Return of the Shattered Constellation

Chapter 538: Celestial King, the Father and Son Reunion (1)

Click, click, click―!

<Deus Ex Machina> smiled faintly as he watched the working pocket watch in his hand.

『You seem to be feeling good, my friend.』 His soul friend chuckled.

<Deus Ex Machina> nodded. “I am. How can I not be happy?”

『Well, you’re right. I feel as if it was only yesterday that you were frustrated about not being able to do anything about it, even though you wanted to change it very badly.』

“Whether it’s a high rank or an important job, it’s meaningless when I can’t even take care of my family.” <Deus Ex Machina> smiled bitterly, hanging the pocket watch on a wall.

Click, click, click―!

Hanging beside that pocket watch were several others. Some of the pocket watches’ second hands rotated quickly, while others moved very slowly. There were also malfunctioning pocket watches with destroyed hour hands. Several of them had minute hands that had stopped moving, but their second hands frantically rotated on their own.

<Deus Ex Machina> looked around the room, which he called the ‘Soulwatch Room’. The 'Changgong Library' was the archive of all events and incidents in the Great Universe, but the ‘Soulwatch Room’ displayed the subjective time of many souls spread across the Great Universe, with an endless number of pocket watches that were connected to each other. Each pocket watch ticked at a different tempo.

People believed that time was a fair resource to everyone, but it was actually different for each person. Of course, the amount of time people actually had differed depending on how fast light traveled, but the time flow perceived by people changed based on how they led their lives.

For instance, the sick felt as if time flowed too slowly, while people who wholly dedicated themselves to their tasks felt as if time flew too quickly. Since people were also born with different lifespans, time could never be considered a fair resource.

The role of librarian for the 'Changgong Library' was not the only job <Deus Ex Machina> was trusted with. He was also the watchmaker of the ‘Soulwatch Room’, tasked to ensure that these pocket watches would not malfunction. However, there was one thing that had remained on the mind of <Deus Ex Machina> as he carried out his watchmaker job.

―Cha Ye-Eun.

That name was written on the name tag above the pocket watch that <Deus Ex Machina> had hung up just now. Ye-Eun was his very own sister, but her watch had always been malfunctioning. Even when she had gotten to live a new life through reincarnation and been able to lead a different life with the creation of a new Worldline, Ye-Eun’s watch always ended up malfunctioning.

<Deus Ex Machina> had tried to do everything he could to fix the pocket watch until now. The watch worked for a while after being repaired, but before long, one of the gears became ruined again. Although he wanted to keep a close eye on it and make repairs whenever it was necessary, <Deus Ex Machina> could not, because the job he was entrusted with was too important.

That was one of the reasons why <Deus Ex Machina> had always been torn between his responsibilities as an Emperor and as a brother. The seat of an Emperor was not free, despite what other Celestials thought. Being a responsible brother and fixing Ye-Eun’s watch would have required a lot of effort and a great amount of Causality as the ingredient. As he had to manage the Great Universe’s <Laws of Nature>, Causality was not something <Deus Ex Machina> could use so frivolously.

However, Ye-Eun’s watch had been repaired just now after a very long time. The parts had been malfunctioning for too long, so they still creaked. However, <Deus Ex Machina> could take care of them for her with ease.

『I think you have the best brother-in-law you could possibly ask for. Why don’t you just admit it now?』 His friend giggled.

“…Shut up.” <Deus Ex Machina> grumbled, not willing to admit it despite his slightly reddened face.

『Seriously, you two brothers are the same. Why can’t either of you be true to your feelings?』

“I know you think you’re muttering, but can hear you, you know! And I’m better than my brother. What are you talking about…?!” <Deus Ex Machina> exclaimed angrily.

The friend in the shadow of <Deus Ex Machina> continued to giggle. Comparing <Deus Ex Machina> to <Dull Darkness> was the best way to make <Deus Ex Machina> flip his lid. They were twins, but they hated to hear comments about how they resembled each other. Indeed, their weakness in expressing emotions was the greatest similarity between them. Whenever he talked about Chang-Sun, <Deus Ex Machina> reflexively smiled, but he tried very hard not to. It was very funny.

Even right now, <Deus Ex Machina> continued to glance at a pendulum clock in front of a wall. The size of a watch equaled a soul’s Class. In other words, the pendulum clock’s owner was one of the people with the highest Class in the room.

The ‘Demiurge’ referred to an Administrator that <Deus Ex Machina> wished to have under his command to oversee the Great Universe’s <Laws of Nature>. There were a total of four pendulum clocks, three of which were complete. The last one was also not far away from being completed.

―Universal Dawn.

Looking at the nametag above the clock, the friend quietly chuckled. 『The only thing left right now is for that pendulum clock to be completed.』

The <Pangu Tribe> could arrive within the universe at any moment, so a new Administrator would greatly lessen the concerns of <Deus Ex Machina>.

***

Smaaaack!

“Argh!” Chang-Sun screamed because his lover had suddenly kicked him in the shin.

He was unsure about the reason behind Ye-Eun’s reaction; when he looked at her, he could see that Ye-Eun’s eyes were blazing with fury that was fiercer than hellfire. Unable to say anything, Chang-Sun instinctively staggered backward.

“Which bitch is it?!” Ye-Eun yelled.

“…What?” Chang-Sun could not understand what was going on, his mind turning blank.

“You said we should go and find your son! Which bitch is it?!”

“No… That isn’t…” Chang-Sun trailed off.

It looked as if Ye-Eun had misunderstood Chang-Sun’s abrupt remark to go look for their son. Although Chang-Sun had experienced many Worldlines, Ye-Eun had likely not heard a lot about different Worldlines.

Finally realizing his mistake, Chang-Sun used all kinds of body language to resolve Ye-Eun’s misunderstanding as much as possible. As he elucidated what happened, Ye-Eun sulkily listened with her arms crossed.

Ye-Eun slowly narrowed her eyes. “What you’re telling me is…”

“Y-Yeah…”

“...We’re supposed to have a child.”

“That’s right…” Chang-Sun answered quietly.

“But the <Fate> imposed on us negated our child’s entire existence, so we need to set it straight.”

“Y-Yeah, that’s what I’m saying.” Chang-Sun nodded quickly.

However, Ye-Eun still looked sulky, so Chang-Sun’s mouth dried up. He quickly retraced what he had said to see whether he had missed anything in his explanation. Just then, Ye-Eun suddenly turned in the opposite direction; Chang-Sun was left at a loss, unsure if her misunderstanding had been resolved yet or not.

Suddenly, Ye-Eun casually asked, “Why are you standing over there?”

“Huh…?”

“Let’s go.”

Chang-Sun stood blankly, unable to understand Ye-Eun’s response.

“This child sacrificed himself for us. Even though he’s our son from a different Worldline, he’s still our son, but if he’s locked up somewhere, we should bring him back at all costs,” Ye-Eun said firmly.

Peter losing his existence also meant that he had been deprived of his given destiny and would be separated from all Worldlines. In other words, even if the Chang-Sun and Ye-Eun from Worldline #801 were to get married and have a child, Peter would never be born. A person who was supposed to be Chang-Sun’s and Ye-Eun’s child was disappearing from all the Worldlines.

No one knew what would happen to Peter after that. Since he was not remembered by anyone, he would practically be considered someone who had never existed in the first place. However, he could also end up wandering the Outer Universe for eternity, as he did not belong anywhere.

Ye-Eun wanted to use any means necessary to save her child, who had chosen to sacrifice himself for his parents; it was the same for Chang-Sun. Thus, he nodded and grabbed her hand.

Paahhh―!

Chang-Sun and Ye-Eun spread their wings wide, flying up the pillar of light from the sky. The sight was very beautiful and holy, like a religious icon. Some of the people who witnessed the sight were moved to tears; others prostrated on the ground to recite prayers.

[The Celestial ‘Universal Dawn’ is receiving the Faith of the Server ‘Earth’!]

…

***

“Where are we going right now?” Ye-Eun tilted her head in confusion as she and Chang-Sun passed through a wormhole made of light.

They were quickly passing by various Worldlines. Their Worldline #801 was the first, and Worldline #802, which was on its way to doom, was the next. They could also see Worldline #803, which was going through a similar yet different time.

A Celestial was normally bound to a Worldline they were born in, but the two of them could leave and travel outside their Worldline. That was the indication of how Chang-Sun’s Divine Class was high enough to let him use his Causality as he pleased; on top of that, he had also gathered a lot of <Star Fragments>, which allowed both of them to supersede their Worldline’s restrictions.

“We’re going to Nyx,” Chang-Sun answered.

Ye-Eun’s eyes widened as she asked, “Why are we going to the Outer Universe?”

“The only person who remembers our son is there.”

Whooosh!

When they exited the wormhole, the various Worldlines disappeared from their sight, and the empty void of the Outer Universe appeared, along with Hsan.

Finally. You. Here.

In the center of the emptiness, someone who looked the same as Chang-Sun but exuded an entirely different presence sat upon a throne. Hsan had once been like an enormous mountain, but not anymore.

“Where is Peter?” Chang-Sun asked.

Hsan was the one who had hinted to Chang-Sun about Peter, so he had to know Peter’s whereabouts, or at the very least some clues. However, Hsan was looking at Ye-Eun with mixed emotions, and Ye-Eun could tell that they were lingering feelings, regrets, and sorrow; Hsan seemed to be missing his Ye-Eun too.

Hsan turned to look at Chang-Sun and slowly answered, “He’s with the Threshold Lurker.”

Chang-Sun nodded with a heavy heart after realizing his speculation had been right. Yog-Sothoth was the one to whom Peter had made a contract, and had also given him the key, so the chance that he had been keeping Peter was high.

“Where can I find him?” Chang-Sun inquired again.

“You’re meeting him right now.”

Just as Chang-Sun was about to ask what Hsan meant by that…

Rumbleeee―!

…space suddenly trembled violently. A spatial gap opened up behind Hsan’s throne, revealing an enormous eye.

[The Outer Celestial ‘Resident of the Border’ is looking at you!]

Yog-Sothoth looked down to see Chang-Sun and Ye-Eun.