How about just King? Do you like King?”
Kuuu!
The slime let out a happy cry. It clearly liked the name.
“Alright. King it is.”
Minho smiled and lifted King into his arms. But as soon as he gave King a name, a strange change occurred. A faint light shimmered from King's body, and a system message appeared.
[You have bestowed a name upon your Summon]
[The Summon's name is 'King']
[You can now learn a portion of the Summon 'King's' abilities]
Minho's eyes lit up. To think he'd get a benefit like this just from giving it a name. Was this how the blessing of the Nameless Constellation manifested?
[Objective: Absorb the slime's 'Body Enhancement' ability]
‘Body Enhancement….’
He remembered how it had protected him and cleared a path during the Dungeon collapse. To think he could learn the very ability that had saved him from being crushed to death.
“King! Can you teach me your ability?”
...Kuu.
King slipped out of Minho's arms.
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