Chapter 324: Your Exclusive Music Box (3)

The first thing I did after choosing a Constellation to serve was reject their love confession.

“I love you, Mr. Gong-Ja. Please date me.”

“

Ah

, I can’t do that,” I answered immediately.

“Damn it!”

[Your Exclusive Music Box is angry.]

The young fox stomped on the floor in anger. Those who hadn’t seen this before may not know, but a fox playing whack-an-invisible-mole on the floor was incredibly cute. My Constellation was really cute.

“You don’t think I’m cute, do you?” the Constellation asked.

“No, you are.”

“Am I not lovely?”

“You’re endearing,” I said right away.

“You like the form I’ve taken and want to make me happy, so no brainwashing or manipulation can affect you?”

“Everything you said is true.”

The fox jumped up and grabbed my collar. “Then that’s love!”

They shook me back and forth. Those who hadn’t experienced this might not know this, but a fox clinging to a person’s collar and squeaking was unbelievably adorable.

They shouted, “Love me now! Love me right now! Make me happy, human! Make me happy!”

Well, I really wanted people to know how cute my Constellation was.

[Your Exclusive Music Box is using the

Endless Universe.

]

[

Endless Universe

is attempting to alter your emotions.]

[Failed!]

[The Skill conditions have not been met.]

“It won’t work, my Constellation...” I murmured.

Endless Universe

manifested our imagination. What I was imagining was the Constellation’s happiness. As long as I hoped that happiness would take place in reality and not end up as a delusion, no distortion would occur. In short, I wanted the fox god to be happy in reality even without the

Endless Universe,

so

it would continue to be active without distorting the reality until our eternal death.

“

Ugh...

” The fox clutched their head. “This is strange. Mr. Gong-Ja, you’re the strange one, yet I’m being treated like I’m an immature, strange Constellation. Isn’t that weird? If this isn’t love, then what is? What is love? What is it?”

“Youth is when you can ask that question.”

“Then I’ve been young for thousands of years. Spring is too damn long[1]. I’ll suffocate on pollen before summer even arrives.”

“My god, your mouth is getting a little dirty. You’re cute enough to be forgiven even after slapping other cuties in the universe a few times, so I don’t think the way you speak matches your adorableness. Maybe you should speak more like a fox. What does the fox say?”

“Do you know the sounds that foxes make, my follower?”

“Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow?[2]”

“That song is old. The rhythm is off, too,” the young fox said coldly.

Foxes could be quite expressive. Once again, I learned a new thing. Indeed. I was like Socrates climbing the Tower.

The Guardian sighed.

—

The concentration level of bullshit around Kim Zombie skyrocketed.

“What does that mean?”

[Shiny also asks what it means, trying to join the conversation.]

[Your Exclusive Music Box is contemplating a fox’s cry.]

—

How in the world did you gather these thirty-one flavored lunatics? Is this legal? Zombie, is your existence legal? To me, it seems like it should be illegal.

The thirteen-square-meter room became crowded with one person, one sword, one desert fox, and one ghost. It was the most perfectly balanced group of four in history.

“I guess we don’t need to stay here any longer,” I said.

Above all, the room was too cramped.

“

Peep, peep.

” the fox replied.

It seemed like they had finally decided on the way a young desert fox should sound. In my opinion, it was evolutionarily and probably also physically incorrect, but the fox seemed very satisfied.

“

Peep, peeeeeep.

”

“What are you saying?” I asked.

“

Peep.

”

I immediately understood what the fox meant.

[Your Exclusive Music Box is the Constellation that also rules the sixty-first floor.]

[Your Exclusive Music Box has assigned you a quest.]

Before my eyes, grains of sand rose and gathered to form letters.

Spoon-Fed Quest

Constellation: Your Exclusive Music Box.

Difficulty Level: F

Goal: Stroke the head of the Constellation you serve.

※ You must do so with all your heart.

“

Peep.

” The fox raised their chin confidently and proudly.

I smiled and stroked the fox’s head with all my heart. “Yes, I understand.”

As my hand glided over their platinum fur, it rippled gently.

[The quest has been cleared.]

No Hunter had probably ever completed a quest faster than I did. I could be called a speedrunner. That was, if I didn’t count the lives of Raviel and Teacher that I had to relive.

[Congratulations!]

[The sixty-first floor has been cleared.]

A scene unlike anything I had ever seen before unfolded. A sandstorm blew, but the sand wasn’t bitter when I inhaled it, nor did it sting my eyes. It carried only the sweet scent of desert roses. The faint fragrance of flowers that had bloomed under the sun and drunk only dew lingered in my nose. Until now, white light had always surrounded me when I headed to the next floor.

It’s probably because I started to serve a Constellation.

The Constellation could no longer use any powers; they could only stay by my side. Still, that was what a constellation in the night sky was supposed to do. That was enough for me. I was happy to smell the scent of roses every time I went to a higher floor.

It’s not bad.

I let the sandstorm engulf me.

[Sending you to the next floor!]

Tick.

The last sound I heard was the ticking of the wall clock that was left behind in the small room.

[You have entered the sixty-second floor.]

A new floor. I had spent only about a week on the sixtieth floor in reality, but the sound announcing my arrival was loud.

[The Labyrinth-Dwelling Eye has detected your presence again!]

The Constellations seemed to have been tracking me all along. After all, I had made quite an impression on the fiftieth floor. I had made contracts with over ten Constellations at once, even though they were temporary. Whether or not the Constellations had made a contract with me, it was hard for them not to take notice of me.

[The Labyrinth-Dwelling Eye has alerted the other Constellations about your arrival!]

Yet my presence had been lost on the sixty-first floor because of the fox god’s

Endless Universe.

We had been completely sealed off and isolated in a world made just for the two of us.

Not even the other Constellations knew of the fox god’s existence or had any idea of their power. Perhaps the other Constellations were left wondering what had happened, unable to make sense of it. Now that I returned as if nothing had happened, they were frantically sending me messages.

[The Labyrinth-Dwelling Eye has invited you to become an official follower.]

[The Eternal Plains Warhorse has invited you to become an official follower.]

[The Lonely Seeker has invited you to become an official follower.]

[The Incarnation of Love and Lust has invited you to become her apostle!]

Some familiar names that I hadn't seen in a while appeared in the messages. Although I couldn’t see them, I smiled at them. “How have you been?”

[The Labyrinth-Dwelling Eye asks where you have been hiding all this time.]

“I wasn’t really hiding, but the full story is a bit personal. I’ll keep it a secret.”

[The Incarnation of Love and Lust is offering you the position of apostle!]

“

Oh

, right. About that...”

The fox jumped onto my waist and climbed onto my back.

“I’m already serving a Constellation.”

The fox curled up on my shoulder. Then, they gently wrapped their tail around my neck. From a distance, it looked like I was wearing a golden scarf.

“

Peep.

” The fox rubbed their head against my cheek.

[The Death King is the only follower of the Constellation Your Exclusive Music Box.]

[Your Exclusive Music Box respectfully requests the other Constellation to know their places.]

[The Lonely Seeker is silent.]

[The Eternal Plains Warhorse is silent.]

[The Incarnation of Love and Lust is silent.]

Only the soft rustling of the fox’s tail echoed in the silence as my Constellation grinned. After a long while, one of the other Constellations sent messages.

[The Labyrinth-Dwelling Eye politely asks Your Exclusive Music Box where the heck they came from.]

The first impression couldn’t get much better than this.

“Alright, everyone. Please calm down a bit...” I said.

[Your Exclusive Music Box answers that they really like snake wine.]

"Snake wine? Why snake wine?”

The Guardian answered my question.

—

The Labyrinth-Dwelling Eye, Hishimit Kritz, is a snake god, Zombie. In short, your Constellation has replied with a species-discriminating insult.

“

Ah

, so that’s why...”

[The Labyrinth-Dwelling Eye swears to kill you!]

“... the reaction is so violent.

Hmm.

”

It seemed that my fox god was antagonizing the other Constellations to prevent them from getting any funny ideas.

[The Incarnation of Love and Lust says she has never heard of a Constellation like Your Exclusive Music Box.]

[Your Exclusive Music Box replies that it’s because the Incarnation of Love and Lust’s rabbit ears are not working properly.]

[Your Exclusive Music Box expresses their sympathy for the Incarnation of Love and Lust, who clearly seems to have no one to clean her earwax regularly.]

[The Incarnation of Love and Lust swears to tear you apart.]

It was amazing.

“Is Babbit..."

—Yup, she’s a rabbit god. As far as I know, she takes pride in her ears, claiming they’re the most beautiful things in the universe. She laughs off insults targeting her and her parents, but she flies into a rage when her ears are insulted.

“I see. Can you compare it to something else so I can have a better idea of how serious this is?”

The Guardian seemed to seriously ponder this.

—

Um... It’s like insulting Raviel in front of you.

What? Was my fox god trying to destroy the universe?

[The Eternal Plains Warhorse advises everyone to calm down.]

[Your Exclusive Music Box is concerned that seeing the horse face of the Eternal Plains Warhorse would make their face longer.]

[The Eternal Plains Warhorse is preparing for war.]

This was bad. The number of forces antagonizing us was increasing at an alarming rate. Had someone insulted Raviel, I would only choose to show that person a living hell. If I had to bother talking with them, it would be after I made hellfire rain down on them. The Constellations would feel the same.

How should I resolve this misunderstanding?

—Your god is a Constellation who manipulates the world for their own joy. What’s there to misunderstand? Did you think they would respect the other starheads? Except for you, they probably think of all other lives in the universe as ants.

I was going to ignore what the Guardian said. It wasn’t good for my mental health.

I desperately tried to divert the fox’s attention. “W-why don’t we focus on clearing the floor, my Constellation?”

“

Peep.

”

“Wooooow, I wonder what kind of place the sixty-second floor is. Is there a ruling faction like the Magic Tower? I’m curious! I’m so curious that I’m going to go crazy! I’m going to lose my mind! There would be a Constellation in charge of this floor, right? Who could it be? I hope it’s a normal, friendly Constellation this time. I’m really curious—”

“There’s no need to be curious,” a voice rang out.

Something from the sky struck the ground, right in front of me. If I hadn’t used my Lightness Art to dodge it, it would have landed where my head had been.

Thuuuuuuuud!

The spot where I had been hiding just moments before was destroyed.

Thud! Thuuud!

Every time I leaped back, lightning strikes followed me as if someone was swinging a fly swatter to catch a fly. After seventeen strikes in total, all of which had unfolded in about two seconds, the one who attacked me finally broke the silence again.

“You’re worthy of being called a king, Death King.”

I looked back at the attacker.

“You killed my apostle,” she told me.

This person wasn’t human. Though she resembled a human, she had massive horns protruding from both sides of her forehead. Her emotionless, golden eyes were fixed on me.

“You shall pay for your arrogance with your life.”

The Constellation carried an enormous hammer on her shoulder.

[The Ruin-Harvesting Cow is attacking you.]

[The Ruin-Harvesting Cow swears to annihilate you.]

She was the Constellation that Lady Goldencup—Sylvia Evanail—had worshiped in the past.

1. Referring to youth as the spring of people’s lives. ☜

2. Yes, referencing

that

fox-related song. ☜