The Constellation Returned From Hell

The black magician constellation shouted as though he had known it all along. It wouldn't make any sense for humans to negotiate in such a ridiculous way.

-Master. What should we do with those who came as envoys?

Capture them! How dare they try to deceive me? When you bring them to me, I shall spit on them before I execute them!

***

Japan’s Hunter’s Office was an agency under the Ministry of Defense, but its power had grown over time to the point that there were rumors that the Ministry of Defense was actually wary of the Hunter’s Office.

In fact, no matter the country, the institutions in charge of hunters and raids were bound to have a lot of authority. After all, they boasted an enormous amount of military power and wealth.

As such, the officials from the Hunter’s Office were notorious among clans.

-Those officials are so heartless that they’ll ask you to stamp your death confirmation report as you’re dying in a dungeon!

-Look at these guys... They’re low-grade hunters at best, and yet they’re abusing their power and boasting that they are officials!

However, the officials from the Hunter’s Office didn’t care about how much the clans hated them.

-Who else will defend Japan if not us?

Therefore, when the Japanese government secretly tried to negotiate with the black magician constellation, hunters under the Hunter’s Office didn’t hesitate to step up.

‘I finally have a chance!’

Kuroda was a former D-grade hunter from an obscure clan. He had obtained a bureaucratic position by pulling all the strings he could and doing his best to impress his superiors.

Even though Kuroda had received a high position as a secretary at the Hunter’s Office, he had no intention of settling for that. He was aiming for as many promotions as possible!

Those days, anyone could climb up the ladder as long as they had the right skills and connections. Thus, Kuroda didn’t plan to retire as a secretary, but as a vice minister or even minister.

If he managed to reach that level, all the high-ranking hunters who had looked down on him would fall at his feet.

However...

-Catch those cowards!

-You think Master will be deceived by the likes of you?

“???”

The moment the hunters entered the captured area to negotiate, the death knights rushed at them at lightning speed.

The hunters froze when they saw the monsters, who seemed to be at least B-grade, charge at them with killing intent.

“Wait! We’ve come for negotiations...”

-What negotiations are you talking about? You’re nothing but a bunch of cowards! No kingdom in the Abyss would pretend to want to negotiate just to launch a cheap ambush.

“???”

Kuroda’s eyes grew wide in bewilderment. At the moment, all the hunters of the nearby clans had been stationed around the capital to defend it, and they were prohibited from acting as they pleased.

“There’s a misunderstanding...”

-Capture them!

The death knights swung their swords infused with death aura and captured the hunters.

“What should we do?”

“...Fi-first of all, don’t provoke them.”

There was no way that Kuroda, a former D-grade hunter who had long retired, could fight an army of death knights, so he ordered the other hunters not to resist.

His fellow hunters also had no intention of fighting powerful monsters like the death knights, so they surrendered and dropped their weapons immediately.

“The government will soon hear about this and rescue us...” Kuroda trailed off as he suddenly remembered something. In fact, they had tried to negotiate in secrecy.

Secretly negotiating with an evil god constellation to obtain facilities and cores would tarnish Japan’s reputation. Would the government actually try to rescue them if there was a problem?

Kuroda was mistaken. If anything, it was more likely that the government would bury all evidence and state, “That was an unruly act of greed by the officials.”

“No! No!”

-That human is having a seizure!

-This little bastard! He’s finally revealed his true intentions!

***

Several decades had been enough for humanity to achieve several innovations and technological advancements.

On that note, humans had come up with countless tactics on how to deal with monsters ever since the Abyssal gate had been opened.

Of course, there were also strategies on how to attack areas occupied by large monsters, but...

‘It’s not like I can’t do that, but there’s no need to.’

In the current situation, it was impossible to bomb the areas occupied by monsters with missiles equipped with artificial artifacts or have the military provide firepower. It was even more so now that the Japanese government was keeping a tight leash on all hunters.

However, Choi Yeonseung had even better support.

“Then I’m asking you.”

[The ‘River of Mercy’ uses a mighty power of existence.]

[Reality is changing!]

The river constellation used its tremendous power of existence to alter reality.

This good god constellation was well regarded by hunters because of its reputation as a great healer, but at the end of the day, there were no constellations without potential for destruction.

Even the weakest constellations could unleash unimaginable destruction by human standards.

After the river constellation used its power, it soon started to rain, but it wasn’t normal rain, for it damaged all enemies within range.

‘Amazing!’

Choi Yeonseung was genuinely impressed. He specialized in crushing his opponents in one-on-one fights, so he couldn’t help being amazed by such a magnificent wide-area power.

-Your power is also magnificent, successor.

-Thank you.

Choi Yeonseung thought the goddess of sloth had said that just to comfort him, but she actually meant it. Being able to summon wind and rain over a wide area wasn’t the only great power out there.

Unlike the innate power of other constellations, Choi Yeonseung had honed and perfected his power himself. It felt like a masterpiece that no craftsman in the Abyss could match.

“I didn’t expect it to be this great...”

“Truly amazing...”

The Namahage hunters also nodded and murmured among themselves as they admired the power of the river constellation. It was rare even for experienced hunters to witness power of this level.

“I didn’t expect this inferior race to help, but besides being useless, they’re also getting in the way...”

The gray elf, Barbagi, looked at the hunters in disapproval. In response, the hunters lowered their heads in shame.

“Don’t say that. This isn’t their fault,” Illaphael protested.

“They’re from the same kingdom. Seeing that all this time they haven’t done anything about those humans who are trying to ruin our plans, it means they’re either incompetent or despicable.”

Illaphael resented Barbagi’s attitude. “Take those words back, gray elf! How dare you treat humans as an inferior race?”

“...?”

Choi Yeonseung looked at Illaphael with a dumbfounded expression.

‘That angel... Did she forget what she used to say about humans?’

Evidently, when she first met Choi Yeonseung, Illaphael grumbled that humans were inferior...

As Choi Yeonseung kept staring at her in astonishment, Illaphael continued arguing with the elf.

“Indeed, it hasn’t been long since humans started learning magic, but they’re nevertheless an excellent race. Choi Yeonseung here is also human.”

“O-oh, that’s right. I will apologize. I’m sorry, Choi Yeonseung.”

Barbagi bowed slightly and apologized. Choi Yeonseung didn’t want to escalate this problem any further, so he readily accepted his apology.

“I don’t mind.”

“I’m saying this just in case there’s a misunderstanding, but I don’t have any complaints about your command. I’m just angry that humans are sabotaging the situation despite Master’s mercy.”

“No, I get it. It’s fine.”

Illaphael was a bit flustered seeing how quickly Barbagi and Choi Yeonseung reconciled. Choi Yeonseung forgave him too easily...

Illaphael sneaked up to Choi Yeonseung and carefully said, “Uhm... Isn’t that gray elf really rude?”

“Aren’t all Abyssal races like that?”

“...”

Illaphael was speechless.

Uranta, the giant next to him, stepped in. “N-no... Uh, us giants... don’t disregard human beings. Race is irrelevant to strength. O-only arrogant elves and angels have such prejudices.”

“Thank you, Uranta.”

“I-I look forward to your battle. I will watch and learn a lot. Uranta will also get stronger.”

Illaphael’s wings drooped at the sight of Choi Yeonseung and Uranta having a friendly conversation. Why did they think angels were rude...?

***

One of the things hunters had to watch out for when dealing with undead monsters was the energy of death they emitted. Since those creatures had come back from death, they had a unique energy. The stronger they were, the more intense their energy became.

For mortals, this energy of death was directly negating their very essence. It was a negative energy that reduced magic power and vitality just by coming into contact with them!

The household members sent by constellations were all living beings, but they were thoroughly prepared to deal with the undead.

[The ‘River of Mercy’ wraps a cloth of mercy around you.]

[The ‘Arrogant Light Elf’ gives you an armor of light.]

The spells cast by the constellations themselves were powerful enough to repel the energy of the undead. However, Choi Yeonseung felt a bit awkward because of how strong the buffs made him feel.

‘It feels so good that it’s weird.’

Bam!

Choi Yeonseung was the first to charge. The household members gathered there were the ones he wanted to show off his skills to.

-Die!

A death knight leaped out to intercept Choi Yeonseung, his sword radiating a potent death energy. No matter how great his defenses were, Choi Yeonseung would get seriously injured if pierced by that tremendous energy.

Along with a loud noise, Choi Yeonseung’s internal energy bullet hit the sword of the death knight as he was swinging it, changing its trajectory.

At the end of the day, Choi Yeonseung had fought in the Abyss without the protection of a constellation. He had trained to fight undead without any armor or shields that it was second nature to him.

Melee monsters like death knights stood no chance against Choi Yeonseung. It didn’t matter how powerful the sword of the enemy was; it posed no threat if it didn’t touch him.

Choi Yeonseung was experienced enough to not let himself get hit by a simple sword strike.

“Th-that’s great!”

The fight was getting Uranta excited, so he stepped up and started swinging his giant club.

The sheer physical strength of giants was a weapon in itself. Every time Uranta swung his enchanted club, the undead were blasted away as though hit by an explosion.

-This is a household member sent directly by the constellation!

The undead seemed to realize that something was wrong. These household members sent by the constellations were unlike the weak hunters from before.

The death knights, who were commanding the rest of the undead, gave up and retreated. It seemed that they had no intention of fighting when the odds were against them.

“He-here are humans.”

“?”

Uranta pointed to one side with his club.

Hunters, whose hands and feet were sealed with black magic, were forcibly building graveyards for the undead.

‘The undead are using them wisely.’

Unlike monsters, who mainly pursued destruction, constellations usually took the defeated as prisoners. They did that because souls were like property to them.

It was clear that the black magician constellation was capturing people around here and putting them to work to exploit them for faith.

“I can’t believe they captured humans and are making them work like this... Despicable bastards! I can never forgive them!”

“??”

“Free them!”

The other household members looked at Illaphael as if she were a madman. Had she eaten something bad?

Even the hunters of the Namahage clan, who followed Choi Yeonseung to give him support, were a bit embarrassed.

Illaphael glanced at Choi Yeonseung.

“Well done, Illaphael,” said Choi Yeonseung as he nodded. “I’m glad you’re finally taking initiative.”

“Heh, it’s not a big deal. Now, release these humans and take out the potions!”

“N-no... That’s a bit...”

The hunters were even more perplexed. No matter how generous the angel constellation was, potions were too expensive to waste them like that. Those were valuable items that could save a hunter’s life...

‘Don’t they look fine?’

‘Didn’t they just do some work?’

“If you don’t help your fellow humans, then who will?”

“No, Illaphael. It doesn’t have to be like this. You can tell just by looking at them that they’re not hurt.”

“I’ll forgive you this one time!”

“...”

“...”

The hunters of the Namahage clan were seriously wondering if Illaphael was actually an angel. Wasn’t she from a different race that just so happened to have wings similar to those of angels?

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