The Celestial Returned From Hell

“Was it around eight years ago?”

“?”

Lane, a hunter of the Schreiber clan, suddenly spoke. He was usually arrogant and had a dirty temper, causing all types of incidents whenever he collided with another clan.

“I was walking through the East Village in Manhattan. As you know, there aren’t many good restaurants there. I think that was when I first encountered Korean food.”

“......”

“...???”

The hunters in the room cocked their heads, not understanding why Lane was doing this. However, several of them looked startled as if they had realized Lane’s intentions. Was he talking like this now to get some rice?

“I still remember the first meal I had there. Japchae and silken tofu stew. From then on, I fell in love with Korean food...”

“... Are you asking for food?”

Choi Yeonseung asked incredulously. He knew there were many crazy young hunters these days, but he didn’t expect some would reminisce eight years into the past just to ask for food. However, Lane confidently nodded. Shamelessness was one of a hunter’s abilities, and he was very good at it.

“In any case, those present here don’t know the taste of Korean food. Doesn’t that make me more qualified?”

Lane’s words angered the hunters around him.

“What?”

“I’ve been eating bibimbap ever since I was in my ■ing mother’s belly! You dare look down on me when you laughed at an article introducing the famous restaurants of New York?!”

‘Does this situation really call for a fight?’

The evil god constellation’s household member likely hadn’t even done something. The hunters here were just fighting because they wanted to eat fried rice.

“... Don’t fight. I’ll share it with everyone who wants some.”

“Ah. Really?”

“There’s no reason to fight, then.”

The hunters calmed down frighteningly quickly.

[Being worshiped has increased the power of your existence!]

‘... Are these humans that greedy?’

Even Choi Yeonseung, who was doing well in terms of increasing his power of existence, found it absurd!

***

After eating their fill, the hunters once again split up into groups by clan. However, the atmosphere was now much softer and more relaxed. The hunters who previously didn’t exchange looks with each other unknowingly became quite tolerant of the other’s presence.

“Hunter Choi Yeonseung. How about staying here until the other Icarus clan hunters come? The New York Fires kids over there don’t have any healers.”

“We have healers! How dare you tell such a lie?”

“I saw the Ambitus clan over there failing the raid. If you stay with them, you could get caught up in it.”

“Do you want to die? How about I kill you guys before killing the monsters?”

… Although the atmosphere had become a bit more bearable, the words exchanged were brutal. It even became more intense because of Choi Yeonseung. All the hunters in the area had the same thought.

-We have to keep Choi Yeonseung!

They thought he was a strange and rare hunter from the past at first, but he now looked like a five-star chef.

Jules, who signed with the evil god constellation, became a bit nervous. “We don’t have to keep Hunter Choi Yeonseung with us, right?”

“What are you saying? Aren’t you the one who ate the most fried rice earlier?”

“......”

The other Ambitus clan hunters rendered Jules speechless and embarrassed. He knew the other person was an enemy, but the dish was really delicious. It was a shame he had to kill Choi Yeonseung!

‘The atmosphere suddenly became weird because of him.’

Everyone was tired, exhausted, and nervous just a while ago, but they all looked happy and brimming with energy now that they were full. Their magic power had even been replenished! It was easier for Jules to execute his task when they were wary of each other. Hence, this situation made him a bit nervous.

“I don’t know how long we have to stay in this dungeon, but we should stop at nothing to keep him with us.”

“That’s right. Aren’t we better than the New York Fires? Considering he’s in the Icarus clan, scouting him will be difficult.”

“Our scouts should bring in hunters like him. Why do they only select the common ones?”

The Ambitus clan hunters were already immersed in Choi Yeonseung’s abilities. If possible, they wanted him to join the team! The unexpected atmosphere made Jules even more perplexed.

‘Are they saying that just because they received a meal?’

Seeing such picky and arrogant people doing this was unbelievable. Of course, Jules himself thought it was a waste to kill this person considering the food, but...

“?”

“!”

The hunters in the area all looked away. The hourglass in the middle of the clearing had started to produce sounds. It vibrated and rattled as it began unleashing magic power.

“Prepare for combat!”

“Roger!”

The hunters, who were resting, urgently raised their weapons and prepared to fight. Jules also hurriedly prepared to take out his dagger.

Fight when ready!

[Time is up. The ‘Knight of Defeat and Sloth’ has revealed itself.]

The stone pillars that looked to be part of the ruins disappeared, and a knight made of rocks appeared above the summoning circle. The knight had a helmet, armor, sword, and shield, all of which were made of rocks!

“......?!”

Hunters tended to become nervous whenever they came across a monster they hadn’t encountered before. They looked at each other to see who would attack first and with what magic. Even Jules behaved the same way.

‘Should I attack now? I don’t even know what that monster is. We should probably kill it first before I make my move...’

-I am the knight of the Goddess of Defeat and Sloth. Who will be the first to be tested?

‘!’

Flustered, the hunters present didn’t notice it, but Choi Yeonseung did. This knight...

‘A minion of a constellation!’

Goddess of Defeat and Sloth was clearly the knight’s master. Moreover, this dungeon was known as the Sanctuary of Defeat and Sloth...

‘Could it be a trap made by the evil god constellation? No, it wouldn’t set a trap like this.’

Building a dungeon required a large amount of power of existence. Choi Yeonseung was a constellation, so he could guess how much was consumed. From the perspective of a constellation, each hunter would be like an ant. There was no need to invest so much to kill some insects.

‘What is this dungeon, then? Is it just a place from the Abyss that unluckily got summoned?’

The knight continued to speak slowly as Choi Yeonseung contemplated things.

-Who will be the first to take my test? I am waiting.

“Stop talking nonsense. Attack!”Lane, the most short-tempered hunter stepped up. While the knight was talking, magic power fluctuated around him, seemingly having already finished preparing magic.

The Schreiber clan’s hunters had cast the 5th-circle magic Privity’s Rock Spear, a destructive magic spell that tore apart its target using a rock made of magic power. Rather than casting it alone, Lane did it with other hunters.

‘That’s pretty good.’

A spell’s power increased when a group of people cast it together.

Considering how skillful he was at doing this, Lane was fully qualified to raid this dungeon. His selling his past for a spoonful of fried rice was still very shocking, though.

The rock spear flew with an eerie sound. It had a force that threatened to instantly crush the knight. However, it stopped before the knight and disappeared instead.

“!”

“!!!!”

Lane and the other hunters were shocked. They wouldn’t have been so surprised if the knight just blocked the magic. However, it completely undid the spell. Without moving at all, no less! How was that possible?

‘Is it an A-grade or S-grade monster?’

‘Could it be a great demon?’

Unlike those surprised, Choi Yeonseung was calm.

‘The power of existence.’

If this was the Goddess of Defeat and Sloth’s territory, and the knight was her minion, then It could borrow the goddess’ power of existence. The power of existence was an all-around force that could alter reality. Hence, such a feat was possible with it. The knight looked over. Lane was proud, but he instinctively flinched and cowered at its gaze.

-Only one person at a time can take the test.

“I-I see...”

-You have been chosen.

“Wait! Wa—”

The knight swung its sword before he could finish talking. Lane was teleported before the knight.

‘Forced teleportation?!’

The hunters froze. No hunter could use magic that forced others to teleport. The skill of this monster clearly exceeded B-grade.

-Are you ready? I will begin.

As soon as the knight aimed its sword, Lane collapsed.

“?!?!”

-He has failed the test. I will test the next challenger.

The knight summoned the Schreiber clan’s hunters one by one until all of them had fallen.

-Who is the next challenger?

“U-Ugh.”

Lane came to his senses and stood up. The other hunters urgently questioned him. They thought he was dead at first. Fortunately, he was fine.

“What happened? What did that bastard do?”

“I-I don’t know. It aimed its sword at me, and I suddenly felt weak and unable to move.”

‘The power of defeat and sloth!’

The realms of a constellation were tailored according to that constellation’s name. There was probably a power skill associated with defeat and sloth.

“What should we do? Try an attack?”

“If we attack, we will be forced to take the test.”

“The level of this monster is much higher than I thought. I would rather find an exit...”

The hunters around the knight whispered among themselves. In the meantime, Choi Yeonseung stepped forward.

“I will challenge it.”’

“!”

The hunters were stunned. Didn’t he see what happened to those who challenged it? He was either brainless or fearless.

“Choi Yeonseung, stop! It’s dangerous! The Schreiber hunters were lucky to survive, but you could die!”

“That’s right. I don’t care if Schreiber collapses, but I don’t want to see you die!”

‘These ■■ bastards...’

The Schreiber clan’s hunters became furious. Being a hunter was a cold and heartless job that made them ignore members of a different clan dying before their eyes, but it was still annoying to hear it openly. Nevertheless, they understood these actions toward Choi Yeonseung. To be honest, they also would’ve stopped Choi Yeonseung from stepping forward. It didn’t matter if another clan collapsed or not...

However, the test had already begun. The knight pointed its sword at him.

-Okay. Are you ready?

“Yes.”

-I will start.

[The Knight of Defeat and Sloth has used ‘Bondage of Sloth’.]

For a moment, he felt like his will had slipped out of his body. His will to move, fight, win...

They all disappeared and were replaced with the desire to be lazy. However, Choi Yeonseung was a constellation—the Undefeated Incarnation of Training.

‘Come to think of it, we have opposing attributes.’

He had no intention of risking his pride as a constellation and losing to an opponent like this. Above all, this Bondage of Sloth wasn’t a skill that could be resolved using magic power or internal energy. It was a skill that could only be resolved with strong willpower!

Choi Yeonseung took a step forward. It was just an ordinary step on the surface, but it contained the commitment he had never lost even while wandering in the Abyss for over 10,000 years.

I want to be strong.

I want to be stronger!

At that moment, he was released from the ‘Bondage of Sloth.’

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