Chapter 397 - Meeting With The Stars

On the day Egostic had warned about, the day he said there would be a declaration of the world's destruction.

The Republic of Korea Hero Association had been on high alert all day.

"...I'm already sick of this."

In the Hero Association Control Center, where only a select few had gathered.

Surrounded by large monitors covering the walls, the Director sitting in the center sighed with those words.

Behind him stood agents who could be called the Director's closest confidants, along with A-rank hero Shadow Walker.

...And beside them.

"..."

Naturally, the Republic of Korea's only S-rank hero.

Stardust stood there with a stern expression.

As the Director continued to sigh repeatedly next to the monitors displaying CCTV footage of numerous cities across the Republic of Korea.

"Haah... What's happening in my final years? Instead of enjoying my golden years as Director, I'm just losing more hair every day..."

[Director. According to Egostic, it's about to begin soon, so could you please be quiet?]

"See that? Now I'm being scolded by someone young enough to be my daughter. Oh my! When you get old, you should just die."

[....]

Lee Seol-ah, who was on the monitor right next to the Director, fell silent at his words, seemingly dumbfounded.

Since she needed to coordinate the national response after the apocalyptic revelation, she was participating remotely from her office rather than being at the control tower.

Anyway, while listening to the Director and Lee Seol-ah's idle chatter.

Stardust, leaning against the wall, was quietly lost in thought.

'...Is it coming soon? What Egostic told me about.'

The divine warning that would be the final hurdle.

...A god, huh.

"No... the Sun God? The sun means daytime... I hate daytime, sigh..."

While Shadow Walker muttered to himself with a dejected expression beside her.

Stardust quietly prepared for what was about to happen.

And finally.

[Greetings, humans.]

In an instant, without warning.

The voice of a god resonated loudly inside everyone's heads.

"Ugh...!"

"Grrrrgh..."

"Ack..."

With that, one by one, people in the Association clutched their heads with pained expressions.

[Kyaaaah!]

[Gack...]

Simultaneously, the screens in the Association Control Tower showed citizens across the country grabbing their heads and collapsing.

However.

"....."

For some reason, Stardust wasn't much affected.

Apart from a slight throbbing in her head, strangely, she alone experienced almost no effect.

What she didn't know was that... because she already possessed nearly complete power of the stars, she was barely affected by the sun's influence.

[Aaaagh... Egostic, you never mentioned this...]

"Hmm... Is that all it is?"

Of course... unlike Lee Seol-ah who had already collapsed foaming at the mouth on the screen, Shadow Walker was also holding up relatively well.

Anyway, while everyone else was groaning in pain, Stardust listened with a serious face to what this so-called god was saying.

[In my absence. You have all grown... terribly.]

And sure enough, what he was saying was exactly what Egostic had warned about.

That he was a god, and that he would destroy this world in about half a year.

After what felt like hours to those listening, though it was actually a short time.

[...Death is all you deserve.]

With those final words.

At last, the divine revelation ended.

"Haa, haa."

Only then could sighs of relief be heard from all around.

...Although those present weren't too shocked since they already knew the content, it was obvious how ordinary people would react by now.

Of course, the overwhelming pressure and sense of powerlessness exuded by this so-called Sun God... made it impossible not to acknowledge that he was indeed a real god.

"Ugh... my head."

"Oww.... Wow. I knew what he was going to say, but actually hearing it in person—the fear is no joke."

"Grrrr... I know. It feels like being an ant standing before a human."

As everyone in the Association gradually regained their senses.

Stardust, with her stern expression, began to speak, waking them up according to plan.

"Alright. We don't have time now. First, declare a state of emergency and..."

It was while she was speaking.

Zing

"Ugh..."

Suddenly Stardust staggered as her head rang, and she braced herself against the wall.

"...? Stardust, are you alright?"

"...It's nothing. Just a momentary dizziness... Ah."

As she struggled to answer.

She felt her head ring once more.

And with that.

Stagger-

"Stardust, Stardust! Wait, just a moment...!"

With the Director's panicked voice fading away in the distance.

With the feeling of being pulled somewhere.

She lost consciousness.

***

And so, back to the present.

Flash.

Stardust opened her eyes in an unfamiliar space.

"...Ugh. Where am I?"

As she got up with a frown.

What she saw was.

"...Huh?"

An endless, empty white space.

As Stardust properly opened her eyes to assess the situation in this place where both floor and sky were completely white.

"...Oh."

She could see a woman approaching her from one side.

As she tried to get a better look at who it was, a melodious, beautiful voice came from the woman ahead.

"...Hello. My child."

A beautiful woman with golden hair that shone as brightly as Stardust's own, dressed in white cloth in ancient Greek style.

She held a thin robe-like garment with her arm draped across her collarbone, with a mystical and beautiful body and aura that could be mistaken for a work of art...

At the same time, she somehow looked fragile and sickly, as if she might break at any moment.

"...Who are you?"

Stardust cautiously asked, looking at the figure.

Though clearly someone she had never met before.

Somehow she felt familiar, like someone she had seen often, as she faced this mysterious woman.

The woman smiled gently at Stardust's question.

Then she opened her mouth with a benevolent smile and warm voice.

"...I am the being who bestowed power upon you."

"Once, I was known as the Star God."

"...A god?"

"Yes. My daughter, Ha-ru... This will be a long story."

To Stardust, who still didn't understand what was happening.

The woman who identified herself as the Star God smiled once more, then with just a gesture of her hand, created white chairs and a bench in front of her.

"Here. Sit down. ...I will explain everything you're curious about."

She said with a warm smile.

-Oh, and don't worry about reality. Time flows differently here.

At the Star God's additional words.

...Where was this place? What was happening? Stardust had no idea.

But somehow, she couldn't resist the words of the golden-haired woman addressing her.

...And her intuition strongly told her that this woman could be trusted.

Plus, for some reason, she felt an inexplicable warmth.

Stardust found herself sitting down as if entranced.

The Star God sat down across from her at a round table.

As Stardust felt uncomfortable and averted her eyes from the woman who was more beautiful than any woman she had ever seen, and strangely resembled herself.

The Star God smiled kindly at Stardust and made another gesture, creating drinks on the table.

"Hehe. Have a drink and calm yourself while you listen."

"...Ah, yes. Thank you...?"

Feeling somewhat burdened, Stardust carefully took a sip of the orange juice in the glass cup before her.

...It was mango juice.

Her favorite.

'...Sweet.'

Perhaps because something cool entered her mouth.

Stardust, whose mind had been foggy until now, was able to clear her head a little.

While she was doing this.

The Star God smiled kindly at her and began to speak.

"Yes... I should start from here."

"Let me introduce myself again, Ha-ru. I am one of the three gods who existed in this world, known as the Star God. I am called Siders."

"Siders...?"

"Yes. When we first met, you vaguely remembered my name and chose it as your hero name. Although you changed it a bit."

With a mischievous smile, the Star God spoke in a sing-song voice, then nodded as she saw Stardust's questioning eyes and continued.

"Yes. That's right. This isn't the first time we've met. When you were a child... specifically on the day you lost your parents. I came to find you."

"And then. I chose you and gave you all my remaining power, Ha-ru."

"...Ha-ru."

With those words.

The Star God Siders quietly opened her mouth and said to Stardust.

"You were chosen by me. You are the only savior who can save this world from the Sun God."

"...What?"

And seeing Stardust's eyes widen in surprise at those words.

The Star God smiled kindly and said.

"Now, I will tell you all the secrets. Listen carefully..."

And so.

The Star God's long story began.