Chapter 72 – Happy Fortune

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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On the day the Sun God went mad, the battle ended as all the stars in the heavens became falling meteors.

Only a few who could not accept this fact started a meaningless resistance.

But at least, it was different at the moment they rallied their forces.

There were those who turned the guilt of fleeing from the heavens into resolve.

Among them, it was said that the activities of Chewing Wisdom and Exchanging Knowledge were significant in many ways.

Happy Fortune told me about the greatest achievement they had accomplished.

Chewing Wisdom and Exchanging Knowledge were the first to notice that the number of humans was the very seal preventing the descent of the Sun God.

Recalling that time, Happy Fortune tapped his head with the index finger of his right hand and burst into laughter.

“They realized where the Black Sun was intensively targeting and deduced the cause. When the two smarties put their heads together, it seemed they could see a way.”

The Armed Church, standing against the maddened Sun God, took action immediately.

While figuring out what constraints were placed on the Sun God, they accumulated supplies everywhere.

At the same time, they dispersed the survivors as much as possible, inducing the attacks to not be concentrated in one place.

The Armed Church took on the role of transporting the accumulated supplies and protecting the survivors.

Comforting themselves that even if it’s slim, it doesn’t mean there is absolutely no hope of victory.

“For the first little while, it was like that. But the moment the Sun God showed his power… everyone realized it.”

Happy Fortune pulled down his feather hat deeply with his right hand that had been tapping his head.

“We could delay the destruction if we continued to resist like this. But we couldn’t stop the Sun God’s victory. Because…”

“It was already a finished battle.”

“Right! Everyone knew it but pretended not to know. The moment we ran away from heaven, we had already lost!”

A self-deprecating laugh echoed inside the temple for a long time.

Only after a long while did Happy Fortune pretend to wipe away tears in the shade hidden under his hat.

“It was after that when the two smarties brought up a proposal we couldn’t have imagined.”

I also knew what the proposal brought by Chewing Wisdom and Exchanging Knowledge was.

Happy Fortune and I stood blankly and looked at each other for a while.

He was a god who smiled so easily.

The old god, who was already dead and only had an afterimage left, was flowing a smile this time too.

“They said the Divine Name is Star Creation. My goodness, I argued where in the world such a Divine Name exists. Even though we followed it because there was no other way, we were very doubtful.”

“Couldn’t you have left at least one reliable ally?”

“Huh? Didn’t they tell you in the ascension test?”

“At least one could have held resolve like you all and fought alongside me.”

It was a question thrown with my hopes crammed tightly into it.

Also thinking, perhaps there was some hidden piece I didn’t know about.

However, the answer returned by Happy Fortune was beyond disappointing; it was even surprising.

“Even if they helped, it would be useless. And they probably wouldn’t help anyway.”

“What do you mean useless? If they just took care of the people…”

“Yeah, they might be able to help a limited area and a very small number of people. But in a world ruled by demons under the tacit approval of the Sun God, how great would their influence be?”

Happy Fortune cleared his throat a few times as if he was embarrassed and continued.

“Honestly speaking, among the surviving gods, there is no god stronger than you. Even among the dead gods, you would be counted on one hand. They told you one of the titles attached to the last god in the ascension test, right? The sole antagonist of the Sun God. This is the prayer and sentiment held by all the gods who sacrificed themselves.”

“No, still, there should be something like basic strength.”

“The god who creates stars. Do you know when we felt that we had already lost?”

Happy Fortune’s subsequent explanation was enough to make me give up my expectations.

Happy Fortune created a pure white starlight right in front of him and grinned.

And then.

“Vitrification? Not at all. We didn’t even see a single unique miracle of the Sun God. We barely just knew they existed.”

He extinguished it by gripping the pure white starlight himself.

Happy Fortune’s atmosphere, which had been full of smiles until just before, had somehow dried up bleakly.

Happy Fortune opened his clenched hand again with a face distorted in grief.

“Dark Light. Our starlight was washed away cleanly the moment the Sun God crushed it with Dark Light.”

There was no starlight there.

Only a pitch-black shadow flowed down along the seams of his leather glove.

“The moment the meteor fell to the ground, it lost its light.”

Only then did I understand the Zen riddle spoken by Chewing Wisdom and Exchanging Knowledge.

Not a star that fell from the sky, but a star that will rise to the sky.

…That’s why they wanted to ascend humans, who are referred to as stars upon the earth.

***

It was right at this moment that I felt a bizarre sensation.

I raised my hands, checked both arms and torso, and immediately frowned.

The stars inside the flesh were aligning themselves, drawing trajectories in a more orderly manner.

Something… something was changing.

Happy Fortune, who watched this sight, crossed his arms and let out a sigh.

“Good. With this, it seems you have completely understood your origin.”

“Is… is there more?”

“Yeah. Listen carefully. It’s also the reason why the Sun God, who looked down on us crushed by the Dark Light, changed his mind again.”

I realized instinctively.

Helping me realize my origin was purely a personal favor.

The arrangement left by the old gods was a more fundamental, truly dangerous, and fatal method.

The reason Happy Fortune revealed himself was not to make me understand my origin.

It was to convey another fact.

“There is an erased Divine Name. An old name that even Pleasant Oblivion doesn’t know.”

If I couldn’t figure it out after he said this much, I would be dense.

Everyone knew the only god in this world called by such a short name.

“The Sun God.”

The Sun God had a real, separate Divine Name.

It was clear that he was the sun, but if you didn’t know the alias attached to it, you couldn’t understand his authority.

Happy Fortune found the cause of defeat of the gods with excellent foresight here.

“Because the light he emitted was so strong, they didn’t know what was shining.”

If you foresaw defeat, you looked for the reason rather than blaming yourself.

All gods did that, but against the Sun God, it was an exception. In a flash, they were dead or defeated.

What found the Sun God’s weakness was observation, not foresight.

It was the reason Observing Insight was selected as a helper to assist me alive instead of being used as a human sacrifice.

“The Sun God’s origin is related to stars in some way, or more formally, celestial bodies. Whether it shines or not.”

To find out about the Sun God more deeply, a regular god was not enough.

Only gods related to stars, gods closer to heaven than earth, could even see the silhouette of the Sun God.

Even though the Celestial Church was ironically a group that fanatically worshipped the Sun God.

“Perhaps by now, you have a strong hunch too. I don’t really like problems, so I’ll just tell you. The Celestial Church knows the real Divine Name of the Sun God. But they won’t spill it. Because they still serve the Sun God even in this state.”

“The hunt started from then on. From the moment you started inquiring into the Sun God’s origin.”

“Were you influenced by Chewing Wisdom? You’re better than those fist-swinging guys from the Armed Church. Right. That was when the Celestial Church earnestly started hunting survivors.”

Observing Insight noticed it then.

The Celestial Church’s hysterical fanaticism didn’t just stem from faith. A certain ritual enjoyed only by the Celestial Church was strongly binding them.

And by repeatedly barely shaking off the pursuit and drawing them out, they finally learned of its existence.

“The dark memories of the Sun God. Both the Celestial Church, teeming only with Divine Names related to stars, and Pleasant Oblivion testified in common.”

Happy Fortune stopped talking and clicked his tongue ‘tsk tsk tsk’, showing signs of displeasure.

“Exchanging Knowledge and Chewing Wisdom seemed to know, but they wouldn’t tell until the end.”

Even after that, Happy Fortune continued to chatter.

The most dynamic reaction came from an unexpected part.

Since he was still an ally who fought together, I mentioned Bearing Responsibility, and he shook his hands in disgust.

“Ugh. Fortune does not take responsibility. We are separated by eons. Don’t talk to me about that guy.”

“It’s not like he has a bad personality…”

“Yeah, he’s an okay guy, but a friend I don’t want to be with! Just know that!”

Eventually, only after I listened to all his accumulated complaints did Fortune quiet down.

Panting as if satisfied, Fortune suddenly lifted the brim of his hat as if he remembered something.

“Well… it seems Observing Insight is dead too, so it should be fine if I act as a proxy.”

“Is there still more?”

“There’s a long way to go, young god. This will all become your flesh and blood. I’ll give you the tutorial that Insight failed to do properly instead.”

“Tutorial?”

A tutorial here?

At this point, having killed two Great Demons and with the capital right in front of us?

When I stared at him with such doubts, Fortune spoke with a bitter smile.

“The god who creates stars, don’t indulge the angels’ whining too much. Think about why they are refined by extracting pure souls while in a young state.”

“Not particularly…”

“No. You’re letting them whine. Make them hungry for grace. Make them willingly throw themselves away to receive your favor. You’re purposefully not creating angels either. I understand your heart, but… then shouldn’t you use the existing angels to the fullest?”

I felt the atmosphere stiffening.

“A star that does not burn itself cannot shine. This saying was pronounced without exception to everyone who became a star. Young god, do not pity them. They are the army of heaven. They were refined as pure pawns to accept any sacrifice and harbor no doubts.”

The god who had already completely burned himself out corrected his posture and looked down at me with an exceedingly stern gaze.

“Just because you are the Godfather of Stars, the father of stars, don’t become a coddler who accepts everything. You are in a position where you have to drive them to the deadly frontlines. Give up on being loved and choose to be respected.”

-That is the path a god must walk.

I couldn’t bring out any words as I watched the old god pour out all his power and scatter into golden dust.

He said he was separated from responsibility by eons, but maybe he wasn’t actually that far away.

Giving up on being loved.

I wasn’t so dense that I couldn’t feel the regret contained in those words.

The temple where the old god had completely departed was no longer cozy or warm.

The vines that climbed the wall crumbled into dust, and the wooden floor laid beneath split open instantly.

The altar, where countless offerings would have once been placed, collapsed with a thud, unable to bear its own weight.

I approached the collapsed altar and let out a breath of stardust.

“Don’t tell others to do what you couldn’t do yourself.”

Of course, getting hit by the breath of stardust didn’t mean a dead god could be suddenly revived.

It just seemed possible to let out one last laugh.

I quietly turned my back amidst the faint laughter lingering around.

***

“Star Creation-nim, where did you go alone!”

“You must be careful. There might be an ambush we don’t know about.”

As soon as I returned, the angels I met were simply joyful.

But the confirmation kill Happy Fortune told me weighed on my mind.

Just how young were they when they died?

“I had something to think about for a moment.”

I looked back and forth between Ceciel and Anniel and forcibly erased the rising doubt.