Chapter 18: A Request From a Gorilla
“Um. Here. Some hot chocolate… Can gorillas drink hot chocolate?”
“Oog.”
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, is uncertain. However, he insists that a constellation cannot be harmed by even the strongest of earthly poisons, so he will be fine.
Clink.
The mysterious gorilla–no, bestial constellation took the cup from my hand and chugged its contents down with ease. Since I didn’t have any seats that could handle a goddamn gorilla, I emptied the contents of my laundry basket onto the floor to cushion his hairy bum.
These clothes hadn’t been washed for a month, thanks to me being kidnapped to another world, but they’ll have to do.
The sight of a gorilla in a costume, drinking a cup of hot chocolate on top of a pile of dirty laundry, made me feel complicated to say the least, but the fact that this gorilla was also a constellation made things even harder for my brain to process.
And here I thought I was going to go back to living like a normal human again…
My gaze drifted back to the floating transparent screen in front of me.
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, is uncertain. However, he insists that a constellation cannot be harmed by even the strongest of earthly poisons, so he will be fine.
This looks familiar. This looks like one of those screens you’d see in manhwa that’d either show up as part of a game-like system that protagonists somehow have access to, or as part of a streaming system that constellations use to watch their contractees go through cosmic death games and stuff. I never thought I’d find myself seeing one of these in person.
I’m curious, though. I don’t recall Esphera ever using something like this when communicating with me.
Could this be an ability exclusive to this gorilla constellation? I don’t see how this ties into his ‘Fates and Twisted Futures’ motif, though.
I guess it won’t hurt to ask, so I might as well.
“Gorilla, sir. I’m curious about this transparent screen I’m seeing, which is relaying your intentions to me. Is this an ability of yours? Something tied to your divinity?”
“Oog.”
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, says you are half-right. It is indeed utilizing his divine powers; however, it is not a power directly tied to his divine domain, he clarifies. Rather, it is an ability he thought up after playing around with divine energy for a bit, or so he claims.
"I see..."
Divine domain?...
I have an idea as to what that might mean, but I’d best not jump to conclusions right away, as I did with Esphera on numerous occasions. I made up bullshit back then and just so happened to be right, but my luck can’t always be good.
Instead, I’ll try to infer more information about constellations whenever I can from these interactions. Play it smart.
That aside, introductions are still in order. I need to know just who exactly I’m dealing with, and why. To learn a little bit more about the gorilla god that invited himself into my abode.
I’ll start by introducing myself.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures. I am—”
Wait, I can’t just use my real name, can I? That would be setting myself up for trouble.
I haven’t really thought much of this before, but a constellation’s true name is often best kept hidden.
In Korean web novels, a constellation’s true name reveals history about the constellation. From their powers and domains, to their weaknesses and such. For that reason, constellations often use their constellation title for self-introductions and only reveal their true names to trusted individuals.
The reason Esphera revealed her true name to me… was likely out of admiration. As for the reason she referred to me as ‘Lord Yvell,’ that was likely because of my username on Chaos.
Perhaps she mistook that as my true name? Could that be why she was so friendly towards me? Did she think I trusted her enough to reveal my true name to her?
“...”
“Oog?”
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, is waiting for you to finish.
Ah, shit. I ought to make something up… no, I need to put some heart in it too! It’s time for…
EMULATION!
I dramatically wave my hand to the side and raise my chin in an act of pride befitting a high-minded constellation. I must show this ape who is higher up in the jungle hierarchy!
“I… am the Constellation, Utopic World Builder. May I ask the purpose of your sudden visit, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures?” I ask, deepening my voice.
The gorilla constellation widened his eyes for a moment before putting down the cup.
Clink.
“Oog.”
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, came to meet the constellation his junior praised so lavishly. He claims that he had recently received a message from his junior that she had received your tutelage and requested him to invite you to the Constellation Community Server.
“The Constellation Community Server?”
The gorilla constellation nodded and pointed at my pocket with his thick pointer finger. Does… he want to take out my phone?
I pull out my phone and try to turn it on, but…
“Ah. I forgot. I hadn’t charged it in months.”
“Oog.”
The gorilla constellation then pointed at my computer. Quite the bossy monkey, aren’t you? In any case, I shouldn’t anger this chunky monkey, so I took a seat in my computer chair and booted up my gaming computer. The gorilla constellation stood behind me, watching over my shoulder. The monitor flashed, and the desktop screen came on with some scandalous animated wallpaper.
“Oog!”
“Like the animated wallpaper? The artist did a really good job drawing the boobs.”
“Oog.”
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, says that you have good taste. He wishes to know the name of the artist so he can look them up later.
“They’re an illustrator who made a lot of spicy maid-themed doujinshi. They’re on PixAL. They go by Kyo– Hold on—we’re getting sidetracked. What did you want me to do on my PC?”
“Oog.”
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, requests that you open up Chaos. They wish to invite you to the Constellation Community Server.
Ah… So these guys have their own Chaos server? That’s… strangely modern.
No, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Esphera’s first contact with me was on Chaos after all, and she did see my colony sim saves online, too. Maybe these constellations are more tech-savvy than I thought? Though Esphera seemed to be clueless about a lot of things.
I can’t just hand him my Chaos ID as is, though. Esphera’s probably under the assumption that Yvell is my true name, when it’s really just my username. I ought to change my username first.
Click. Click. Click.
Oh. It seems like I received a lot of messages from my friends on Chaos while I was away in another world. Were they worried about me while I was gone? Those assholes?
I don’t have the time to check each one right now, so I should probably read them later. Gotta change my Chaos username first.
“Gorilla, sir. Could you look the other way? I would not appreciate it if you saw the contents of some of my personal messages to my contacts, after all.”
“Oog.”
The gorilla constellation nodded and turned around.
Good. Good. Just as planned.
Click. Clack. Click. Clack. Click. Clack.
And… enter.
There we go. Now my username’s been changed to UTOPICWorldBuilder. Problem solved.
I spun my computer chair around to face the gorilla, who was staring at my Gun-ham poster—my favorite thicc bipedal transforming war machine.
I tapped him on the back to get his attention.
“Alright, Gorilla, sir. Would you care to tell me your Chaos username so I can add you to my friends list?”
The gorilla constellation nodded.
“Oog.”
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, says that his Chaos username is ChicksOut4Ramube.
…
…
CRASH!
I pounded my desk with my closed fist.
No, isn’t that your true fucking name?!?
Ramube?!?
His true name is Ramube?!?
That’s the gorilla that went viral almost a decade ago, isn’t it?!?
“Oog?”
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, asks if everything is alright.
“Ah… Haha… Everything is just fine, Gorilla, sir.”
Agh. Focus. Focus. Let’s try to ignore the gorilla in the room and focus on finding his account.
Click. Clack. Click. Clack.
Found it. His profile picture is an image of him wearing a Santa hat, and it even has a Christmas-themed border around it.
Don’t tell me he has Chaos Dynamo too? How fucking modern is this gorilla?
“I have sent you the friend request. Send me the invitation after you accept it.”
“Oog.”
The gorilla constellation nodded and pulled out a phone from his pocket. It looked like the latest and most expensive model Samson had to offer in the market. It seems like we both like the same phone brand.
Ugh. At this point, nothing can surprise me anymore.
After unlocking his phone, his home screen showed up with a wallpaper of a female gorilla in a bikini. The crudely drawn swimsuit seemed to have been clumsily edited onto a female gorilla from a zoo… Did he edit the image himself?
“Uhh… I guess you have good taste too, Gorilla, sir.”
“Oog.”
He gave me a thumbs-up.
After tapping away at his phone for a bit, he tilted his head in confusion. Then, as if he had just realized something, he turned his gaze up from his phone to me.
“Oog.”
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, requests access to your WiFi.
“Ah… Look for the one called SamsonSmartFridge and connect to it. The password is lemonbeerstorage.”
“Oog?”
“Are you asking why I named it SamsonSmartFridge?... Oh. That’s because the kid from the condo unit across from mine kept trying to use my WiFi, and he was slowing the internet down, so I changed the name to confuse him. Dunno how, but he always managed to figure out my network password. After the name change, though, that dumb kid hadn’t connected since, as far as I could tell.”
“Oog.”
Then, the invitation to the Constellation Community Server finally arrived.
I wasn’t too sure what to expect from this. This might as well be like diving headfirst into a beehive, but at this point, I have to commit to the bit.
I have to keep LARPing as a constellation. So, I steadied my resolve before clicking on the ‘Join’ button.
Ding.
#general-chat
>>>UTOPICWorldBuilder has joined the server.
#1OlympusBeauty:
Oh? Who is this?
horned_apple_snake:
That name… Perhaps this one is a creation deity? What a loathsome thing.
WhatDefinesaUsername?:
By what standard do you judge a creation deity to be loathsome?
analectualthinker551:
Only by the measure of virtue and the proper conduct of all things can one judge a deity’s nature. If they lead humans astray, then their guidance is flawed, though not necessarily loathsome in essence.
H0rselovingconqueror:
Could somebody lend me money so that I may purchase some Carats? There is a horse girl I wish to obtain.
Oh. They have a pretty active general chat.
Wait, does that one guy play that horse girl racing game? Maybe I can make friends with him.
“Oog.”
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, hopes that you introduce yourself to the group. He explains that constellations from other dimensions are rare, so members of the server often grow curious about them. He adds that satisfying curiosity should help prevent further trouble down the line, but also adds that you do not need to answer them if it makes you uncomfortable.
… How thoughtful. And considerate. What a remarkably gentlemanly monkey.
This gorilla seems to have more social intelligence than I do, understanding the nature of his fellow constellations well.
But… I’m a constellation from another dimension in his eyes, huh? I suppose that makes sense. I doubt there’s a god or hero in any text on Earth that resembles my dumbass, and he must have heard more things about me from Esphera.
I should do as he says for now and introduce myself, and strive to make a decent first impression.
UTOPICWorldBuilder:
Greetings, everyone. I am the constellation known as Utopic World Builder. It is a pleasure to meet all of you.
#1OlympusBeauty:
Oh my. Could you be the constellation that the Ringed Star Mother was referring to? I have heard a lot about you from my innocent little junior!
DemonKingofUnification:
Is that not obvious from the name, Whore of Olympus?
#1OlympusBeauty:
You! You were the one who reported my username for foul language! I had to change my username because of you!
H0rselovingconqueror:
@UTOPICWorldBuilder Do you have any money to spare? I promise to return what I will have borrowed with coins won from my next war of conquest. Please. I beg of you. I must perform another career run!
… Maybe I shouldn’t befriend that horse lover guy after all. I’m getting the feeling that he won’t pay me back as he promised. He sounds like one of those old horse racing gamblers I hear so much about from Japan.
The horse lover aside, these constellations seem pretty lively. Very different from the stiff and stoic constellations I was expecting to meet. They almost feel like a decent-sized friend group. Maybe I’ll feel right at home here?...
No, I ought to try drawing as little attention as possible because it feels like a friend group. Outsiders randomly entering a friend group always spell trouble for everyone in the group.
While I usually keep to myself, I don’t know how they’ll feel about me once they get to know me better. I wouldn’t want to provoke the wrath of higher beings.
GREENSPROUT:
I see that Sir Gorilla is online. Sir Gorilla, if I may ask for a moment of your time, there is something I would like to speak of with you in private.
Boulder_Masochist:
@GREENSPROUT You should @ him. His phone will go ‘DING!’ if you do, letting him know.
MaliMintMonster:
@H0rselovingconqueror I have a lot of lying around, stacking dust. I could lend you a few coins.
Hm?
“Gorilla, sir. It seems that there’s som–”
“Oog.”
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, explains that he didn’t come just to invite you to the server—he also has a request.
A request?—So suddenly?
Something tells me this is going to be trouble. While I’d like to decline his request right away, I need to know what he wants from me first.
“What is it?”
Ding.
A chime rang out from the gorilla constellation’s phone, but he ignored it, keeping his gaze locked on mine as he spoke.
“Oog.”
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, believes you could become an excellent mentor to new constellations of the creation domain. That is why he wishes to ask for your help in nurturing them.
“... Excuse me? I don’t think I understand…”
“Oog.”
The Constellation, Gorilla of Fates and Twisted Futures, humbly requests your assistance in nurturing newborn creation deities from other dimensions. He hopes you will lend your talents as a world builder so they may learn from your wisdom.
“... Oh.”
Ding.
Another sound rang out from his phone, but he ignored it again, bowing his head to the floor. No, wait—this is a little too much for just a favor like that, isn’t it?!
“No, Gorilla, sir! You don’t need to bow your head like that!”
As I frantically try to pull him up by the shoulders, at the corner of my vision, on my computer monitor, I could see that a new message had arrived in the server’s general chat.
GREENSPROUT:
@ChicksOut4Ramube Sir Gorilla, could you help arrange a meeting with the constellation who caught the Ringed Star Mother’s interest? I would like to receive his tutelage as well.
