8 Chapter 8: An Odd Constellation
'Pure darkness.'
That was the first thing that popped into his mind.
Nox woke up and found himself in a dark space, devoid of all light.
Last he remembered, he had slain the damned serpent and collapsed. The only logical assumption was that a Constellation had interfered and stopped him from bleeding out.
"Hopefully they don't try and force me into a stupid contract in exchange for 'saving my life.'"
He shouted into the void, hearing his voice echo back at him. After the confrontation with the Duck of Yonder, Nox wasn't optimistic about meeting another Constellation so soon.
[A Constellation is descending.]
[Constellation: ??? has revealed themselves.]
A staggering amount of energy coalesced in front of Nox, lighting up the dark void.
He fell to his knees, blood dripping from every orifice in his body. Just the mere presence of the Constellation was enough to incapacitate him. His breath was taken from his body, leaving him to suffocate on the floor, powerless.
'Struggle.'
Life returned to his body, his organs began to regenerate as he opened his eyes for the first time.
Standing there, was an old man. Having snow-white hair and wearing a melancholic expression, he donned a simple black cloak and a wooden staff. He seemed quite ordinary for a Constellation.
'Well, not factoring in the ability to literally kill someone by standing there.'
Nox grumbled to himself.
[The Constellation stares with interest.]
The breathlessness momentarily returned, then receded once more.
[You have resisted.]
[The second Epic has been written.]
[You have gained a slight resistance to fallen entities.]
"Marvelous! Even now, you continue to grow."
The old man slowly applauded, seeming impressed.
A crack appeared in the space.
Frowning, he continued.
"It seems that our time will be cut quite short. I wish you luck on your journey, the last of the mythmakers."
"What do you want, old man?"
Nox questioned. He still didn't know why a Constellation was messing with him. However, one thing was for certain.
The entity didn't save his life for free, everything came at a cost.
"Haven't you heard? This challenge planet has been in rotation for a century. Ever since the Phenomenon descended on Earth, no one has ever managed to come out alive."
"I heard the otherworlders refer to this planet as the 'Fallen Planet'. I take great offense to that, you know?"
"So please, show me something interesting. I have high expectations of you."
By this point, the space was on the verge of collapse. Fragments of light shattered and lit up the room. It seems that Constellations weren't easily able to interfere with the challengers.
Nox felt a wave of nausea rush over him as the world exploded.
"You still haven't answered my question."
The Constellation smirked, turning into nothingness. The void shattered as Nox found himself on the island again.
[Constellation: Emperor of Noxus watches you from afar.]
[You have received a familiar.]
'Ugh, when will I get a break…'
He rubbed his head as the recoil from overusing his divinity settled in. He had gone through too much in the past day.
'A familiar… how interesting.'
A familiar was like a pet, of sorts. They were a rare commodity often collected by nobles who showed off their wealth. Of course, combat and utility-based familiars also existed, but were used by otherworlders who could afford them.
Nox didn't expect to get one so early. Having high hopes, he concentrated on his heart. After all, a gift from a Constellation has to be good… right?
Under his status, the relics, and divinity, were glowing symbols.
+
Familiars:
> Opal of Orphia: ???
+
A small girl with azure blue hair fell out of the sky, landing on his lap. With shimmering eyes, she looked quite innocent. The familiar stared at him for a moment, then got up and walked off.
The creepy old man had gifted him… a child?
Thinking about how the day couldn't get any weirder, the little girl, who looked to be around 7 or 8, suddenly approached the corpse of the serpent.
Nox was about to call out to the girl when she did something strange.
Without hesitation, she placed her hand on the monstrous body; absorbing it in an instant. She then walked towards the corpse of the voiceless beholder and did the same.
Letting out a yawn, she stretched her thin arms towards the sky and laid down.
Not a minute later, Nox heard quiet snoring coming from the other side of the island.
He was dumbfounded. The little girl was a utility-based familiar, he guessed. The ability to absorb monster corpses was an odd skill.
'Maybe she stores it?'
Then, glancing at the sleeping child, he shook his head. How would that even work?
The sun started to set as a familiar darkness cast itself over the lonely island. Before long, all that could be heard were the soft snoring of two people.
+
[Point Leaderboard]
[1. Cristina: 6]
[2. Neo: 5]
[3. Pierce: 4]
…
…
[367. Nox : 0]
+
Shortly after sending the young man back to the island, the Constellation teleported away.
Sitting down on a dusty throne, the old man reminisced. He was the last survivor of Noxus.
He gazed out the shattered windows. A ruined castle greeted him, overrun by vines. The walls were on the verge of collapse. The paintings were faded, and the furniture rusted after centuries of neglect. Like the planet, the castle was a shell of its former self.
The Constellation coughed. Black blood trickled down onto the crumbling stone floor. He didn't have much time left.
Interfering with the Phenomenon and forcefully isolating Challengers required a large amount of energy, something the old man didn't have.
Constellations that were tied to planets could only harvest energy using the feats and accomplishments of their inhabitants. Being the last remaining survivor, he had conserved his energy for the last millennia.
Now, he felt it running out. He had watched as his glorious planet slowly fell apart. The corruption left no survivors.
The Emperor of Noxus slowly closed his eyes, waiting for the end.
