Transformation or Death

Do Not Doubt

The arrow was embedded in its place in less than a second. However, neither Paradox nor Botis was surprised.

Behind them was a Scorpion. With a purple shell and a tail curled in an arch similar to its body length. Its size was as large as a house, and its hard pincers and jaw, comparable to heavy equipment, seemed capable of severing a person’s waist with a single breath.

It was quite different from the Scorpion that had stung Han Jae-jung’s hand. Compared to the size of an ordinary Scorpion, this one was several times larger.

Dust rose from where the arrow was embedded, and within it, a pink flash flickered. Phat! As the smoke dispersed, a human shadow that did not exist moments before wavered in the lingering dust.

“Welcome. It hasn’t been that long, has it?”

Paradox greeted them with a smile. A shield was in his right hand.

“Isn’t 30 days too long for a game?”

Han Jae-jung was the one who answered. There was no shield in his right hand, but instead, he held a steel ball.

“Oh my god, he really came. Now I really don’t know!”

Joo Ah-yoon shouted immediately after. She also held a steel ball identical to Han Jae-jung’s.

“I, I’m a bit nervous… But this must be the fate we must face!”

Jason mumbled as well. He seemed to be in some kind of transformation. Where his face should be, a pure white cloth fluttered like a sail. He was holding a ship-shaped buckle.

Attaching it to his waist, Jason shouted,

“Pursue!”

[Pursue the truth!]

Paradox recited while holding his shield,

“Reveal.”

[Reveal the truth.]

The steel ball in Han Jae-jung’s hand unfolded and transformed into a strange machine resembling a telescope. Attaching it to his waist and raising his finger, he pointed to where the Scorpion was located.

“Transform.”

[ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATION.]

Joo Ah-yoon similarly transformed her steel ball. What appeared was a machine resembling a W-shaped bird. Attaching it to her waist, she positioned herself elegantly, like a dancer before a performance.

“Transform!”

[CONSTELLATION OBSERVATION!]

Four different starlight burst high into the sky. Each one shone intensely, as if trying to cover the world with its own color.

Pyxis.

The shape of the Compass constellation first appeared.

Scutum.

Next, the shape of the Shield constellation emerged.

[CASSIOPEIA!]

Next, the somewhat swan-like shape of Cassiopeia was revealed.

[THE BIG DIPPER.]

Finally, the Big Dipper showcased its grandeur.

But only for a moment.

[Focus On.]

Due to the transformation system’s characteristic of experiencing serious side effects when operating multiple stars, he had to immediately focus his light on a single star.

A new armor was overlaid on his green full body. The color was as white as a snow field.

[DUBHE.]

Dubhe. He chose the star of the Big Dipper with the closest power to the largest bear constellation, boasting the highest firepower among its stars.

The battle formation was set. However, no one rashly moved forward.

The Scorpion remained frozen like a statue, Paradox smiled leisurely as if observing the situation, and Botis wore a troubled smile within his robe.

Joo Ah-yoon was tense, fixating on the Scorpion, and Han Jae-jung stood in an unbalanced posture, his thoughts unreadable. He raised his hand, pointing at the Scorpion. Seeing this, Joo Ah-yoon also raised her palm in a graceful gesture, as if inviting someone. The target was the Scorpion and all enemies.

“Hey, have you ever seen a star….”

“You, have you ever danced with stars….”

“I want to ask….”

But Jason’s question was interrupted.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“…Don’t worry about it.”

“N-next time, I’ll do better. Yes, next time….”

Though there was an overlapping speech incident, it was accompanied only by a slight embarrassment and did not escalate into a major danger. They understood Jason.

Of course, he would have many questions. The fact that he had hidden the accidents caused by the Scorpion was a big lie. Jason had even followed Botis well until now. The sense of betrayal would be immeasurable.

“Did you know about the wound on my belly?”

“Oh my.”

Botis covered his mouth, obviously showing surprise.

“I’ve been caught?”

A statement essentially admitting the deception up to this point.

“…! W-why is this so! Bo! I trusted you….”

“Don’t be too disappointed, Jason.”

Jason expressed his emotions intensely. In contrast, Botis remained calm. It was as if he had prepared his mind in advance to be exposed at any time, with a lonely smile lingering like an empty field without wind.

“That was necessary for everyone.”

“Everyone… Who exactly do you mean? Am I not included?! Do you know how much I’ve been searching for my purpose? Why did you hide such an important clue all this time? Why!”

Han Jae-jung was curious as well.

‘Botis has also been a victim of the Scorpion Constellation. Moreover, he’s basically a villain caretaker. It wouldn’t be strange if he showed even warmer care and guidance to a fellow villain who suffered the same damage.’

Even though Jason was somewhat unique among villains, the fact that he was a villain remained unchanged. If even Han Jae-jung, who moves between humans and villains, tried to care for him, why would Botis have a reason to engage in such deception?

“In the first place, Botis. Why are you on that side? Weren’t you also a victim of the Scorpion?”

It would be more appropriate to be in a gathering of victims, so he couldn’t understand why Botis was standing there.

“That’s because I made a contract with Bo.”

It was Paradox, not Botis, who answered.

“In exchange for helping me, he would return my lost memories.”

“T-there’s no way Bo would fall for something like that….”

He had always strived for the happiness of villains. The three beasts were beings who displayed unreasonable violence, regardless of human or villain. As such, it was hard to believe that Botis would turn against the majority for his own interests.

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. I didn’t propose this.”

Botis pulled his robe deeper.

“Bo was the one who first made the proposal.”

“What…?”

Jason looked back at Botis in disbelief.

“Bo, Bo… Is it true? You really made such a choice….”

“I’m truly sorry.”

Botis laughed while rubbing his robe.

“But please understand. It would be inconvenient if the Scorpion disappeared already.”

“I knew you’d say that, you ba*tard!”

With a whoosh and a bang, an arrow flew and stuck in the ground. An archer stood on top of that arrow.

“I told you not to come.”

“I got bored watching and being alone! Jason, don’t, don’t trust that ba*tard! He’s just like a witch!”

At the word ‘witch’, Botis chuckled. Joo Ah-yoon was still shocked by the Archer’s sudden appearance.

“You crazy bastard! What are you doing here, a useless guy except for sniping!”

“You crazy man? You’re nothing but a delivery person except for moving!”

“What did you say?”

They were about to fight among themselves. Han Jae-jung stepped between them and created distance.

“Enough. You seem quite leisurely. In front of the Galactic Beast.”

The words of Han Jae-jung stopped the two who were about to argue. He was right. What was before their eyes was the Galactic Beast. A living disaster.

“Hey, but is that guy really real? From what I’ve seen, there are so many guys who look exactly like him. And that Paradox ass hoe!”

“Why do you say that?”

“It’s strange!”

What the Archer was most curious about now was not Botis’s ambition or current victory plan.

“Galactic Beast! How is he controlling that thing!”

The point was that Paradox was handling the beast. From his perspective, it looked like Paradox was controlling the Scorpion. It was following his words like a sword, and even now, this ferocious beast showed not the slightest movement.

“Hmm…? Ah, that’s what you were curious about.”

Paradox answered as if it were nothing.

“It’s nothing special. I encountered the Scorpion during my travels… As the rumors said, it was certainly ferocious. Just like its nickname of being the most savage beast, it charged at me. Since my heart is to respect everyone, it’s only courteous to accept a fight that comes to me. So I fought.”

He fought the Galactic Beast. Though said casually, it was by no means a light matter.

“It was a difference of one move. If my hand had been just a bit slower, I would have been the one defeated.”

“That means….”

“Yes, that’s correct. I won.”

The Archer was shocked. He had seen the dignity of the Lion many times. That he had won against a Scorpion treated as equivalent to such a Lion.

Among the three beasts or whatever, aren’t the villains the strongest?

Just as he was swallowing his saliva at that thought, Paradox opened his mouth again.

“I know exactly what you’re imagining. It might seem quite impressive. But it’s not. Unlike the other two beasts, excuse my blunt statement, but the Scorpion is not particularly strong in physical abilities. Instead, its abilities are incredibly dangerous.”

“The moment you copy the loss poison, it’s natural that the one who first injects it into the opponent wins”

 Han Jae-jung supplemented. Hearing the story, it made sense. The moment the Scorpion’s ability was copied, victory belonged to the one who first reached the opponent. Truly a decisive blow.

It made them realize how formidable this brutal ability was.

“Haha, yes. It was a victory by luck. I was fortunate enough to stab the Scorpion with a spear carrying the loss poison… And thanks to that, I win.”

“What did you steal?”

Han Jae-jung was curious about one thing. The loss poison. According to Paradox’s words, the one who causes the loss gains what the opponent loses. It could be lifespan, memory, or even starlight.

But he didn’t know the extent of that loss. How much could be stolen?

“Itself,” Paradox answered calmly.

“I stole the Scorpion’s self.”

A moment of silence followed. An outrage beyond imagination. Not lifespan or memory, but self. Literally, he had stolen everything.

“That’s cheating!”

“…?”

“No matter what you do, this game is absolutely advantageous for you! You crazy bastard! My brother has to fight the Scorpion desperately to win, but you’re controlling the Scorpion, so you don’t even need to fight!”

The Archer and Joo Ah-yoon protested simultaneously. The game was overwhelmingly unbalanced. Paradox didn’t need to fight the Scorpion. It would be extremely easy for him to kill a Scorpion without self.

“Why… Would it be advantageous to me? I don’t understand. Are you saying you can’t believe in your own possibilities and those of your companions?”

“What the f*ck?”

“Do you think Han Jae-jung can’t kill the Scorpion? The moment he kills the Scorpion, I die. And I believe he has sufficient potential. You too, of course.”

Paradox smiled at Joo Ah-yoon. Though his mouth wasn’t visible, it was somehow felt. Joo Ah-yoon got goosebumps when directly receiving that gaze.

“Do not doubt. You can go as far as you need to.”

It was ridiculous to hear such words from someone who directly pushed others to death.

“Ha, damn it… I just need to win? Then it’s a simple story!”

The Archer seemed tired of the complex conversation and raised his bow and arrow.

“If I take the ass hoe’s neck, the cactus head’s neck, and the Scorpion’s neck, isn’t that all there is to it! Damn, whatever it is, just die!”

A massive, rusty red arrow comparable to a mortar shell. It brightly illuminated the entire vision. As he pulled the bowstring, the light intensified.

A distant red light flowed like the Milky Way. Its trajectory was directed right at the Scorpion in front of them.

“Zero adjustment complete! Fire!”

Before anyone could stop him, the Archer released the bowstring.

Bang! What was heard was not an ear-splitting explosion, but the noise of two metals colliding.

“Just wait a moment.”

What the Archer saw was a sword. A crude and thick sword, appropriate to be called a great sword. It had deflected the arrow upward. When? He couldn’t tell. It was faster than he could perceive.

This was a speed he had only experienced with the Big Dipper’s lightning.

Clang. The great sword, which had approached unnoticed, pressed down the bow.

“My junior is about to arrive.”

Boom! The arrow shot moments ago finally exploded. The sky was filled with explosive flashes. An ear-splitting noise. He couldn’t pay attention to such things. The explosion’s aftermath created wind, causing the robe covering his face and body to flutter.

Within the fluttering robe, two pairs of arms and horned heads were visible.

Two right hands gripped the great sword, one left hand held a spear, and the other left hand held a club.

“Ah, this will make things more convenient. Thank you. For revealing the location to our juniors.”

Handling three different weapons was alien yet artistic.

“Botis…!”

It was the moment he truly realized they had become enemies.

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