972 Episode 58 Myth-grade Constellation (4)

I informed Jung Heewon that I had discovered Lee Dansu’s name within the 'ranking records'.

She was already shaken by the sheer scale of the game we had witnessed, but the news regarding Dansu ahjussi left her truly stunned.

"So he’s actually... still alive?"

"It is highly probable."

"But what on earth is that 'bush'?"

As I was mentally searching for a way to simplify the explanation, it was Anna Croft who spoke up on my behalf.

"As you saw during the match, a 'bush' is a localized event zone that generates randomly in each arena. Fundamentally, it's a place for participants to hide, but special events can trigger depending on the specific properties of that bush."

"Ah, so like that thicket from earlier..."

Anna Croft nodded, acknowledging Jung Heewon's realization.

"The one we entered was a 'Chaos Bush'. It possessed the properties of 'Observation Prevention' and 'Probability Reduction'."

"Then is this 'Missing Bush' something similar?"

"The Missing Bush can manifest if very specific conditions are met, though the probability is infinitesimally low. Selena Kim attempted to track it down in previous scenarios, but she never succeeded."

I had expected as much. I had also tasked Selena Kim with investigating the phenomenon, but I hadn't truly expected the Missing Bush to surface so soon.

"Then what's our move? We have to find that bush to get to Dansu ahjussi..."

This time, we had to find the 'Missing Bush' at all costs. Fortunately, Anna Croft already held the key.

"The probability of a Missing Bush appearing is lowest in a 'Small Battlefield'. To find one, we need scale."

The skirmish arenas were categorized into small, medium, and large formats. While most matches were held in the 'small' format, medium or large battlefields were occasionally triggered when multiple teams formed massive alliances or special events occurred.

"When a 'Large Battlefield' opens, the likelihood of a Missing Bush manifesting increases exponentially."

In other words, to rescue Dansu ahjussi, we had to force our way into a Large Battlefield. Jung Heewon spoke up, her voice steady with newfound resolve.

"Dokja-ssi, you've already cleared your 'Preliminary Battle'. I'll handle the search alone."

"No. I can’t let you walk onto that battlefield by yourself. Anna Croft and I will go with you."

Anna Croft, seemingly resigned to being dragged back into the meat grinder, looked at me with a pensive gaze. However, it was Jung Heewon who interjected first.

"You shouldn't be participating in the 'Battlefield' anymore. You've already satisfied the entry requirements for the upper-level scenario."

"Even if the conditions are met, there's nothing stopping me from re-entering. Just as the other constellations have done—"

"Have you forgotten what you just did?"

Jung Heewon asked, gesturing toward the chaotic roar of Valhalla Hall.

"Do you think those bastards will leave you alone if you set foot in the arena again?"

The wails of the constellations who had lost their fortunes filled the air. By now, the stars had likely gauged the extent of my power. If I returned to the battlefield, they would be waiting for me, fully prepared.

But I was in no position to compromise.

"Heewon-ssi. If our positions were reversed, would you have let me enter that battlefield alone?"

"That’s..."

"I feel the same way. I have no intention of leaving my comrades to die while I watch from the sidelines."

Jung Heewon's expression shifted subtly at the word 'comrade'.

She cleared her throat and spoke again.

"Fine. If that’s how it is, Dokja-ssi... but on one condition. You must enter the same battlefield as me. You stay by my side. Understood?"

"I understand."

"Then I’ll go ahead and see if I can find anyone else to fill the team. I doubt we'll have many volunteers, given the circumstances."

Anna Croft waited until Jung Heewon had walked a significant distance away before speaking.

"She cares for you quite deeply."

"I feel the same."

Anna Croft smirked, her eyes searching mine.

"I suppose she still has no idea how truly devious you are, right?"

"Yes. I’ve played the part well."

"She’s going to be terribly disappointed eventually."

"My plan is to never get caught."

Anna Croft let out a sharp, sarcastic laugh.

"Then why did you let me find out everything about you?"

"Because you already knew I was a bad guy, didn't you?"

She looked at me with a flicker of genuine agitation in her eyes. I met her gaze and asked simply:

"Will you join me on the next battlefield?"

It was an absurd request. I was asking someone who had just crawled out of hell to jump right back into the fire. But I had to ask.

"I really need you. Both for this skirmish and the main battlefield of 'Ragnarok'."

"You overestimate me. My [Future Sight] is blocked—"

"[Future Sight] isn’t the only weapon in your arsenal."

People mocked her for losing her prophetic edge, but Anna Croft was a formidable incarnation even without her foresight. Even Yoo Joonghyuk, who despised her, would have been forced to acknowledge her raw competence.

Anna Croft looked at me for a long moment before letting out a weary sigh.

"Your lip service is exhausting. It’s not like I have much of a choice anyway... so, is your grand goal to rescue your old friends from the arena?"

"Exactly. Are you in?"

"Getting there is one thing, but we have a more immediate problem to solve first."

"I know."

Forming a team was fine, but to save Dansu ahjussi, we needed to actually find a 'Large Battlefield' to enter. Such stages were rare and didn't open easily. Especially with Valhalla Hall in its current state of disarray.

"I have an idea."

Fortunately, our brilliant Anna Croft already had a plan.

When we returned to the heart of Valhalla Hall, we were met by Skuld and the rest of the Golden Dice Hall staff. Behind them, bowing as if in apology, stood Mitra—the Lord of December 25th and Chairman of Valhalla. It appeared he had managed to stabilize his incarnation body in the interim.

"We meet again."

Mitra looked even more gaunt than before. He had clearly burned through a massive amount of probability just to solicit my help.

"Why did you vanish earlier? Did the Round Table summon you?"

Mitra’s eyebrows twitched, clearly not expecting me to be so blunt.

"I haven't seen it personally, but I've heard the whispers."

It was a hazy memory, like a dream that felt both distant and vivid. The moment I had ascended to 'Myth-grade', I had caught a fleeting glimpse of the Round Table—the seat of the mythical constellations.

In truth, 'round table' felt like an inadequate description.

It was a terrifyingly black, elongated oval. In a sense, that table was a universe unto itself—a vast, dark void that expanded without end.

"Aren't you also a mythical constellation?"

"May I ask what happened to you?"

As I suspected, Mitra's current state was the result of his encounter with 'Snowfield Kim Dokja'.

He continued, his voice laced with bitterness.

"Which path did you choose?"

That was his answer. He hadn't given up on his story yet. He was dreaming of the day he would reclaim his place in the great narrative and exact his revenge.

"You said you’d stand on my side if I helped you."

"Then tell me exactly what you want."

"Are you asking me to act as if the bet never happened?"

It was a bold request. I decided to test him.

"And if I refuse?"

"Are you planning to fight me?"

Mitra stared at me with unblinking eyes before slowly shaking his head.

That wasn't quite the level of assurance I needed. I pushed a bit harder, provocation in my tone.

"I've dismantled your constellations from <Veda> several times now. I’ve killed 'Thunder-Eater' and the 'General of Vanara'. And yet you claim you won't hold a grudge? Are you being sincere?"

He was serious. He was testifying to me using the full weight of Valhalla Hall’s reputation. It was time for me to make my move.

"I cannot simply walk away from the entire bet."

"Let’s turn it into a debt."

"You’re afraid that if every constellation who lost their coins is dragged to the 'Main Battlefield', the entire ecosystem of Valhalla Hall will collapse. Am I right?"

Mitra's silence was his confirmation. I continued.

"So, I’ll lend the D-Coins back to them. I will return my winnings to the losing constellations as an interest-free loan."

Mitra stared at me, clearly not expecting this particular curveball.

"If they have relics or stories of value, I can appraise them myself and write off the debt accordingly."

"Something like that."

Mitra let out a bewildered laugh. In truth, I was simply proposing to do exactly what the 'Golden Dice Hall' had been doing since its inception.

"If I return the lost bets as debt, they won't have to pay up immediately."

Settlement. It was a specific mechanic within Valhalla Hall.

It was effectively a residency tax for constellations who preferred to linger in the 'Preliminary Battles' indefinitely rather than risk the 'Main Battlefield'. Even now, stars were being forcibly dragged to the front lines because they couldn't afford their stay.

Mitra, having listened in silence, asked with a hint of skepticism:

"I never said I'd just hand them over."

"There are conditions."

And this was the crux of why we had come to Mitra in the first place. As the brilliant Anna Croft had said:

A star capable of opening the gate we needed.

"Open a Large Battlefield for us."

As the Master of Valhalla, Mitra possessed that authority. He widened his eyes, clearly weighing my intent.

"That's the plan."

If I died, their debts would vanish. Naturally, more constellations would flock to the arena just for the chance to kill me. I had already accounted for that.

"It doesn't matter. It'll just make for a better bet."

Mitra looked at me with genuine curiosity before nodding.

Mitra raised a hand, and his power began to churn. The entirety of Valhalla Hall shuddered as a massive, swirling quagmire formed in the center of the stadium.

The power of creation. A battlefield was being forged within that swamp, like a primordial soup being stirred. Dirt spread under a canopy of artificial starlight, and life began to flicker into existence upon it.

The moment a microcosm of the universe began to take shape—

Tuduk.

A sound echoed, like something being wrenched out of place in the far distance.

Only Mitra and I heard it. It was the sound of space-time creaking, tangling upon itself.

Mitra’s whisper was drowned out by a violent storm that suddenly tore through the dark sky of Valhalla. Fragments of stories were being sucked from the storm and dumped into the stadium. No, those weren't just stories.

The dense clusters of information that dictated [Fate] were pouring down like a deluge, overwriting the shape of the battlefield.

The land Mitra had carefully crafted was instantly reduced to a graveyard of ruins. Dark clouds choked out the clear sky.

Even without Mitra saying a word, I knew whose hand was at work.